Five Students Receive Prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship

In December, five WPI students were selected as recipients of the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Recipients include Olivia Kochol ’26, an electrical and computer engineering major and computer science minor; Alexander Gu ’26, a computer science and mathematical sciences double major; and Pascale Michaud ’26, a mechanical engineering major who is minoring in both physics and philosophy and religion. 

The scholarship program provides support of up to $5,000 to students with limited financial means so they can study or intern abroad for college credit. This cohort of recipients will participate in WPI’s Global Projects Program, conducting project work at WPI project centers in Ghana, Hong Kong, England, and Romania. The Global Projects Program, which operates more than 50 project centers around the world, allows WPI students the opportunity to conduct their required projects for graduation in immersive, community-based, off-campus settings. 

“This scholarship will give me a sense of financial security while I am abroad, and I am grateful for being selected,” said Kochol, who is looking forward to doing her Interactive Qualifying Project in Romania. Her team seeks to implement an artificial intelligence chatbot into a website that highlights resources in Romania for Ukrainian women who are refugees. “I'm truly excited to be able to visit Europe for the first time and experience the different cultures in Eastern Europe. I look forward to learning more from the Romanian communities that we will be researching and understanding the needs and struggles of the people my team meets.”

WPI’s Global Experience Office (GEO), working in partnership with the Office of Financial Aid, provides support for WPI students who are interested in applying for a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship. GEO staff conduct outreach to students who meet the State Department’s financial eligibility requirements and who will be participating in the Global Projects Program at international project centers. Candace Ruta-Burdette, assistant director of GEO, advises students on the application process and provides suggestions on crafting personal essays for submission.

“To have five scholarship recipients from WPI is an outstanding achievement,” said Ruta-Burdette. “The Gilman Scholarship can help students have more financial flexibility. We want WPI students to be aware of this opportunity and to take the chance to apply, if they qualify.”

Applications are open through March 6 for the next round of Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarships. Information on eligibility, including a requirement to receive a federal Pell Grant, can be found here. Eligible students are encouraged to contact the Global Experience Office (global@wpi.edu) for further guidance.

It’s also important to note that all full-time, degree-seeking WPI undergraduate students, including Gilman Scholarship winners, are eligible for the university’s Global Scholarship to defray the cost of one credit-bearing, off-campus project experience through the Global Projects Program. The one-time scholarship of up to $5,000 per student offsets billable costs such as housing and fees for any required cultural programming.