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USM Sophomore Sheets Earns Prestigious Gilman Scholarship

Tue, 08/13/2019 - 01:43pm | By: Van Arnold

Andrew SheetsUniversity of Southern Mississippi (USM) sophomore Andrew Sheets experienced a mixture of “shock and relief” upon learning recently that he had been awarded a prestigious Gilman Scholarship for 2019-20.

Sheets, a native of Mobile, Ala., becomes the 33rd USM student to earn the Gilman award over the past three years.

“I was overjoyed when I got the email saying ‘congratulations.’ There was a moment in time where I didn’t think I’d have the funds to study abroad, but the Gilman took a huge weight off my shoulders. I’ll be honest, I teared up a little,” said Sheets.

An international business major, Sheets will travel to the University of Exeter in Devon, United Kingdom next month to continue his education in USM’s Study Abroad program. He plans to use the Gilman Scholarship funds primarily on living expenses.

“That’s where most of my anxiety rested, since I wasn’t sure how I was going to live and eat while in England,” said Sheets. “Anything left over by the end of my trip, I plan to use to travel Europe a little.”

Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad or internship program costs with additional funding available for the study of a critical language overseas. The Gilman Scholarship supports American undergraduate students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad and, since 2001, has enabled more than 25,000 outstanding Americans of diverse backgrounds to engage in a meaningful educational experience abroad.

“I am so excited for Andrew to be named a Gilman Scholar, he is an outstanding student with an enthusiastic, intellectually curious spirit,” said Carlee Causey, Project Director for Nationally Competitive Programs at USM. “I know he will use this prestigious scholarship well, cultivating critical skills for his studies in international business and broadening his view on the world and its people.”

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is named for the late U.S. Congressman who served in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chaired the House Foreign Relations Committee.

For more information about how to apply for the Gilman Scholarship and other nationally competitive awards, call 601.266.4533 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/undergraduate-scholarships/nationally-competitive-programs.php