For release: June 1, 2011
For press information, contact Gabrielle Maxey, 901/678-2843

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for foreign study has been awarded to four University of Memphis students.  Three of them are from Memphis; the fourth is from Georgia.

Audrey Lee Ibezim, a junior, will study in Costa Rica; senior Titus R. Robinson will study in Peru; and Stuart Benjamin Wine, also a senior, will study in Latvia.  All are from Memphis.  Ibezim is the daughter of Willie and Judy Ibezim. Robinson’s parents are Reginald and Elaine Robinson.  Wine is the son of Vickie Wine.

Caroline Martin, a junior from Fitzgerald, Ga., will study in France. Married to John Martin, she is the daughter of John and Betty Spicer.

“In an increasingly global world, it is important for our students to have an international experience before graduating from college,” said Rebecca Laumann, U of M Study Abroad director. “Studying internationally is not only a rewarding and life-changing opportunity, it provides students with excellent multicultural skills, an ability to examine issues from a global perspective, fluency in a language, and life experiences that may be the highlight of their college career.”

The Gilman program encourages students to choose non-traditional study destinations, especially those outside of Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The program supports students who may be unlikely to study abroad, including those with financial need, community college students, those in underrepresented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and those with disabilities.

Recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to pay for eligible study abroad costs. Those costs include program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance, and international airfare.