Two Arcadia students, Zahra Ahmadi ’16 and Clifford Long ’17, will study in Turkey and South Korea, respectively, in spring 2015 through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Programs. Ahmadi, an international studies major concentrating in the Middle East and Africa, received $4,000 to study at Kadir Has University in Istanbul. “I saw this as my opportunity to immerse myself in a culture that challenges me,” said Ahmadi, who is from Afghanistan. “Turkey’s rich history and art have always fascinated me, both of which will be at the forefront of my interests while abroad.”

Long, who will travel to Seoul, South Korea on a $5,000 scholarship, is looking forward to studying politics in a nation wrapped in ongoing conflict with its neighbor. “I want to fully involve myself in another culture that is not like our own, linguistically, culturally, and socially, and I want to be nowhere near the U.S. while I do it,” said Long, a political science major with a concentration in international relations. Sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, the Gilman International Scholarship Program was established to provide students with financial constraints the opportunity to study abroad, especially those students who are differently abled, come from diverse ethnic backgrounds, and study in underrepresented majors. Previously, the program allowed Stéfon Marquette’15 to study in Paris, France through the 2014-15 academic year.