The Department of State has named St. Olaf a top producer of Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program recipients throughout the program’s 25-year history. The Gilman Program provides merit-based scholarships to U.S. Pell Grant recipients to support study abroad and international internship experiences. Since 2001, more than 75 St. Olaf students have studied abroad as a Gilman Scholar.
For Kyra Andresen ’27, receiving a Gilman scholarship allowed her to pursue a summer 2025 internship in Türkiye at an archaeological dig site. Andresen was able to participate in site excavations, write reports for the Turkish Ministry of Culture, and even unearth artifacts such as ceramics, Roman glass, coins, and flooring. Her experience was almost fully funded.
“I am interested in working in either art history or archaeology, and for careers in this field, dig experience is crucial,” Andresen said in an email interview with The Olaf Messenger. “Learning how to see and excavate objects in context also helps me to become a better historian, and has already helped me with my art history course work at St. Olaf.”
MarinaGift Leke ’27 was also able to explore potential career interests with a Gilman scholarship. In January 2026, she took the course “Opera in Context: Austria and Germany” to study pursuits outside of her nursing major.
“Apart from nursing, I also have an interest in music. I want to be a gospel artist,” Leke said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger. “I wanted to explore different styles of singing and voice.”
Beyond funding for abroad experiences, a major aspect of the Gilman Program is its Follow-on Service Project. As part of their application, students must propose — and implement, if selected — a project that raises awareness about the importance of receiving a global education through study abroad experiences.
“This fits with St. Olaf students — their interest and desire to be a part of something bigger, to give back, to promote and extend opportunities to others, [and] to pave the way for future Oles to have those opportunities,” Smith Center Advising Coordinator Brittan Duffing said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger.
With these service projects, Andresen and Leke wanted to give back directly to their St. Olaf peers.
“My service project was to raise awareness about the Gilman scholarship through posters on campus and to offer support to students working on applying, particularly with my skills as a writing tutor,” Andresen said.
Similarly, Leke plans to work with students who want to apply to the scholarship and host presentations for underclassmen to hear about her experiences abroad.
Acceptance into the Gilman Program is competitive, with less than a quarter of applicants receiving a scholarship. According to Duffing, St. Olaf’s production of Gilman Scholars not only illustrates students’ eagerness to experience a global education, but also reflects greater support systems that the College provides.
“It shows the support network of faculty, staff, [and] administration … that helps students be aware of these opportunities, go through the motions of applying, and go through iterations of their drafts to have well-written essay responses to get selected,” Duffing said. “Go to your person, whether that’s your roommate or your professor.”
Andresen and Leke encourage their peers to apply for the Gilman Program.
“Any students receiving Pell Grants should 100% apply to the scholarship and use campus resources to help them work on their application essays,” Andresen said. “Additionally, I work as a tutor at the writing desk, and [I] know myself and other tutors are here to help students with their applications.”
