CGTC Student Receives Study Abroad Scholarship, Third Student in Three Years

July 2, 2018


Warner Robins, Ga. – For the third time in three years, Central Georgia Technical College’s (CGTC) Office of Global Initiatives will have an international study abroad scholarship winner join its summer trip.

Shasheen Kher, a student pursuing an Associates of Applied Science with the College, learned he was the recipient of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship by email during the spring semester.

“I kind of fired it off and was like; eh we’ll see what happens,” Kher said of the application submission for the scholarship which provides funding to students to participate in study abroad programs.

When he received an email back saying he won, he was shocked.

“It was wild,” he said.

With an award of $2,500, Kher will join a group of students, staff, and faculty traveling to England, for the first two weeks of July. Students on the trip will participate in Humanities and International Business Management courses at York St. John University, in addition to tours and excursions into the city of York, one of England’s most historically rich municipalities known for both Roman and Viking heritage.

For Kher, learning about international business is a priority while he travels to England. With current plans to pursue an engineering degree and future goals of working for TESLA, he believes what he hopes to get out of the trip is exactly what got him the scholarship.

“I suppose my application stood out amongst others, in the sense that it conveyed my plans, what I was going to do,” he said, discussing further interest in global expansion. “Anyone can go to England just to go, but I talked about how this was aimed toward my future.”

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies or internships abroad. The Gilman Scholarship Program aims to support students who have been traditionally underrepresented in education abroad, including students with high financial need, community college students, students in underrepresented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities.

Gilman recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to defray eligible study or intern abroad costs. These costs include program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance and international airfare.

Sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, this Congressional funded program is administered by the Institute of International Education through its office in Houston, TX. Named after retired congressional representative Benjamin A. Gilman from New York, the program was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000.

In 2016, CGTC students became eligible to participate in the Gilman Scholarship program after the College was accepted as a participant.

For more information on Global Initiatives contact, Rick Hutto at rhutto@centralgatech.edu

About the Office of Global Initiatives

The Office of Global Initiatives directs the development and implementation of new educational and training partnership opportunities beyond the border of the United States. Created in 2013, the program follows the Technical College System of Georgia’s lead to expand the educational reach of technical colleges beyond Georgia.

Photo: Shasheen Kehr received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad to England this summer with Central Georgia Technical College. Photo courtesy of Shasheen Kehr.

Photo: Shasheen Kher received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad to England this summer with Central Georgia Technical College. Photo courtesy of Shasheen Kher.