GCSU’s fourth Gilman Scholar spends the summer learning to lead in France

By Ian Wesselhoff

U p until May 30th, junior Anna Schofill had never boarded a flight in her life. In fact, nobody in her immediate family had ever left the country. But by the next morning, she was living in an 18th century French château.

Schofill, a nursing major from Valdosta, Georgia, was awarded a U.S. Department of State Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad in Strasbourg, France.

"I never thought I would do study abroad. It was just not in my head," Schofill said. "I was like, 'This is not real. Like, this is crazy. I can actually afford to go now.'"

Through the Intercultural Leadership Program this summer, facilitated by the Gilman Scholarship and additional funding from Georgia College & State University, Schofill spent a month learning about communication and leadership across cultures - all while living in the Château de Pourtalès, just two kilometers from the European Parliament.

That proximity to parliamentary business meant that when Schofill and her classmates were done with class, relaxing with a book or sitting outside the château, it was with diplomats, ambassadors and military officers.

"When they go down and have breakfast every morning, they are eating family-style at a breakfast table with people who most of us will live our whole lives and never have access to," said Dr. Harold Mock, director of leadership programs at Georgia College and co-founder of the Intercultural Leadership Program.

Outside of class, the group visited Paris, took a guided tour of the European Parliament to see leadership at work, and made multiple weekend trips to neighboring countries.

Building Lifelong Leadership Skills

Schofill was heavily involved in leadership programs in high school, serving as a member of the student governing council, Key Club, Beta Club and head of her National Art Honor Society. Currently, she is the director of collegiate facilities at Georgia College's chapter of Kappa Delta sorority.

The program in Strasbourg counts toward the completion of Georgia College's Leadership Certificate, which Schofill will earn in addition to her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

"The program is an excellent fit for any student who is curious, motivated, future-oriented and civic-minded, and Anna's all of those things," Mock said.

The leadership skills students learn in the program can be applied to benefit the public good in any career path, and Schofill's nursing track is no exception. The ability to communicate through culture and language barriers in high-pressure situations is crucial to the job, she said.

Georgia is one of the states suffering most from a national nurse shortage, with a projected 17% shortage by 2037, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. Schofill hopes to bring leadership to a field in need of those skills.

"Having had this experience because of the Gilman Scholarship, it will definitely make me more successful and a valuable asset," Schofill said.

Leadership for the Public Good

Over 40% of all Georgia College students currently participate in leadership programs, and 100% of Georgia College's undergraduate nursing students participate by the time they graduate.

"Students who are coming of age in the state of Georgia are a part of the global economy and the global marketplace of ideas," Mock said. "Learning about globalization and communicating across culture and language are, I would suggest, some of the most precious things that somebody can learn in college."

The Gilman Scholarship requires students complete a service project after their return to the U.S. to teach others about the scholarship and encourage more students to go abroad. Schofill plans to host on-campus Gilman Program information sessions and post a step-by-step guide on Instagram to show other students that they, too, can study abroad.

"I knew that I always wanted to do it. I just wasn't sure I'd be able to financially," Schofill said. "I want students to know that it is not impossible. It is very much possible."

Through its unique liberal arts mission - which encourages students to collaborate across disciplines in a wide array of experiential learning opportunities - GCSU is training the next generation of leaders to create a better world by solving the systemic challenges that cause societal pains. Click here for more recent projects and success stories from Georgia College Leadership Programs.

Header Images: Scenes from the Intercultural Leadership Program in Strasbourg, France. All photos by Anna Schofill.