Gilman scholarship provides first-generation student with unexpected opportunity to study abroad

By Amanda Respess

S enior Macey McElwaney never expected to study abroad, but a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State made it possible for her to travel to Peru this summer.

"I never thought I would be able to go abroad. I'm a first-generation college student, and nobody in my family has ever even left the country. So it's a lot of paving the way," said McElwaney.

A marketing major and Rhetoric minor, McElwaney is one of three Georgia College & State University students who earned Gilman scholarships this year. She chose the College of Business & Technology's summer study abroad program to Peru, led by Dr. Jehan El-Jourbagy, associate professor of business law and ethics.

When McElwaney expressed reluctance about studying abroad due to the cost and conflicts with summer classes and internships, El-Jourbagy did everything she could to help.

"Dr. El-Jourbagy is an absolute gem. She was like 'No, you really need to go abroad. It is an incredible experience. It's truly transformational. And I know that all these worries that you have will be fine,'" McElwaney said.

With El-Jourbagy's encouragement and step-by-step support from Anna Whiteside in the National Scholarships Office, McElwaney applied for the Gilman Program and earned the international scholarship.

El-Jourbagy's focus for the Peru program - as with her previous study abroad excursions - is on sustainability, environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility in global commerce.

"Our time in Lima was an excellent introduction to sustainability in Latin America," El-Jourbagy said. "We met with business leaders, such as David Jenss at KPA, Giancarlo Castillejos Castañeda at DP World and Stephania Spitale Campos Cervera at Perú Sostenible."

The 12 students in the program were required to maintain a blog about the trip as part of their course requirements. El-Jourbagy provided prompts that encouraged students to reflect and write thoughtful responses about the sites they visited and the people and professionals they met.

McElwaney says she loves to write and relished the ability to document her travels with photos, insights and information about the experience.

"We went to an actual recycling facility. It was awesome, but probably the grossest place I've ever been," McElwaney laughed.

McElwaney and her peers learned that the infrastructure in Lima - the nation's capital - is very different from the U.S. A lack of landfills and government regulation means Peruvian businesses and citizens work together to manage waste.

"They have no reason to be sustainable. The government isn't telling them to do it, but these companies are anyway," McElwaney explained. "Their trash gets mixed in with the recycled materials and they have to sort it by hand. It's disgusting, but it was really moving just to see how much people care."

The students also visited markets and businesses showcasing native traditions and skills.

"We went to a couple companies that really try to preserve their weaving tradition and not making it so industrialized where machines are doing it. Instead, it's indigenous women," McElwaney said.

McElwaney, who has a sales concentration within her marketing major, found plenty of opportunity to compare what she's learned in the classroom with the lived experiences of people in another country.

"I did a presentation on business organizations - sole proprietorships, limited liability companies, corporations. So everywhere we went, I kind of like looked at that because it's something that I had an emphasis on beforehand, seeing how they operate," McElwaney said.

"It was a smaller scale than our small businesses. …They just have a little cart, and they lay their stuff out for somebody to come and buy it. And I respected the hustle - it's like cold calling to your face. It was just so interesting to see," McElwaney said.

McElwaney says she will carry with her the lessons and experiences from Peru.

"Long term, I would love to work in a sustainability role. I love sustainability. I think on a corporate level, it is so important to take care of our earth. We only have one."

Header Images: Senior Macey McElwaney and the other students on Dr. El-Jourbagy's Peru study abroad program began in Lima, visiting companies to learn about sustainability and environmental stewardship. The group also visited the Peruvian countryside, including Machu Picchu in the Andes mountains. (Photos: Macey McElwaney)