Gilman scholarship helps WSU student find value in study abroad beyond her major

Leisly Hernandez Alvarado caught the travel bug early.

She went on her first study abroad trip in Vietnam, and it set in motion her passion for travel, leading her to a recent trip to Spain.

The study abroad programs she chose didn't perfectly align with her agriculture biotechnology major, but Hernandez Alvarado wanted to visit places she'd never been before and learn. Last year, Hernandez Alvarado earned a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship that afforded her a trip on a faculty-led program to Seville, Spain. Hernandez Alvarado was one of eight WSU recipients of the scholarship, an annual award created by the U.S. State Department enabling undergraduate students who received a Pell Grant the opportunity to study abroad.

Gilman awardees receive up to a $5,000 scholarship to travel abroad at the destination of their choice. A similar program is available to active military personnel through the John S. McCain (Gilman-McCain) International Scholarship for Military Families. The scholarship defrays the cost sometimes involved in a study abroad program. Applications for the next round of Gilman Scholarships are due March 5.

The Spain trip is primarily a culture-based educational program with courses in global competence and Spanish culture. Hernandez Alvarado's interest is in agriculture, specifically plant and rangeland management, but she found a way to apply her interests while abroad.

"Both (courses) were really beneficial in my degree, even though it doesn't sound like they go together," she said.

Gilman awardees receive up to a $5,000 scholarship to travel abroad at the destination of their choice.

She said she observed how orange trees were planted throughout Seville, even though that variety of orange isn't commonly eaten outside of jams with lots of sugar added.

"I learned how they use the oranges because they aren't edible due to being bitter, but instead of throwing them away, they are repurposed into fertilizer," she said. "In the U.S., we wouldn't be planting something like that in public areas."

Hernandez Alvarado said this notion has guided her studies back home, seeking ways to improve how the U.S. plants its trees as more than just decorative additions to the landscape.

"We could learn a lot from how they do things abroad," she said.

She didn't think she would win the Gilman scholarship, but was encouraged and helped by Distinguished Scholarships Program Director April Seehafer. Hernandez Alvarado applied two weeks before the deadline and felt a bit rushed.

"I really think (Seehafer) is the reason why I got the scholarship," she said.

Hernandez Alvarado is fluent in Spanish, and it made her trip smoother, especially since she tacked on some solo travelling ahead of the faculty-led program. She spent time in Ireland and France before arriving in Seville a day before the rest of her cohort.

"The speed of Spanish is the same. Even in France, they would see me and say, 'Es Mexicana,' and would start talking in Spanish," she said.

She said pronunciation was the same, but there were a couple of slang words that tripped her up, like Spanish speakers using the word "leche" or "milk" as a substitute for "cool."

The program, titled First Generation Abroad, is still accepting applications for the 2026 cycle, due Feb. 11. The trip was especially important to Hernandez Alvarado to be among peers who would otherwise avoid study abroad due to cost.

"It's really important for first-gento go abroad. A lot of students, especially first-gen, worry about finances," she said. "But there's always someone willing to help and will know about a scholarship to help with applying. I didn't even think I would get the Gilman."

Seven WSU students were awarded the prestigious scholarship for 2026 programs, but one student withdrew from their trip.

• Kayla Tate, Accounting
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• Nicole Scoggins, Social Sciences
  Spring 2026, CEA CAPA France, Paris: Cours de Civilisation Francaise de la Sorbonne & CEA CAPA Study Center
• Hannah McAdams, Wildlife Ecology & Conservation
  Fall 2026, SFS Peru, Tarapato: The Living Amazon
• Kevin Eric Mayo-Gutierrez, Mechanical Engineering
  Summer 2026, CIEE Japan, Tokyo: Summer Global Internship
• Zoe Thompson, Digital Technology & Culture
  Summer 2026, Intern Abroad HQ Japan, Tokyo: Information Technology Internships
• Alan Valencia, Cybersecurity
  Spring 2026, Bilateral Exchange Sweden: Linkoping University