Jenna Witman of Middletown Awarded Competitive Gilman Scholarship for Study Abroad

ST. MARY'S CITY, MD (12/19/2013)(readMedia)-- Jenna Witman, a Middletown, Md., native and sophomore at St. Mary's College of Maryland, was recently awarded the Gilman Scholarship for Study Abroad to The Gambia for the spring 2014 semester. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the scholarship financially supports students who wish to broaden their academic horizons by studying outside the United States.

Witman is one of nearly 700 undergraduate students from 341 institutions of higher learning who were selected to receive the Gilman Scholarship for the spring. The Gilman Scholarship offers awards of up to $5,000 to recipients through a competitive selection process.

"I'm incredibly grateful receive this generous scholarship," says Witman. "I am so thankful for the professors here who not only encouraged me to pursue studying abroad, but also were kind enough to help me during the application process and scholarship search with their letters of recommendation. I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to study abroad in The Gambia, and I can't wait for all the new and exciting things I am going to experience!"

As a component of the SMCM Signature Gambia PEACE Program, Witman will complete a research project or internship. She looks forward to being immersed in Gambian culture.

St. Mary's College of Maryland, designated the Maryland state honors college in 1992, is ranked one of the best public liberal arts schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. More than 2,000 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary's River in Southern Maryland.