Jessica Parada of Leander Receives Scholarship to Study in Argentina this Summer

GEORGETOWN, TX (04/29/2013)(readMedia)-- Jessica Parada of Leander has been awarded a Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad this summer. The scholarships, which are highly competitive, help U.S. undergraduate students pursue academic studies abroad.

Parada is a sophomore who is double majoring in psychology and Spanish at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. She plans to use her scholarship to participate in Southwestern's six-week program in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this summer.

The Gilman International Scholarship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Institute of International Education. It is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world. Students are encouraged to choose non-traditional study abroad destinations, particularly areas outside of Western Europe and Australia.

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of an application plus a proposal for a "follow on project" that will be completed after they return from study abroad.

For her project, Parada plans to record different Argentinian people telling her why they love their country, in one word. She also plans to bring back objects and pictures and share everything with students at her hometown high school.

"I hope to give them an interactive experience that they can carry with them for long after they graduate," she said.

Parada is the daughter of Luis and Deily Parada of Leander.

Southwestern University is a selective, nationally recognized undergraduate liberal arts college with an enrollment of 1,400 students. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in Texas. For more information on Southwestern, visit www.southwestern.edu.