Six awarded Gilman International Scholarships

Six Connecticut College students—Gwyneth Adrian ’27, Mariam Anwar ’27, Maximo Gulla ’26, Matthew Hernandez ’27, Maya Kowalska ’27 and Kaley Mendoza-Pineda ’27—have been selected by the U.S. State Department as Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship honorees. The scholarship, named in honor of the late New York congressman Benjamin A. Gilman, provides financial support to undergrads to travel abroad, developing skills related to economic development and national security.

The 2025 honorees are:

Gwyneth Adrian ’27

A government and economics double major and intended German minor from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Adrian will spend six weeks in the Boston University Geneva Internship Program in Geneva, Switzerland, where she will take courses on public international law and European politics. After the program, she will complete an eight-week professional internship with an international organization.

Adrian’s project will focus on increasing access to study abroad for marginalized students. “I’ll partner with the Mitchell Institute and Connecticut College’s Government and International Relations Department to host information sessions about international education, funding strategies and scholarship opportunities,” she says. “These sessions will provide practical guidance on navigating barriers such as passports, visas and financial aid.” Going forward, she hopes involve students at Mitchell College and UConn Avery Point as well.

Mariam Anwar ’27

Anwar will study at the American College of Greece in Athens in the spring of 2026. A psychology major and sociology and human development double minor from Fairfield, Connecticut, Anwar says she is “very excited and so thankful” to have been awarded the Gilman.

“My dreams I have had for so long are actually becoming my reality,” she adds.

 

Maximo Gulla ’26

Gulla, an environmental studies and government double major and Italian minor from Madison, Connecticut, will travel to Rome, Italy. Gulla plans to blog about his life in Rome and his travels to surrounding areas in both Italian and English.

“Receiving the Gilman gave me great assurance that going abroad is without a doubt the next step in my academic career,” he says. “I was pleased to have my passions for environmentalism, international governance and Italian studies be recognized in a more formal way.”

Matthew Hernandez ’27

Hernandez, a neuroscience major and scholar in the Public Health Pathway from Hudson, Ohio, is bound for Copenhagen, Denmark, to examine how different laws, culture, stigma and drug availability impact substance abuse.

“I’m proud of how far I have come to receive a federal scholarship for an opportunity I never thought I would be able to participate in,” he says.

 

Maya Kowalska ’27

Kowalska, an international relations and Hispanic studies double major and linguistics minor from Newtown, Pennsylvania, will travel to a still-to-be-determined location in Spain. She says she excited to deepen her scholarship on migration and linguistics.

“Over the past two years, I have had the opportunity to intern under an immigration attorney in New London, researching migration patterns and push factors of New London's immigrant community,” she explains. “While studying in Spain, I hope to build on this experience by bettering my understanding of how and why migration patterns there have shifted.”

Kaley Mendoza-Pineda ’27

An architectural studies major, computer science minor and scholar in the Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology from Palo Alto, California, Mendoza-Pineda will study at the Pantheon Institute in Rome, Italy. There, she plans to develop a Study Abroad Resource Guide and workshop.

“The guide will provide clear, accessible information on scholarships like the Gilman; budgeting tips; and personal insights to make study abroad more approachable,” says Mendoza-Pineda. “I’m proud of the work I put in and excited for the opportunities this scholarship will bring.”

Connecticut College offers a wide range of fellowship opportunities for students and recent graduates. For more information, visit The Walter Commons or email fellowships@conncoll.edu.