UNH Today

Nine UNH students – including a pair of siblings – earned the opportunity to study in and experience international locales and cultures as recipients of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which will bring this cohort of Wildcats to six different countries around the globe.

The Gilman scholarship provides awards to Pell grant-eligible students who are studying or interning abroad for credit. In 2021, the U.S. State Department recognized UNH as a top producer of Gilman Scholars in the country as part of the 20th anniversary of the program.

This year’s recipients are Meghan Cotter ’25, Kiley Hill ’25, Victoria (Tori) Peterson ’25, Alaura Cross-Stroman ’26, brothers Noah Eckert ’26 and Caleb Eckert ’26, Lauren Hoppler ’26, Elizabeth Robinson-Kiang ’26 and Rozalia Vajda ’27.

Kaitlin Phair ’24 was also selected as a recipient but was unable to accept a placement.

Hill, a human development and family studies major from Lisbon, New Hampshire, will be participating in the Comparative Social Welfare Systems course through UNH, traveling to Dublin, Ireland and Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she will be studying social work.

Hill says she is excited about the Gilman opportunity because it “opens many doors to explore a different part of the world socially and academically.”

“I am most looking forward to understanding a different culture and understanding what their norms may be compared to the United States,” she says.

Peterson, a veterinary technology and animal science major from Bedford, New Hampshire, spent this summer in Italy as part of the UNH in Italy program. She studied the food and culture of Italy as well as the philosophy of food while in Ascoli Piceno, a small town on the eastern coast of Italy.

The application process itself proved rewarding to Peterson, who says it “broadened by perspective on how important going the extra mile and advocating for yourself is.” She was also grateful for the chance to join the Gilman community, giving her a space to share her thoughts before, during and after the journey.

“I was most looking forward to travelling and being able to experience a new part of the world,” she says. “Prior to studying abroad, I had never been outside the U.S. So it was a really exciting time as I was doing something way out of my comfort zone while also furthering my academic studies.”

Noah Eckert a history and German double major from New Hampton, New Hampshire, will be studying at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where his courses will include Germanic historiography, Latin for medieval studies, Scottish history and German language. He will be traveling in spring of 2025.

Eckert is excited for the opportunity because the majority of what he’ll study in Scotland is highly specialized and not replicable at UNH, and will be a significant step in preparing him for his desired career as an historian.

“Receiving the Gilman scholarship has opened new pathways for my education,” Eckert says. “I am most excited about exploring the history of Scotland, as I am fascinated by the medieval era, and being able to explore the ruins of Scottish castles would be a dream come true.”

Noah’s brother, Caleb Eckert, will also be traveling in spring of 2025, when he’ll head to the University of Galway in Ireland. The history and program and event management major will be focusing his studies primarily on ancient and early medieval Irish history.

“One of the things I'm looking forward to most about experiencing Ireland is getting to see many of the historical and archeological sites I've read about in person,” Caleb says. “I'll be able to see the things I've spent so much time learning about with my own eyes, instead of just imagining them from a book.” 

Hoppler, a wildlife and conservation biology major from Durham, New Hampshire, will be bound for New Zealand in spring 2025, where she will be studying at the EcoQuest Foundation within the Ecology in Action Program. She will be traveling throughout the North and South islands to learn about the ecology, biology and environmental policy in relation to various ecosystems and looks forward to honing practical research skills.

The program works closely with local communities, Hoppler says, and she is excited to learn about “different worldviews” and to “discover how other people connect to nature.”

“While I have loved growing up in Durham and going to college here, I'm very eager to step out of my comfort zone where I can explore new environments, tackle new challenges, and meet new people,” Hoppler says. “New Zealand is pretty much as far as I can get from New Hampshire, and its ecosystems and landscapes are vastly different. Getting the chance to observe, explore and appreciate them is super exciting for me.”

Robinson-Kiang, a business administration major with a focus in finance from Lee, New Hampshire, will be spending the spring of 2025 in Portugal, studying at the University Institute of Lisboa (aka ISTCE) in Lisbon. Though her official list of courses is still to be determined, she is planning to take courses in finance for credits that can go toward her major.

Robinson-Kiang says she was “through the roof” when she learned she’d been selected as a Gilman recipient because the scholarship provides the opportunity to become part of a community of scholars. She is also looking forward to exploring new cultures, having thus far lived in the same place her whole life.

“One of the big reasons I chose to study in Europe is because of their expansive rail system as well as the general ease of traveling between other countries. I’m most excited to be able to visit and experience so many different places conveniently during my studies,” Robinson-Kiang says. “Many of my friends are going abroad to Europe at the same time as me, so I’m really looking forward to visiting them in places like Italy and Greece.”

Vajda, a philosophy and justice studies major from Boca Raton, Florida, is participating in the UNH Bologna, Italy program this summer as part of her Gilman scholarship, studying at the Academy Lingue in Bologna.

Beyond the educational opportunities, Vajda is grateful for the chance to experience “the daily routine lifestyle of Italians.”

“Studying at an Italian university with Italian professors provides the opportunity to fully immerse myself in life in Italy,” Vajda says. “As well as taking the bus to class, walking the streets of the Italian city center, and hiking on historical trails.”

Cotter, a health sciences major from Amherst, New Hampshire, spent the summer as a participant in the UNH in Italy program, and Cross-Stroman, a communication major from Hooksett, New Hampshire, will be studying at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain this fall.

Interested in pursuing a Gilman scholarship? Learn more about this and other opportunities available through the Office of National Fellowships.