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Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship recipient, Indira Ranaweera
CAS students heads to Spain on Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship[06.04.2015]
TAMPA, Fla. -- Indira Ranaweera of the University of South Florida College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded a Gilman Scholarship to study abroad in Spain during the summer 2015 semester. She will be attending the University of Connecticut’s Neuroscience Study Abroad Program in Salamanca. As a student in USF’s 7-Year Medical Program, one of Ranaweera’s main goals is to become fluent in Spanish before she graduates. She aims to use her bilingualism to be a more accessible physician to Spanish-speaking patients, domestically and internationally.
Ranaweera, a rising junior in the Honors College majoring in biomedical sciences, is also a very service-oriented individual. She is the current president of the Honors College Student Council, a Student Ambassador for USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy, and a Morale Committee Member for Bulls for the Kids, a student-run philanthropy that benefits All-Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla. Ranaweera also is thrilled to soon become a Big Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters.
In Spain, she will be taking the course, Learning and Memory, for her psychology minor, and Medical Spanish. Ranaweera is certain that the coursework combined with the cultural experience in Spain will tremendously help her move towards her goal of becoming a well-rounded physician. Upon graduation, Ranaweera plans to attend the Morsani College of Medicine to pursue an international medicine concentration.
Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad program costs. Recipients of the scholarship have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages, and economies -- making them better prepared to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector. All recipients are required to carry out a follow-on project to share information about the Gilman program within their university and community.
The USF Office of National Scholarships identifies, recruits, and mentors high achieving students to apply for national merit scholarships across all disciplines. The scholarships and fellowships are for creative, motivated and academically strong students who are leaders in and out of the classroom.
Filed under:Arts and Sciences Student Success Psychology Chemistry CreditsAuthor:Lauren Chambers Contact:lschumac@honors.usf.edu