When Josie Mastandrea stepped off the plane in Rome in the fall of 2024, she felt both excited and overwhelmed. Now a senior, she had never traveled abroad before.

“It started with a culture shock I was not expecting,” she said. “The new people, foreign language, and unfamiliar social norms truly overwhelmed me at first.”

But Mastandrea said leaning into that discomfort became one of the most meaningful experiences of her college career.

“Becoming comfortable with the discomfort of it all led to a beautiful period of growth and discovery for me,” she said.

Mastandrea was able to spend the semester studying in Italy with support from the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, a U.S. Department of State initiative that provides scholarships for American undergraduate students with high financial need to study or intern abroad for academic credit.

Programs like Gilman are helping more Richmond students explore the world — and the university’s efforts to support those opportunities are receiving national recognition.

The University of Richmond was recently named a Top Producer of Gilman Scholars as part of the program’s 25th anniversary campaign. The recognition highlights colleges and universities that have supported the most Gilman Scholars since the program began in 2001.

Richmond ranks among the top 25 institutions in the small colleges category. Since the program’s launch, 118 Richmond students have received Gilman scholarships to support international study. Most recently, five students received Gilman scholarships to support programs in Czechia, Ghana, Portugal, South Korea, and Spain.

“The Gilman Program is a great fit for University of Richmond students who are interested in global connections and developing essential career skills through study abroad experiences,” said Dana Kuchem, director of the Office of Scholars and Fellowships. “This award also highlights that we are a national leader in supporting students to be competitive and successful applicants and recipients of major scholarships and fellowships.”

For many students, the scholarship opens doors that might otherwise remain closed. Mastandrea said the funding made studying abroad financially possible during her time at Richmond.

“Without Gilman, the prospect of going abroad felt much less manageable,” she said. “I worked three jobs the summer before to afford the travel I wanted to do, and the addition of Gilman’s funding opened up so many new possibilities. I am forever grateful to both Gilman and the University of Richmond staff who helped me access the opportunity.”

While living in Rome, Mastandrea took every chance she could to explore. During the semester she traveled to nine different countries.

“By the time I came back to the U.S., the world that I knew felt so much bigger than it had before,” she said. “I was able to bring a new perspective to my academic coursework.”

That sense of expanded perspective is a common theme among Richmond’s Gilman Scholars. Nikoloz Gvelesiani experienced it during his junior year when he studied in Budapest, Hungary, through a Gilman award. He attended the Aquincum Institute of Technology, where he said the academic rigor helped him grow both intellectually and professionally.

“It was quite rigorous and pushed me to learn new things and prepare professionally for my internship hunt,” Gvelesiani said.

Beyond the classroom, the experience also helped him explore new places. Many of his close friends were also studying abroad across Europe, allowing them to plan trips together throughout the semester.

“The memories I gained and the different perspectives I encountered were a great force that changed big parts of my life for the better,” he said.

For Gvelesiani, the scholarship made a long-held goal achievable. He was determined to study abroad and said the support from Gilman made the opportunity more accessible and manageable. Reflecting on the experience, he encourages other students to take the leap if they can.

“I think everyone should go abroad at least for a summer, but preferably longer,” he said. “The perspectives you gain stay with you.”