Expanding Engineering Opportunities Abroad

Three undergraduate students from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering recently received Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships to study or intern abroad. These competitive scholarships, administered by the U.S. Department of State, help students who receive Pell Grant funding to access unique opportunities to develop skills and network with scholars and professionals outside of the country.

Lincoln Baker and Jake Clark, third-year students in mechanical engineering, will study in Germany. Stacy Bediako, a fifth-year chemical engineering student, will intern in the Netherlands. These students, along with 13 others from Pitt, will receive up to $5,000 to support their time overseas. 

For Baker, the scholarship enables him to earn a Certificate in Aviation at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. Baker, who is double majoring in physics, intends to pursue a career in aviation engineering, and his interest in Germany stems in part from visiting a friend living in Heidelberg. He was fascinated with everything from the castles to the automotive and aviation museums to the public transportation.

Baker leaves in September and will complete his certificate in July. “Along with the unique educational opportunity I will receive, I look forward to being a tourist and seeing the surrounding area—and having the opportunity to learn German,” he said.

Added Baker, who after high school went straight into the workforce until his late 20s, when he could afford to attend college, “I don’t think I could have followed through on the application without the help from the Gilman Scholarship. I can’t overstate how much this will help me.”

For Stacy Bediako, the scholarship has helped make her dream of gaining research experience in a foreign country a reality. Bediako learned about internship opportunities in Europe through her advisor in Global Experiences and Engagement.

After securing a research position at Nouryon, a company that develops specialty chemicals, she applied for the Gilman Scholarship to cover expenses while living abroad. Bediako leaves for Deventer, in the Netherlands, at the end of May and will spend the summer learning firsthand about product chemistry research and development.

“I’m excited to live on my own abroad and experience the Dutch culture—everything from working in a different setting to riding bicycles all over,” said Bediako. “The Gilman Scholarship has helped make this opportunity possible and will make it so much more rewarding.”