Thank you Gilman!

This entry is dedicated to the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program.

I wanted to say that I really am grateful that I was chosen as a recipient for the scholarship.
This help was really what made this trip possible because, as I've mentioned before, I come from a very underprivileged family. And this scholarship helped me pay for the program, and completely paid for the expensive (for my capabilities) airplane ticket round trip!

From my position you have no idea how much help this was! It took a lot of financial pressure off of me. It felt so much better not having to take out a loan for study abroad this way, I didn't incur more debt than I already do for regular school. The scholarship allowed me to feel like more is possible for me.

SEE this is how happy I am:

I really encourage everyone in need to apply for this scholarship, about 1 in 3 of the scholarship applicants get the scholarship! That's almost half!
I think any time working on a statement of purpose is definitely worth this life experience and what they ask in return is just a project that will allow you to share your experience with others and encourage them to study abroad and telling them they have resources like the Gilman Scholarship to help them out.

APPLY HERE:
http://www.iie.org/en/programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program/Apply.aspx#faq3

Guess what my project is? This BLOG! And honestly I enjoyed this the whole time, to share my experience, but it has also added to my experience.
I made me more conscious of what was going on during this time abroad and I think it has made me more attentive as i have people to whom I can tell my little stories. Hopefully they have helped you or at least been enjoyable and allowed you to see what an experience abroad in Bahia, Brazil is like, through the window that is me.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Some more happy pictures:

So far I have:

30/july/09

Done the application process for EAP, which is for UCs (University of California)
I had to prepare for that pretty much since Fall Quarter to turn in the application in January.

First I had to complete a "New Applicant Questionnaire" which was just to make sure I understood what the study abroad program I chose was all about. Then I went to a kind of orientation to answer questions about the program and we were then given the application.

I did the application as accepted and then, I applied to the Gilman Scholarship and I GOT IT!!!!
oh i was soooo soooo happy it was amazing.

had my travelers health consult at the health center.

gotten an injected live vaccine for yellow fever because it is very recommended for this area of brazil

and i got the oral typhoid vaccine which i am waiting to take later one. they are 4 pills, and i have to take them every other day until i finish them. It has to be on an empty stomach, and i can't eat until like 2 hours after. They are also very sensative to temperature so they have to be kept refrigerated at a certain temperature otherwise they'll expire.

the typhoid pills are the ones in the box, the other pills are for moderate diarrhea. later I'll give more details on all the information that I recieved at the healh consult. such things as dengue and all that good stuff that can only be prevented by these things that i also bought from the health center

They have a good amout of deet to repell mosquitos.

I still have to get my visa though...which is supposed to be processed 10 days after you turn it in.

Need scholarships?

Here are some websites with a lot of information on how to do that:

Gilman International Scholarship:
http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program


All Abroad U.S. --helping all students to study abroad
http://allabroad.us/funding1.php

Fullbright (especially for those who have a research idea in mind!)
http://www.iie.org/fulbright/

http://www.umabroad.umn.edu/financial/scholarships/index.html

you can also contact the local Rotary Club

There is also this Center for Study Abroad that claims to offer more affordable study abroad programs:
http://www.centerforstudyabroad.com/

TIPS***: I would really really recommend that you apply to these scholarships. If you are the type of person who is reluctant to look into scholarships because you feel like you know you're not going to get anything--I know, I've been there. But I learned it was totally worth it!

I actually got a scholarship! I got the Gilman Scholarship and it seems like they give out a lot every year, lots of my friends got them too, so really it's totally worth it. I'll do an entry on just the Gilman Scholarship to show my appreciation and how much it helped.