Goucher Students Earn National Study Abroad Scholarships
Three students have received national awards recognizing their hard work in the classroom and supporting their education overseas this summer.
As Goucher College celebrates 20 years as a national leader in study abroad, three students have received awards supporting their educational travel abroad.
Layla Snider and Alaurra Townes both received awards through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for their summer study abroad experiences. The Gilman scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and provides students with up to $5,000 to support education and internships abroad.
While Snider, an economics major, is still finalizing her study abroad plans for the summer (though she’s leaning toward South Korea), Townes will participate in Goucher’s summer Intensive Course Abroad in Germany. This three-week program will focus on chemistry and her major, data science.
Additionally, Angie Smith received an award through the Fund for Education Abroad to support their participation in the winter 2026 CIEE program in Cape Town, South Africa. Founded in 2010 by Goucher alumna Angela Schaffer ’10, the FEA provides scholarships and ongoing support to students who study abroad. According to Schaffer, Smith is the first Goucher student to receive an FEA award in the organization’s history.
“Traveling the world is my dream,” Smith says, who majors in sociology/anthropology. “Many people that I know with higher degrees never studied abroad or even had a passport before they were 25 years old. This opportunity has allowed me to educate others about living abroad.”
Jenny Quijano Sax, Goucher’s director of education abroad, says that Goucher students are well positioned to receive study abroad scholarships.
“Because all Goucher students study abroad, we send a highly diverse group—across backgrounds, interests, and financial circumstances,” Quijano Sax says. “That diversity makes them strong candidates for competitive awards, including need-based scholarships.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Goucher’s 100% study abroad policy. Quijano Sax says that global perspective is more important now than ever.
“We live in a time of global volatility—with threats to democracy, the environment, and social stability—and students need the perspective, adaptability, and cross-cultural understanding to engage thoughtfully with these challenges,” Quijano Sax says. “Study abroad gives them experiences that build not just knowledge but the confidence and empathy to make a meaningful, if not changemaking, difference in a complex world.”