Two AFP Students Awarded Gilman Scholarship to Fund Overseas Study

Arabic Flagship Program students Aynur Hodge and Muna Rehman have both been awarded the Gilman Scholarship to fund their overseas study. The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards for undergraduate study abroad and was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. This scholarship provides awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study abroad programs worldwide.

Aynur Hodge is a senior studying Middle Eastern Studies, Rhetoric & Writing, German and Arabic. She has already studied with the Arabic Flagship Program in Alexandria, Egypt for a summer semester. For her next stint abroad, she’ll return to the Middle East for a full year to intensely study Arabic and also complete an internship – both with the goal to help her transition from Advanced to Superior level Arabic. Aynur’s career interest focuses on international relations and journalism, and she foresees an eventual career in international relations or with a humanitarian organization such as The Peace Corps.

Muna Rehman joined the Flagship in spring 2009 and is currently studying Arabic Language & Literature and Government. Her academic interest lies in Arabic linguistics and poetry. She too has studied previously in Egypt with the Overseas Flagship Program, and will embark on her Capstone year abroad, along with Aynur, beginning in September. Muna aspires to obtain a graduate degree in Arabic and then pursue teaching Arabic at the college level. Alternatively, she may seek out non-profit work in the field of education in an Arab country.

The Arabic Flagship Program congratulates both students on this remarkable achievement in their Arabic studies and language learning. To read more about the Gilman Scholarship, we invite you to visit: http://iie.org/en/programs/gilman-scholarship-program.