Study Abroad Students Awarded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

How Anniston Bean, Vania Rito, Erica Khatter hope to be impacted by time abroad 

Three students will travel across the globe on both faculty-led and semester programs as recipients of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, a U.S. State Department-funded program aiming to making international study more accessible for students receiving Federal Pell Grants. 

The Gilman program helps students develop professional skills, language proficiency and global connections that support career success and cultural understanding. This year, the U.S. Department of State awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to 3,500 American undergraduate students from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to study abroad in over 170 countries. 

Over 70% of selected Gilman Scholars are from rural areas and small towns across the United States, and 55% are first-generation college students. 

Study abroad is a core component of the student experience for many at Belmont. According to the University’s latest career outcomes report, nearly one-third of the 2024 graduating class participated in study abroad, showcasing its appeal and transformative potential among students. More than 900 Belmont students study abroad each academic year on both traditional semester abroad programs and faculty-led programs throughout maymester and summer terms.

Belmont is currently ranked 15th in the nation for study abroad participation among doctoral universities. 

Meet Belmont’s Gilman Scholars 

Recipients from Belmont of the 2025 Gilman Scholarship include rising senior Anniston Bean, rising senior Erica Khatter and rising junior Vania Rito.

Anniston Bean — New Zealand

As a sport administration major and nutrition minor, first-generation college student Anniston Bean traveled outside the United States for the first time during her faculty-led maymester in New Zealand. 

The specific program is connected to Belmont’s sport administration, psychology and communication departments, giving students an immersive dive into eco-tourism and adventure activities. A dancer and dance teacher herself, Bean was excited to enhance her professional development and supplement her studies while abroad. 

"The main thing I looked forward to was being able to interact with different cultures," she said. "Being an athlete, I've noticed how culturally diverse sports teams are. They bring in people from all kinds of different countries, even within college programs, so I think it's important to be able to communicate and understand their culture." 

Erica Khatter — Spain, Portugal, Morocco 

Media & entertainment industries major Erica Khatter is participating in a faculty-led program this summer. She was exposed to international travel early in life, before ever leaving the country herself. 

“Growing up, my family’s door was always open,” she said. “We hosted soccer coaches from London during summers for camps and exchange students while I was in high school from Germany, Japan and India.” 

An interest in studying abroad then took root when her sister studied abroad in high school. Khatter followed suit, eventually spending a maymester in South Korea in 2024 before preparing for her upcoming trek to Spain, Portugal and Morocco this summer. The program is led by faculty in media & entertainment industries, journalism and exercise science. 

Not only will the experience help to fulfill degree requirements, but Khatter also hopes it will help her grow outside of her academic learning.  

“Going abroad and learning about different walks of life can help me better understand and appreciate the struggles and joys of life,” she said. “It will push me out of my comfort zone, which I desperately need, and allow me to gain new perspectives on what it means to have empathy and become a well-rounded individual.” 

Vania Rito — Spain 

Like Bean, Vania Rito is a first-generation college student studying international business and minoring in legal studies. She is preparing to study abroad in Sevilla, Spain for the entirety of the fall 2025 semester. 

Rito is looking forward to growing in two areas while abroad — one professionally, one personally. 

The first is to improve her Spanish proficiency. Her parents are from Oaxaca, Mexico, and though Rito is fluent in the language already, she hopes to progress her mastery of Spanish professionally and academically. 

Beyond language acquisition, Rito hopes her time abroad will help her develop greater confidence. 

"Growing up, I've been more of a shy, quiet person,” she said. “I hope this is like skydiving — just going out there and trying my best and seeing what comes from it." 

Rito always dreamed of studying abroad being part of her college experience, but the university she attended before transferring to Belmont offered limited support to do so. However, Belmont’s financial aid office, study abroad office and additional resources such as the Gilman Scholarship helped manifest that dream. 

Studying Abroad — More Accessible Than You Might Think 

Through scholarships such as the Gilman Scholarship, students can receive additional funding to travel the world while earning credit towards their degrees — sometimes you just have to know where to look. 

The recipients noted that while the Gilman application required work — including three short essays focused on personal growth, community service and professional development — Belmont and the Gilman program itself made the process easy.

Rito also emphasized a passion for helping students discover new avenues that enable travel such as the Gilman Scholarship. 

“People in the Hispanic community, or first-gen college students like me, don’t really know how to get this process started or do all of this,” she said. “My parents couldn’t help me — I had to find it all on my own. If I’m able to share it with others and help in some way, I would really like to do that.”