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UNO Studio Art student receives Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship to study abroad

Getting an education abroad is an important decision to make, especially when navigating program options and finances. However, Kyliesha Peak is living proof that despite out of control circumstances, going abroad can be possible for anyone.

Peak, a Senior studying Studio Art at UNO, was ready to give up on her dream of going abroad after struggling to find a university that offered courses in her major. It was when she came across an International Design Program at Osnabruck University (OU), an applied sciences college in Germany, that she realized her dream could potentially become a reality.

“I think the fact that they had a design program in English and German was really the selling point for me. I had always wanted to come to Germany, hence why I taught myself German, to study.”

Originally, Peak had planned to save enough money to become an international student in Germany. However, she changed her mind after discovering the unique opportunity to study abroad at OU without having to make a four-year commitment.

While Peak was ecstatic at her chance to study abroad, then came her next dilemma: finances.

Without a scholarship, Peak feared that she would be unable to go abroad. In the fall of 2018, she applied for the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship and anxiously awaited throughout November to find out who the recipients would be.

With just two days to spare until the end of November, the announcement came out.

“I received the email of my acceptance and I honestly could not believe it! My dream was slowly coming true, and suddenly all the stress, anxiety, and fear that had been accumulating, dissipated.”

“I received the email of my acceptance and I honestly could not believe it! My dream was slowly coming true, and suddenly all the stress, anxiety, and fear that had been accumulating, dissipated.”

 Kyliesha Peak

After months of anticipation, everything had finally fallen into place. By the time February came around, Peak was on an airplane ready to live out a dream she never expected to experience.

Once she arrived in Germany, Peak spent the month of February taking a German language course. This granted her the opportunity to travel to Bremen, Munster and Berlin with international students from across the globe.

Now, Peak is eager to start her design project course which will enable her to solve a real-word design problem. Later in the semester, Peak hopes to take a computer-aided design program (autoCAD) course along with a ‘German as a foreign language’ course.

Beyond her education, Peak has also had a shift of perspective since going abroad. Had she stayed in the U.S., she believes she wouldn’t have gained newfound knowledge on different cultures and ideologies.

“Imagine you are plopped down in a place that you don’t know, with a language that you barely understand, and with people whose cultures vary greatly from yours. You’d think it’d be a recipe for disaster, but it is the exact opposite; we were all bonded by this unique situation and we thrived in it!”

While Peak finds moving back to the U.S. daunting, she has high hopes on returning to Europe. Once she graduates from UNO, she plans on finding a master’s program in Germany to continue her education. She’s also determined to create an engaging language learning app as well as a 3D game.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) mission is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange that assist in the development of peaceful relations. In an effort to reflect the diversity of the United States and global society, ECA programs, funding, and other activities encourage the involvement of American and international participants from traditionally underrepresented groups, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities. Artists, educators, athletes, students, youth and rising leaders in the United States and more than 160 countries around the globe participate in academic, cultural, sports, and professional exchanges. For more information about ECA programs, initiatives, and achievements, visit http://eca.state.gov.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1919, the Institute is the world’s most experienced global higher education and professional exchange organization. IIE has a network of 19 offices worldwide working with more than 1,200 member institutions and over 6,000 individuals with a commitment to the internationalization of their institutions. IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government and private sources. These programs include the Fulbright and Humphrey Fellowships administered for the U.S. Department of State. The Institute is a resource for educators and institutions worldwide (http://www.iie.org), publishing the Open Doors Report and operating www.IIEPassport.org and www.studyabroadfunding.org search engines for study abroad program and study abroad scholarships. For more information, please contact Lindsay Calvert, Director, Gilman International Scholarship, at 832-369-3481 or lcalvert@iie.org.

Find out more about studying abroad with UNO Education Abroad.