BIO

Ella is currently in her second year of studying Political Science at Florida State University. Ella has long been passionate about grasping global issues and fostering mutual understanding among diverse cultures. In addition to her studies, Ella works as an employee at the campus recreation center. Next year, she will continue her involvement in UROP by teaching a colloquium course as a UROP Leader. Looking ahead, Ella hopes to further her research interests through honors in the major and pursue graduate school.

"The fear you’ll be the same person when you go home and the fear you won’t": ​ A narrative inquiry of first generation in college student recipients of the ​Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship​

Abstract

First-generation college students (FGCS) are consistently underrepresented within education abroad. For FGCS to have the opportunity to study abroad, they often need funding to help pay for their study abroad experience. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship aids FGCS in increasing participation in study abroad, but there is limited research on the experiential outcomes of participating Gilman Scholarship students. Previous research has shown the positive benefits of education abroad for all students and for FGCS more specifically, but understanding a previously overlooked group of people will provide evidence to continue to support FGCS engagement in international education. To identify how the Gilman Scholarship has impacted FGCS, this research utilizes a transformative learning theory framework to better understand FGCS students' experiences during and after their study abroad program. Primary data will be collected using qualitative methods and narrative inquiry. Applying narrative inquiry by interviewing and surveying FGCS who have received the Gilman Scholarship will effectively represent how FGCS understand the transformative nature of their experiences abroad with the Gilman Scholarship program. The findings from this research will aid those in higher education, international education, and policy research, ultimately helping increase long-term support for First-Generation College Students (FGCS) engaging in higher education abroad.

Keywords: education, first-generation, international