Research Symposium

BIO

Janna Lelis is a 2nd year Political Science and Economics student from Jacksonville, Florida. At Florida State, she is a part of the Research Intensive Bachelor’s Certificate Program (RIBC), Global Scholars 2026, and is currently in progress of getting a certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

Her experience as a military child has led her to spend some time living abroad in Japan and Singapore, which has significantly contributed to her interest in global education, travel, and language acquisition. Her experience in UROP sparked her interest in education policy. After graduation, Janna plans to spend a year abroad teaching English and eventually attend graduate school to continue her research journey. Outside of school, you can usually find her cooking a new recipe, reading a book, or planning her next travel destination.

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

International education experiences cultivate global citizenship, yet barriers such as high financial costs often discourage underresourced students from accessing them. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship (GS) aims to mitigate these obstacles by providing funding to Pell Grant-eligible first generation in college students (FGCSs), among other demographic groups. While the immediate benefits of study abroad are generally well documented, this study utilizes narrative inquiry to investigate long-term transformation in students’ lives 5-10 years “post-Gilman.” Specifically, we explore how FGCSs perceive the impact of their GS experience for their longer-term personal, social, academic, and professional goals and aspirations. This study employs Jack Mezirow’s (1978) Transformative Learning Theory, using its 10 stages of transformation, notably critical self-reflection and rational discourse. We adopt a qualitative approach by conducting survey, focus groups, and individual interviews with alumni who graduated between 2014-2019 from a southeastern U.S. university. Using a denaturalized transcription and thematic coding process, five participants will be selected for further narrative inquiry via a creative data-elicitation technique. Preliminary findings suggest that the GS has led to a profound transformation in personal and professional pathways. Participants’ international experiences were the primary catalyst for further international traveling, higher levels of confidence, resilience, and self-determination. Our results also indicate that the impact of global educational experiences extend beyond the individual, potentially impacting the participants’ broader social circles. This study spotlights the need for higher education institutions and policymakers to better understand and support FGCSs in international education engagement, for personal, professional, and social transformation.

Keywords: first-generation college student, study abroad, transformation, higher education