Kansas State University student receives Gilman International Scholarship
Friday, Dec. 8, 2017
MANHATTAN — A Kansas State University nontraditional student has received a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study in Switzerland for the spring 2018 semester.
Vanessa Alexandra McCauley, junior in hospitality management, Manhattan, will study international business and hospitality in Switzerland for six months through a credit-earning partnership with Robert Gordon University. She also will participate in a six-month apprenticeship in Europe following the study opportunity.
The Gilman Scholarship, awarded to students with the potential to assume significant roles in a global economy, gives U.S. undergraduate students funds to participate in study abroad programs and internships worldwide.
"As a nontraditional student, this is a great privilege," McCauley said. "I encourage adults to never stop feeding the mind — no matter their age. It has been a fabulous journey."
After raising two children — both now attorneys — as a single mom in Texas, McCauley came to Kansas to finish her undergraduate degree. McCauley's passion for education is evident in her hard work, which has been recognized with several honors and awards. She has received a scholarship from the Doris Buffett National Women's Independence Scholarship Program, the Goss Discovery International Scholarship, the Kansas State University Achievement Award, the Order of the Purple Society, the American Institute of Food and Wine Scholarship and the President's Winning Spirit Award from Southwest Airlines.
McCauley is a board member and events chair of the National Society of Leadership and Success at Kansas State University, and a member of Professional Event Management Society, Club Managers Association of America, Phi Theta Kappa international honor society and Wildcats Forever. She is an alumna of Grand Prairie High School in Texas.
The Gilman Scholarship Program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education.
