Eric Ginter Named Recipient of the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship

2015 Jan 7

Fulfilling a longtime aspiration to study abroad in China, Global Studies major Eric Ginter, '16, will spend the spring semester of his junior year in Chengdu, China studying foreign language and culture after recently being named the recipient of a prestigious national study abroad scholarship, the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship.

"I've always had an interest in Chinese culture," said Ginter, who started the first-ever Chinese Club at Castleton.

Introduced to the Chinese culture in high school, Ginter was selected to participate in a cultural exchange program as a senior, allowing him to visit Mongolia. After his inaugural visit, he has since longed to return.

"Winning this scholarship gives me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of the culture," he said.

The highly competitive Gilman Scholarship program allows U.S. undergraduate students to participate in credit bearing, career-oriented study and intern abroad programs worldwide.

The program broadens the student population that studies abroad and is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.

Ginter marks the third Castleton student in the past three years to win this prestigious national scholarship, and the first to study abroad in China.

This year Castleton has students studying abroad on 5 different continents including Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and Australia, as well as the islands of New Zealand and Great Britain.

Shortly after touching down in China, Ginter will spend the semester at the Sichuan University taking written and spoken language classes, as well as Chinese history and culture.

Upon returning from his international excursion, he hopes to bring his Chinese cultural knowledge back to local Vermont elementary schools where he plans to infuse foreign culture teachings into the classroom.

"I want to bring the Chinese culture to classrooms here in Vermont," said Ginter, adding that he would like to help teach the Chinese alphabet and strokes to local students. "Having cultural exposure at a young age is important."