UofL students spending summer abroad as international scholars

Three University of Louisville students will spend part of their summer overseas as international scholars.

Sahadat Mohammad Wali, Megan Wurth and Brigid Connelly have earned a Gilman Scholarship, a prominent award given each year to about 2,700 U.S. college students and valued up to $5,000. The Gilman program is intended to help students with limited financial means pursue academic studies or internships abroad.

• Wali, a junior psychology and criminal justice major from Mazar-I-Sharif, Afghanistan, is the son of Sediqa Abdul Shukor and Noor Mohammad Wali. He will study Russian in St. Petersburg, Russia.
• Wurth, a junior health and human performance major from Paducah, Kentucky, is the daughter of Dwayne and Mary Ellen Wurth. She will study stroke research in Newcastle, Australia.
• Connelly, a senior women's and gender studies major from Crestview Hills, Kentucky, is the daughter of Tom and Mary Beth Connelly. She will spend four weeks studying Spanish in Santiago, Chile.

“The benefits of study abroad are many,” said Virginia Hosono, associate director of study abroad in international affairs at UofL. “Students who study abroad come back as different people; it creates lasting effects that influence how they see the world and interact with others.” 

UofL has previously announced several international scholars for 2016, including 14 Fulbrights.