(AGENPARL) – TOLEDO (OHIO) ven 21 aprile 2023

Tara Smith, a double major in English and art history, recently received the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman Award, a nationally competitive award given to accomplished students with financial needs who wish to study abroad.

More than 4,000 students nationwide applied for the nearly 1,500 awards given.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS: UToledo recognizes the Class of 2023 with a series of stories featuring students receiving their degrees at spring commencement.

Wrapping up her final year, Smith will be traveling abroad to Madrid, Spain, this summer to study at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.

“Madrid’s intermediate Spanish courses are taught completely in Spanish, which is exactly the type of challenge I’m looking for to ensure I absorb what I learn long term,” Smith said.

On top of studying, Smith will be interning at Colnaghi, the first commercial art gallery in the world. Founded in 1760, Colnaghi became a leading dealer in Old Master paintings, prints and drawings of the Gilded Age.

This internship was specially curated for Smith through many conversations and connections. She was looking for an opportunity to study abroad and immerse herself in a Spanish-speaking country when Thor Mednick, a professor of art history, found Smith this perfect opportunity.

“It is a privilege to work with someone who needs so little guidance and yet is so diligent in acting on the guidance she receives,” Mednick said. “Smith’s extraordinary balance of self-assuredness and desire to learn more has made her an exceptional student; her kindness, dependability and perspicacity will make her a valued colleague.”

Smith

One piece of advice Smith would give to students interested in studying abroad is to talk to their professors and advisors, who have years of experience and connections.

“It is likely that they know someone somewhere,” she said. “They know people; you just have to ask.”

Smith also recommends students utilize the Center for International Studies and Programs and the variety of resources they have to offer.

Smith said she is most excited to gain real-world experience, enhance current passions and discover new ones while abroad. Smith foresees her biggest challenge being the adjustment to living in a different country and navigating the city. Despite the challenges, Smith is ready to immerse herself in this global experience.

“The last thing people want to see is that you don’t go because you can’t afford it,” Smith said. “When you have something set up, you should find someone in an adjacent field of work and ask them any questions you have. It is so important If you can get some experience, even if it’s just a week where you volunteer somewhere.”

The post English-Art History Graduate Receives Prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman Award    first appeared on UToledo News.

Fonte/Source: http://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/04_21_2023/english-art-history-graduate-receives-prestigious-benjamin-a-gilman-award