Mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people from another 144 countries is what fosters the Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship Program. The Deputy Director of the Office of Global Education Programs, of the U.S. Department of State, Heidi Manley, who is on an official visit in Santiago, held a meeting with the scholars at the Fulbright Commission.

Antonio Campaña, Director of the Fulbright Commission invited five undergraduate American students who are on a career oriented internship as international exchange grantees in Santiago, to meet Ms Manley and share with her their experiences. Sara Coffrey, Theodora Frangakis, Paola Gallegos, William Perez and Estrella Sainburg talked about the opportunity they have to live abroad and learn about other cultures.

Ms Manley previously visited Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she also met with US grantees and encouraged them to continue with their international studies upon returning to the United States.

The Gilman Scholarship promotes friendly and peaceful relations and offers grants for US citizens, undergraduate students of limited financial means, to pursue academic studies through career oriented internships abroad in more than 144 countries around the world. The international exchange intends to better prepare these students to assume significant roles in a global economy and an interdependent world. This year over 2.700 scholarships were awarded.