UMSL students Tanner Reichl and Thanh Ly both received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which will support them as they study abroad next academic year. Reichl will study for a full academic term at Waseda University in Tokyo, while Ly will study for a semester at Korea University in Seoul. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship has provided support for more than 44,000 students to study and intern abroad in more than 170 countries since its inception in 2001. This spring, University of Missouri–St. Louis students Tanner Reichl and Thanh Ly joined the most recent cohort of Gilman scholars.

Reichl and Ly will benefit from the U.S. Department of State program, which awards nearly 3,000 competitive, merit-based scholarships of up to $5,000 each academic year to undergraduate students receiving Pell Grants.

The congressionally funded program is named in honor of former New York Rep. Benjamin Gilman, who served in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chaired the House International Relations Committee for several years. It aims to foster international cooperation and to support students as they gain professional skills, language abilities and cultural knowledge. Ideally, Gilman scholars will become future American leaders with ample real-world experience and international connections.

The scholarship will help Reichl, a Japanese major, study for an entire academic term at Waseda University in Tokyo, while Ly, a graphic design major, will use his benefits to study at Korea University in Seoul for the fall semester.

Learn more about the scholars:

Tanner Reichl

Reichl enrolled at UMSL after serving in the United States Air Force Reserve. He was drawn to the university because his older sister is an alum, and the Veterans Center made it easy to utilize his military benefits.

However, there was something else that solidified the decision – the Department of Language and Cultural Studies’ Japanese language program. Reichl became interested in Japanese culture and language while studying traditional Japanese martial arts. The discipline and respect of the dojo appealed to Reichl, and the experience motivated him to save up for a two-week vacation to Japan.

He even tried teaching himself the language – to mixed results – and realized he would need proper instruction to further his language skills. He was thrilled to discover a rigorous Japanese program in the St. Louis region.

“From everything I had read online and people I talked to, they said the Japanese program at UMSL was very good,” Reichl said. “There aren’t many options for Japanese programs, so it was kind of a no-brainer.”

Japanese faculty members Amy Michael, Keiko Ueda and Hiroko Yoshii encouraged Reichl’s desire to study abroad in Japan, and UMSL Global’s Study Abroad Manager Maggie Hook was instrumental in prompting him to apply for the Gilman Scholarship.

“She is the one who went out of her way multiple times to let me know about the Gilman Scholarship,” he recalled. “She would see me in the hallway and say, ‘Hey, did you apply for Gilman?’ She reminded and reminded me about it. I would not have applied if she hadn’t done that, so I owe her a big thanks.”

Initially, Reichl wasn’t sure if he would have a shot at the scholarship since the program is very selective. He was a little surprised, but excited to be selected.

“When I got the news that I was selected, I was really grateful,” Reichl said. “What’s cool about the Gilman Scholarship is that you also have other benefits than just the scholarship amount itself. You have federal benefits on top of that, and connections being a Gilman alum that you don’t get anywhere else. It’s really exciting.”

Reichl plans to leverage those connections as much as possible as he prepares to study at Waseda University for the year. The university, which is in the heart of Tokyo, is one of the top higher education institutions in the country. Its sterling academic reputation is what motivated Reichl to study there.

His main goal for the year is to sharpen his language skills.

“I just want to get as good at the language as possible – completely immersed,” he said. “I want to network, meet more people in Japan and have that conversation practice.”

Aside from leveling up his Japanese, Reichl also plans to take in all of Tokyo’s cultural offerings, from traditional sumo matches to Akihabara, or “Electric Town,” the epicenter of anime, electronics, manga and video game subcultures in the city.

Ultimately, Reichl hopes to live and work in Japan in the future. After he graduates, he plans to apply to the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, which places Americans in Japanese classrooms as assistant language teachers. He already has some practice with English instruction as an English for Academic Purposes tutor at UMSL.

“It’s been a real blessing in a lot of ways because the Gilman scholarship, in a sense, was the first step into helping me network and giving me a glimpse of some opportunities that could come about going to Japan,” Reichl said.

Thanh Ly

Ly was introduced to UMSL through his older brother, who was attending the university when it came time for him to decide where to attend college. Ly was able to stay close to home and also carpool to campus with his brother during his first year.

His brother also helped guide him toward the Department of Art and Design’s graphic design program.

“My hobby was drawing, a lot of colorful anime and cartoon stuff, before I got to college,” Ly said. “My first year, I was undecided because I didn’t know which path to choose. In my sophomore year, my parents and my brother all suggested to try this path because my hobby is related to art.”

Ly’s creativity, and his desire to find new inspiration, was a driving force behind his interest in studying abroad.

“One of the main reasons I want to study abroad is because, as a graphic designer, you’re required to be creative most of the time,” Ly explained. “To be able to achieve that, you need more experience. So, I want to travel to a different country, see other designs and cultures that are different than America.”

He began discussing his plans with a classmate who had studied abroad in South Korea. She suggested applying for the Gilman Scholarship. The application was hard work, but it was worth it.

“Studying abroad is a lot of money, so this scholarship has helped me reduce a lot of stress and pressure for living abroad,” Ly said. “Living abroad, I need to pay for tuition, dormitories and daily life like food, transportation. By having this scholarship, it really helps. It can give me a better experience without worrying about too much.”

Ly chose to spend a semester in South Korea because the country’s animation and graphic design industries are booming. Much of it is related to K-pop, which has become an international phenomenon. He’ll study at Korea University, which is one of the most prestigious institutions in the nation’s capital city and has a respected art and design program.

Apart from finding inspiration and honing his design skills, Ly hopes living in another country will expand his personal and professional networks and help him develop a measure of self-reliance.

“I really want to also gain independence,” Ly said. “I have never traveled myself or lived alone, so I’ve always wanted to try that myself to gain that experience.”