Nebraska Wesleyan University’s three most recent Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship recipients have continued a trend for one of the top producers of Gilman Scholars in the country.
Ashton Barlow, Daniela Garcia, and Murslen Mudhafar, who were announced as Gilman recipients this month, bring Nebraska Wesleyan’s total number of Gilman scholars to 75 since the program began in 2001.
That number makes NWU one of the top 25 producers of Gilman Scholars in the country for institutions of fewer than 5,000 students, as recognized by the Gilman program.
Nebraska Wesleyan is one of 103 colleges and universities recognized by the Gilman program among its 25th anniversary top producing institutions. Gilman recognizes the top producers by institution size and type: small, medium and large, and associate’s colleges. Gilman also recognized NWU on the 20th anniversary of the program.
“It’s incredible for NWU to be recognized as a Gilman Top Producing Institution for the second time,” said Sarah Barr, NWU’s director of global engagement. “Helping more NWU students apply for and win Gilman scholarships has been one of my top priorities since I came to NWU in 2011, because the program makes studying abroad possible for students with high financial need.”
Part of the U.S. Department of State, the Gilman scholarship program supports study abroad opportunities for students to help them develop competitive career skills and global networks.
Here are the three NWU students taking advantage of those opportunities in the coming months.
Ashton Barlow is a part of NWU’s first faculty-led study abroad experience in Egypt. The double major in theatre and philosophy and religion is part of a group of 22 NWU travelers who arrived in Cairo in mid-May and will return May 26.
“The Gilman is one of the only reasons I’m able to go on the trip to Egypt,” said Barlow, who committed to writing an essay after the trip comparing religious rituals in the U.S. and Cairo. “So I’m really excited about that. I’m ecstatic.”
Murslen Mudhafar, a triple major in biology, psychology and public health, will study global health in Accra, Ghana from late June through early August. Mudhafar will do pediatric rotations and will shadow pediatric doctors during her time in the African nation.
“I wasn't thinking like, oh, I'm going to get it. But Sarah kept telling me, keep your hopes high. You got this. I believe in you,” Mudhafar said. “So I feel like, without that support of faculty and professors on campus always pushing me to break those boundaries, I wouldn't have gotten it.”
Daniela Garcia will spend the full 2026-27 academic year at NWU’s sister school, Mexico Tecnológico de Monterrey. Garcia majors in innovation & entrepreneurship with minors in communications studies and marketing.
“This means I’m one step closer to being able to fulfill my dream of getting to study in a different country,” Garcia said.
Barr noted that the three students will come away from their time abroad with more than just a cultural experience.
“The top skills gained from studying abroad—critical thinking, adaptability and cross-cultural communication—align with NWU’s emphasis on preparing students for future-ready pathways by equipping them with the skills employers are looking for,” Barr said.