The COVID pandemic shut down Faith Boyd's chance to study abroad last summer as a Gilman Scholar while earning a much-desired second degree in Spanish. However, the 2020 St. Ambrose graduate never let her disappointment override her drive to accomplish her goal.
Boyd has re-enrolled at St. Ambrose this spring, intent on completing the final six credits she needs to earn that Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and to use her Gilman Scholarship to become fully immersed in the language and culture of Costa Rica, an experience she will use to advance social justice in healthcare.
"Faith is a real intellectually curious person, and she also cares a lot about social justice and helping people," said Brittany Tullis, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures. "She realized being able to communicate with the most people possible would allow her to make a bigger impact and help her help more people."
Early last year, Boyd was completing her final credits for a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish, the latter of which required her to study abroad. She had applied for and been awarded a highly-competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which would cover up to $5,000 of her study abroad program. However, when the pandemic shuttered all study abroad programs and closed the SAU campus, she made the difficult decision to switch her Spanish major to a minor and graduate earlier than planned with just the one degree in Exercise Science.
"My initial decision to pursue a degree in Spanish was personal and cultural, as I am of African American and Puerto Rican descent," Boyd said. "Then, as I applied to different study abroad programs I learned more about the mission of study abroad, the role of being an ambassador in a different country, and the opportunity to bridge the language and cultural gaps in America and other countries."
After graduating in May, Boyd began working as an Operations Support Specialist at ATI Physical Therapy. A few months later, she learned the Gilman program was extending the timeframe to use the scholarship to the end of this year. It was an opportunity she couldn't let pass.
"When I began working at the clinic I discovered there were many Spanish-speaking clients who needed help filling out forms and translating," she said, adding she was so thankful she had the skills to assist. "It helped me realize there is a real need for this, for what I am doing, and even if it is just one person putting forth the effort and bridging the gap and helping someone overcome a language barrier, I am glad to say that person is me."
Boyd said that her previous travels – including to Jamaica and an extended stay in Guatemala in Spring 2020 – also deepened her desire to continue her Spanish education and become fluent in different dialects. After finishing her degree in Spanish, she plans to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.
"Something just clicked for Faith and she realized if she could have a direct conversation with people from all backgrounds that she could have a bigger impact in the practice of healthcare and social justice," Tullis said.
Boyd said Tullis, who is her Spanish adviser and the SAU Gilman Scholarship adviser, was extremely helpful and supportive of her decision to re-enroll.
"She is an incredibly hardworking student and she shines a lot," Tullis said. "The Gilman Scholarship is an extremely competitive program and a highly prestigious honor. She deserves this recognition."
Boyd's plans to study in Costa Rica may still get interrupted by the pandemic. If COVID cases become too high and prevent her to travel there, she can study abroad in a different country.
Since Gilman's establishment in 2001, more than 1,300 U.S. institutions have sent over 33,000 Gilman Scholars of diverse backgrounds to 151 countries around the globe. The program has successfully broadened U.S. participation in study abroad while emphasizing countries and regions where fewer Americans traditionally study.
The late Congressman Gilman, for whom the scholarship is named, served in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chaired the House Foreign Relations Committee. The Gilman Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
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