Flora Maciel Garibay, a Linfield College student from Salem, has received a scholarship from the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program.
Maciel Garibay, a junior majoring in sociology, will study at Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. She will live with a host family, which will enable her to become immersed in Ecuadorian culture.
“Studying in Ecuador will allow me to develop and hone valuable life and career skills,” she said. “My experience abroad will broaden my worldview and allow me to adapt more easily within culturally diverse environments and ambiguous situations.”
Maciel Garibay is the co-founder of and active in Latinos Organizando Comunidades con Obras y Servicios (LOCOS), a student organization that enables Latinos to become leaders and members of their respective communities. Through service projects, the organization builds connections across generations, acts as liaisons between diverse populations and empowers Hispanic communities to create support systems. Maciel Garibay also serves as a mentor for McMinnville High School students. Last summer, she worked alongside two other students and Professor Jeff Peterson on a collaborative research project documenting the oral history of San Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Dayton. She plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in family counseling or government policy.
Maciel Garibay is one of more than 700 American undergraduate students from 341 colleges and universities across the U.S. selected to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program funds over 125 study programs around the world for undergraduate students of limited financial means. Recipients of the award are chosen on a competitive basis.
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