Tuscaloosa native and social work major Shanquela Williams is spending her spring semester at the University of Ghana in West Africa. Williams is one of 800 American undergraduates from 355 colleges and universities selected for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

The Gilman Scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program aims to make study abroad experiences accessible to a more diverse population of students and to encourage students to choose less traditional study abroad destinations. Students are selected for the Gilman Scholarship through a highly competitive application process; those selected are awarded up to $5,000 toward their study abroad or internship program costs.

Williams’ semester in Africa will be her first time studying abroad. “What I’m looking forward to the most is meeting and interacting with new people and learning about their culture,” she said.