Emily Hutchinson is just a couple of months away from boarding a plane to Paris 鈥� all because she took a chance on herself and figured 鈥渋t can鈥檛 hurt to see what transpires鈥� when applying for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to help fund her study abroad experience.
After receiving an email notifying her that, as a Pell Grant recipient, she was eligible to apply, she decided there was no downside to trying. Hutchinson was stunned when she learned she had been selected as a Gilman Scholar. She said that seeing 鈥渃ongratulations鈥� on her screen was the last thing she expected, but in that moment she knew the study abroad program she had been eyeing was meant to be.
This spring, Hutchinson will participate in USF鈥檚 Paris Spring Break program, where she and fellow USF students will explore the city鈥檚 iconic sights and immerse themselves in French language, cuisine and culture. The program is embedded in one of the courses she is currently taking, providing students with deeper exposure to life, humanity and meaning abroad.
鈥淒uring this time, because I rarely get to do so, I plan to allow myself the freedom to explore and partake in as many different activities as I can fit in to really enjoy the Parisian and abroad experience to the fullest,鈥� she said.
Although Hutchinson has visited Paris before, her desire to return only grew stronger over the years. Balancing work and school left little room for international travel, but discovering a condensed academic program that aligned with spring break felt like her one chance to make it happen.
Emily Hutchinson in Paris, May 2019
Beyond sightseeing, Hutchinson is hopeful the experience will also be personally transformative.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping to gain a sense of camaraderie with my peers who are also attending, as well as a sense of self,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want this trip to be a reminder that I am exactly where I need to be in life, despite the constant feeling that I am not moving fast enough.鈥�
She added that travel experiences are some of the few times she truly feels present in the moment: 鈥淚 want this trip to remind me to be still in times of high stress, and to enjoy the journey 鈥� with an epic view, of course.鈥�
As part of the Gilman Scholarship, students complete a 鈥渇ollow-on project鈥� where they share what they learned with their home communities. Hutchinson plans to tap into her love for social media to highlight what the scholarship made possible.
When she鈥檚 not preparing for Paris, Hutchinson works in health care, a field she entered at 18. She initially planned to become a registered nurse before discovering oncology nursing through an on-the-job training program. The experience eventually led her to case management and, later, social work 鈥� a profession she now sees as the perfect blend of advocacy, impact and patient-centered support.
Now a case management assistant and social work student, Hutchinson credits her late friend and former dual enrollment English professor, Amanda Walter, with nurturing her passion for learning and travel. Walter鈥檚 passing in 2023 at just 39 years old left a profound impression.
鈥淪he instilled in me the importance of not just education and travel, but how both directly coincide and help the other out,鈥� Hutchinson said. 鈥淚鈥檒l be thinking of her, and thanking her, as I witness those Parisian sunsets firsthand.鈥�
For any fellow student considering applying for the Gilman Scholarship, Hutchinson has one piece of advice: "Apply," she said. "Don鈥檛 be the thing that stands in your own way of a great opportunity that can take you places.鈥�
Over the past half decade, the 最新天美传媒 has consistently ranked No. 1 in Florida for producing Gilman Scholars, and the fall 2025 application cycle marked a new milestone. Twenty USF students were selected as Gilman Scholars during the fall 2025 application cycle 鈥� the largest cohort of fall recipients in the university鈥檚 history.