LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA – February 12, 2026 – Actualizing Lincoln University’s mission to “empower students to lead their communities and change the world,” students Raniyah Ashford-Lawrence ’28 and Josiah Gibbs ’27 are recipients of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, with plans to study abroad during the Fall 2026 semester.
The Gilman Program is a prestigious scholarship for students who are receiving a Federal Pell Grant and are eager to study abroad. Provided by the U.S. Department of State, the scholarship allows students to turn their dreams into reality, studying in a different country for a semester while attending college. Students who study abroad are positioned to become focused and confident achievers, ready to pursue their career and graduate school goals.
“I was shocked when I received the Gilman Scholarship. When I was applying, I was also taking midterms that week and felt a lot of pressure, but I was determined to complete the application and essays,” says Raniyah Lawrence-Ashford, a Political Science student from Philadelphia, PA. 
“Through God, anything is possible. God believed in me even when I didn’t fully believe in myself. Studying abroad has always been a dream of mine, even before college, but receiving the Gilman Scholarship turned that dream into reality. I am most looking forward to my personal growth while studying abroad. It will be a new challenge and experience, and I’m excited to see the skills I will gain, how I will develop as a person, and how I can bring those skills back to contribute to my Lincoln community.”
“I am incredibly honored and deeply grateful to be selected as a Gilman recipient, especially knowing how competitive this scholarship is,” says Josiah Gibbs, a Finance student from Philadelphia, PA. “I entered the process with confidence thanks to the guidance of our study abroad faculty and I hope to create a path for my peers to replicate the success I’ve had in securing scholarships.
In Fall 2026, I will enroll in an immersive Japanese language program at Toyo University in the heart of Tokyo. I look forward to building a network of globally minded students and bringing the knowledge I gain back to my peers at Lincoln University.”
Several Lincoln University students have received the Gilman Scholarship in previous years, with Destiny Hodges ‘26, being the most recent. She studied in Paris, France during the Fall 2023 semester.
Our Study Abroad team, made up of three faculty and staff members at Lincoln, rigorously supports and prepares students who are pursuing global opportunities. Dr. Dafina Blacksher Diabate, Assistant Vice President, Leadership and Global Engagement, advises on the Gilman scholarship application. Dr. Nora Gardner, Associate Professor of Spanish, Languages & Literature Department, advises students on academic courses abroad and program selection. Terri Joseph, Associate Director, International Programs, guides students through study abroad preparation and financial readiness.
“We are thrilled that the Gilman Scholarship expands this opportunity for eager Lincoln University students to study abroad. It is so rewarding to watch students come back to campus transformed and inspired to motivate their classmates to embark on their own global journey,” says Dr. Diabate.
The Gilman Scholarship program is now accepting applications on their website for the 2026-2027 academic school year. The Office of International Programs and the Study Abroad team encourages all eligible students to reach out and apply for this scholarship and kickstart their study abroad experience today. The team can be contacted at international@lincoln.edu. The application deadline is March 5, 2026.
Credits: Raniyah Lawrence-Ashford & Josiah Gibbs, Photo by Anthony Parker Jr, courtesy of AP Creative Services Corp
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About Lincoln University
Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU), educates and empowers students to lead their communities and change the world. Lincoln offers a rigorous liberal arts education to a diverse student body of approximately 1,650 men and women in more than 34 undergraduate and graduate programs. To learn more about Lincoln University, visit www.lincoln.edu.
About Gilman Scholarship Program
The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (Gilman Program) provides up to $5,000 in merit-based scholarships to outstanding American undergraduate students with high financial need to pursue credit-bearing academic studies and career-oriented internships abroad. These opportunities equip Gilman Scholars with international experience, global networks, and foreign language skills essential to advancing the U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. For more information, visit www.gilmanscholarship.org.
Media Contact
Athena Griffith-Howard
Associate Vice President, Marketing & Communications
E-mail: agriffithhoward@lincoln.edu
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E-mail: communications@lincoln.edu
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