Scholarship winner sees the world

Many people don’t get the opportunity to travel to Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Greece in their lifetimes. Even fewer get financial support to do so.

Matthew Chris Walker wanted to do just that, so he set out to find a way to make it happen.

His ticket came last December when he won the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. The scholarship is designed to help “undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad.”

Walker, 21, spent about five months, from February to June, studying abroad. He spent most of his time in Spain, but he also traveled throughout Western Europe.

If you are interested in applying for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for the fall 2007 semester, here are some important dates to remember:
February – Online application available
April 3 – Deadline for students to submit online applications
Early June – Applicants are notified of the status of their applications.
June 15 – Recipients must accept or decline their awards.

“I tried to make the most out of Spain’s location and used it to travel to Portugal, France, Italy as well as Greece, all of which were fantastic experiences,” he said.

Walker said his time in Spain made a huge impact on his academic and personal life. “Academically, I left America having completed only the 102 level of Spanish, and I returned with a fairly strong grasp of the language,” he said. “I jumped from 102 to being able to take 300-level Spanish classes and really understand them.”

During his time in Spain, Walker lived with a Spanish woman who treated him like a son. He was able to experience firsthand a Spanish family dynamic.

“Seeing how life was different and their outlooks on life, politics, and seeing their customs and holidays was great,” he said.

Walker said “although inevitably it was easier to have American and international friends,” he tried to make the most of his time there by hanging out with Spaniards.

One way he managed to do so was through sports. Walker plays soccer, which he used to his benefit. “They’re crazy about soccer, so I got to know some people like that,” he said.

Living and traveling internationally is nothing new for Walker. The son of Christian missionaries, he was born and raised in Japan.

“Growing up, I never really got to see my extended family too much, and my international friends tended to come and go according to their parents’ work,” he said. “So I learned how to make and remake friendships.”

Walker said he utilized that skill when he came to VCU almost four years ago and again to adjust to life in Spain.

“Spain was actually not as big of an adjustment as I thought it was going to be, although there were some things that caught me off guard about their culture,” he said.

One of those things being was the daily schedule. In Spanish culture, people typically eat a large meal early in the afternoon followed and then take a siesta – a short nap traditionally lasting about 30 minutes.

“The siesta is an amazing idea. We should introduce it to America,” Walker said.

Dinner wouldn’t arrive until 9 p.m. or later. “This schedule took a little getting used to, but once I got with it, there was no problem,” he said.

Winning the Gilman scholarship changed Walker’s life. “In sum, my study abroad experience was unforgettable,” he said.

Walker decided to apply for the scholarship because it seemed like a good fit for him. The scholarship required that he write a paper explaining where he wanted to study and why and complete a follow-up project upon his return. It did not require letters of recommendation, which Walker believes worked to his advantage.

“Although I’m an honors student and maintain a high GPA, I’m not the most noticeable guy in class who gets the teacher’s attention,” Walker said. “As a result, I didn’t have very many people here at VCU who could write me letters of recommendation.

“Not having to worry about that, I figured, ‘Why not write a paper and see if they wouldn’t let me go to Spain?’ ”

Walker is in his fourth year at VCU, majoring in international studies and minoring in Spanish and urban studies.

He knew he wanted to study Spanish abroad, and he knew he needed money to help him do so.

“I’m of the opinion that if you want to do something or go somewhere and you’re willing to put in some effort and convince people why it’s a good idea, I feel there’s got to be someone out there who’s providing funding for it,” he said. “For me, the Gilman Scholarship was it.”

Throughout the process, Walker received help from VCU’s national scholarship coordinator, Jeff Wing.

“Despite the numerous projects he had going on and his jam-packed schedule, he always found time to schedule me to meet with him and to give me advice,” Walker said.

Wing said his role is to “identify, recruit, nurture and support VCU students in their application for the nationally competitive scholarship programs.” In Walker’s case, he reviewed and offered feedback on ways to improve his application. He also advised Walker on different ways to present his credentials to the selection committee.

Wing believes Walker won the scholarship because he “is an excellent student with an interesting background, demonstrated language capabilities and a persuasive rationale for needing to study in Spain in order to prepare for a career using his language skills.”

Aside from his classes, Walker has many activities which keep him, as he puts it, “wonderfully busy.” He enjoys playing racquetball, basketball, soccer and judo. He’s also involved with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.

Walker works at the Office of International Education. “It’s great to be in contact with international students, to hear about where they are from and to learn things about their culture,” he said. “It’s also a great way to keep up with my Spanish and Japanese.”

Walker admitted he still wonders why the scholarship committee chose him. After all, he says, he already had international experience, and he wanted to study in a very typical location abroad – Western Europe. “Looking at my application from their eyes, I must have seemed like a weak candidate,” Walker said.

“I went into this scholarship with the mentality that I would give it a shot, and things sure worked out for me.”