SPRINGFIELD, Mo., December 16, 2025 – Drury University proudly announces Nettie Benjamin (Angel Fire, N.M.) as the latest recipient of the esteemed Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship. The Gilman Scholarship is granted to U.S. undergraduate students with financial need who demonstrate academic preparedness to participate in a designated program and a design service project.
Benjamin is Drury’s 10th Gilman Scholar since 2022. A Music Therapy major, she will join international students at Lincoln University in the United Kingdom this spring. In her essay, she planned a trivia night to help promote the Declaration of Independence’s ideals in this celebratory year.
More than 1,500 students out of some 7,700 applicants received a Gilman Scholarship in this latest cycle. These Gilman Scholars will study or intern in over 90 countries in 2026. They represent 583 colleges and universities and all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands.
“It’s an honor to once again have a Gilman Scholar on our campus,” Dr. Shelley Wolbrink, Drury professor of history and fellow for national scholarships, said. “We are thankful that the program recognized Nettie for her enthusiastic embrace of international study and cultural immersion. Her recognition is a testament to her passion for cultural immersion and academic study. We can’t wait for her to return from Lincoln University and share her experience with us.”
Additionally, Drury’s Spring 2025 Gilman Scholar, Isabella Woidela, will attend Regent’s College in London during the spring semester as part of her program.
About the Gilman Scholarship
Supported by the U.S. Congress, the Gilman Scholarship is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is aided in its implementation by the Institute of International Education. For more information about the Gilman Scholarship program, visit gilmanscholarship.org.
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Media Contact: Cris Belvin, Director of University Communications & Media Relations | (417) 873-7392 | gbelvin@drury.edu