IUP students awarded State Department Gilman scholarships

Two Indiana University of Pennsylvania students were awarded U.S. State Department Benjamin A. Gilman scholarships for study abroad, IUP officials announced Thursday.

Kailyn Provitt, a 2016 Gateway High School graduate, and Adama Kouyate of Reading were selected from a pool of more than 3,400 students nationwide. The scholarships support international study opportunities for undergraduate students who receive need-based federal Pell Grants. University officials said IUP now counts 19 Gilman scholars among its students and alumni.

Provitt is an Asian studies major and Kouyate majors in fashion merchandising.

Kouyate will study at the Paris College of Art for the fall semester and Provitt will spend the 2019-2020 academic year studying at Korea University, Sejong campus, in South Korea.

Provitt, a daughter of Markila Sherman and Benjamin Sherman of Pittsburgh, and Dean Provitt of Phoenix, is a dean’s list student at IUP and is a member of the IUP Conversation Partners program. The partners program matches international students with domestic students to help international students transition to the United States and study at IUP.

“At IUP, I’ve been able to foster my childhood curiosity of Asia,” Provitt said. “I fell in love with Korean language and culture more and more with each day of study. Now, I have the opportunity to be immersed and live surrounded by this beautiful culture, while supplementing my proficiency in the language.”

The daughter of Kany Dioum, Kouyate is a 2016 graduate of Wilson High School. At IUP, she has been active in the Pan-African Student Association, the Fashion Association, Visual Merchandising group and Management Association.