WKU News

Cecilia Alali (MHC ’22), scholar from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma majoring in public relations, with a minor is sales, is among the 22 WKU students selected in October 2023 for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship which broadens the student population that studies or interns abroad by supporting undergraduates who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints.

Of the 22 students selected for this award in the Fall 2023 cycle, 100% are Pell Grant-eligible students, 68% are students of color, 55% are first-generation college students, 9% are students with disabilities, and 9% are enrolled at one of WKU’s regional campuses. The 22 WKU recipients in this application cycle earned scholarships totaling $77,500 with an average award amount of $3,500.

Studying abroad was a “dream of mine since I knew what study abroad was in high school” Cecilia explained, sharing that knew she “wanted to go somewhere atypical.” While enrolled at her first institution, she was unaware of the Gilman award, and assumed that her study abroad dreams would be realized after graduation, and ideally by being selected as a Fulbright recipient, but much like her journey to WKU, her plans changed.

As Cecilia explained, while recognizing the humor of the situation, “I had planned out my life. My freshman year I was going to stay at University of Central Oklahoma all four years, do everything there, I was super involved in campus and everything.” But during the summer of 2022, while serving as an assistant coach for her high school speech and debate team at a national competition, she approached a table hosted by WKU Forensics representatives, who ultimately recruited her to transfer to WKU.

Among her many accomplishments, including as a Talisman web writing editor, Cecilia is an accomplished speech and debate participant – aka forensics. Although not officially a high school forensics champion despite her amazing performances, she was the first person to be a finalist in three separate stage events: dramatic, humorous, and programmed oral interpretation.

Upon deciding that she was going to transfer to WKU, she also applied to the Mahurin Honors College (MHC) because she knew she wanted that experience as part of her academic and professional development. While participation in forensics took up a lot of her time, she kept the Office of Scholar Development (OSD) in mind, and her goal to study abroad resurfaced after attending the study abroad fair in fall 2023 whereupon she learned of the Gilman scholarship.

Cecilia explained that “OSD was literally my best friend – especially Will – we worked in tandem constantly side by side and I was coming to the building more and it was a cool community of people who want the best for you academically,” adding “they want you to achieve and excel beyond what typical is.” Although she began her application with only three weeks until the national deadline, OSD provided amazing support, even under a time crunch.

Upon completing her application draft essay, “I was like, cool, but I don’t know how to make this great and make this an application that would stand out and get me the funds that I want for studying abroad. I emailed OSD and was like, ‘I need help making this more concise, or lengthening this part, or making this sound more convincing’. OSD was always there to help and answer my questions.”

But, Cecilia was also the first to admit that doing the Gilman application with such short notice is not something she would recommend to others. However, seeking out help and feedback was crucial to her success and it’s a habit she encourages peers to embrace. For her, these habits were nurtured by her involvement in writing-focused organizations like forensics and The Talisman where collaborative discussions, feedback, and effective communication are shared values.

As she spoke of her post-graduation plans, which include both a master’s degree and a career in immigration policy (preferably in New York City), specifically with immigrants who are on the case backlog in immigration courts – a cause that is personal to her because of her mother’s decades long experience as an individual who has been diligently waiting for a date to adjudicate her immigration status.

Cecilia described her frustration with this situation and how it motivated her to look for a communication program with a focus on non-American communities stating, “my goal is to go into immigration policy work and help them find the resources they need to find to get representation or to appeal, ask for an extension of deadline, or have it moved up, because in a lot of cases undocumented immigrants are afraid to speak up that they are undocumented and that they don’t know where to get help, so finding a program with that extra emphasis on communicating with communities that are non-American and have a different way of speaking could be really helpful.”

As she considered her study abroad destinations alongside her post-graduation plans, Kenya called to her for myriad reasons – an opportunity to go to a different location than most study abroad students, an opportunity to experience a culture to which she has familial connections, and an opportunity to examine, develop and understand communication in different cultural settings.

Cecilia described her ideal program as one where, “I want to immerse myself fully into the community around me, learning from said community, and leaving back as if nothing changes.” But, Kenya is also her family’s ancestral home and so she also hopes to “visit my actual home, where my family is at, and go pick the flowers from the garden that my mother used to talk about, go pick oranges from the tree, and tend to the garden, and I would love to go to the actual house that’s in the village, Meru, and to Mombasa…I want to be in the places that my mother talked about as I was growing up and see them with my own eyes and my own lens of experience.”

Upon her return as a senior in Fall 2024, she plans to support and mentor WKU Forensics members, and revisit her goal of applying for a Fulbright award with OSD’s support, stating that “not trying is robbing yourself of an opportunity opening up for you,” adding, “so important for all students, whether you’re a freshman or senior, or who is about to leave, going to find an opportunity that can work for you, I think is so vital. I think people talk themselves out of applying for things, talk themselves out of trying an experience or breaking their norms, and that’s what college is for. OSD is such a great resource waiting for people to come in, I think a student should take more initiative to reach out to OSD and try. Just try anything, Try something new. Try something again. Don’t waste the pocket of time where you can try anything.”