HPU International Business Major Awarded Gilman Scholarship to Study in France
HIGH POINT, N.C., May 18, 2026 – High Point University rising senior Tasleem Mohamed, an international business major with minors in French and marketing, has received the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to attend a French language program in Aix-en-Provence in southern France.
Mohamed is the seventh HPU student to earn the Gilman Scholarship, which is a nationally competitive, merit-based award for Pell Grant recipients funded by the U.S. Department of State. The scholarship equips Gilman Scholars with international experience, global networks and foreign language skills essential to advancing the U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.
“Through this experience, I hope to strengthen my French language skills and immerse myself in the local culture, which will enhance my ability to communicate in international business settings,” said Mohamed, who is from Greensboro, North Carolina. “As an international business major with a minor in French, this program directly supports my goal of pursuing a global career where cross-cultural communication is essential.”
Mohamed’s language program will include three hours of intensive French instruction per day with a focus on advanced grammar, professional vocabulary, conversation and listening comprehension. While living overseas, Mohamed will navigate public transportation, shop at local markets, engage in classroom discussions and interact with residents. During excursions to the neighboring cities of Marseille, Cassis and Les Baux-de-Provence, she will observe regional economic activity, tourism development and branding differences within France.
In developing her Gilman Scholarship application, Mohamed worked on four short essays with Dr. James Cotton, director of the Office of National Fellowships and Awards. She expressed thanks for his guidance throughout the editing and application process, as well as gratitude for her parents’ constant support and encouragement.
“Through this program, I will return with stronger language proficiency, clearer graduate school goals and firsthand insight into how business operates within a French cultural context,” Mohamed said.
Previous HPU students awarded the Gilman Scholarship include:
- Stephanie Johnson, an international business major with minors in marketing and Italian studies from Long Island, New York, who received the Gilman Scholarship to study abroad for the 2026 spring semester at the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute in Florence, Italy.
- Nathaniel Zapata, a game design major from High Point, who received the Gilman Scholarship in 2025 to study abroad in Kyoto and Osaka, Japan.
- Phillip Redford, a finance major from Wheeling, West Virginia, earned the Gilman Scholarship in 2024 to study global business in Sydney, Australia.
- Yasmen Dergman, an international relations and political science major from Plattsburgh, New York, received the Gilman Scholarship to study abroad at Al Akhawayn University in Morocco.
- Caroline Cunningham, a communication major from Frankfort, Kentucky, was awarded the scholarship in 2016 to study in England.
- Shelby Jones, a High Point native, was the first HPU student to receive the Gilman Scholarship in 2013 to study abroad in Russia in 2014.