GVPT Student Annabella Davis Awarded Gilman Scholarship for Study in Kosovo
When Annabella Davis transferred to the University of Maryland two years ago, she wanted to focus on conflict, identity, reconciliation, and the real-world consequences of political violence. Now a senior majoring in International Relations and minoring in International Development and Conflict Management (IDCM), Annabella has taken that ambition beyond the classroom.
Last summer, Annabella was selected as a recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. This nationally competitive award supports undergraduate students pursuing study abroad experiences and career-focused international internships. The Gilman Scholarship makes global learning opportunities more accessible to students across all academic backgrounds and regions of the United States.
For Annabella, the scholarship made the experience she had been working toward for years possible.
Annabella first learned about the Gilman Scholarship through an Education Abroad information meeting. It initially felt out of reach to her, but she decided to commit to the process. With guidance from UMD’s National Scholarships Office and Education Abroad Office, she worked through the application, and that hard work paid off.
Annabella used the scholarship to study in Kosovo, a destination she chose intentionally. Having previously visited Albania three times, she was familiar with the region’s culture and history. But Kosovo offered a chance to study post-conflict transformation and reconciliation where those themes are not abstract, but lived.
Her experience also aligned with GVPT355 (Capstone in the IDCM minor), a course taught by Michael Hess and Paul Hughes, co-instructors who teach at both UMD and in Kosovo. The course offered Annabella an opportunity to connect her academic training in College Park to immersive learning abroad.
While in the Balkans, Annabella traveled through Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia. During her time in Bosnia, one moment stayed with her: visiting Srebrenica. Standing in a place tied to genocide and mass atrocity changed how she understood history in a way no textbook ever could.
It wasn’t simply learning the history; it was experiencing it by walking through the site, seeing the environment, and hearing stories that carried a weight she hadn’t fully grasped before. The trip grounded her and made her reflect on resilience, not just in political terms, but in human ones—how people rebuild, reconcile, and keep living after unimaginable events.
That perspective has already begun shaping how she thinks about the future. Annabella has long been interested in human rights and advocacy work, but being on the ground in a post-conflict society sharpened her purpose. The experience strengthened her desire to work toward a world where these atrocities are not repeated and where equal opportunity and human dignity are protected in practice, not just in theory.
Annabella encourages other students to pursue study abroad opportunities even if it feels intimidating at first. Her biggest advice is to keep an open mind and avoid bringing preconceived expectations into a new country. She also reflects on how meaningful it was to feel welcome abroad and to build connections with people eager to share their culture and experiences.
And when it comes to small memories from the trip, one detail stands out with a smile: the pizza. “It’s only 4 euros,” she said: cheap, easy, and unforgettable in her opinion.
Annabella will graduate in Fall 2026 and is already looking ahead to graduate school opportunities in Europe, continuing the international path she has built at UMD.
Through her academic drive, campus support, and the Gilman Scholarship, Annabella Davis is making the most of the world-class global experiences available to GVPT students and showing others that those opportunities are closer than they think.
Published on Mon, 02/09/2026 - 13:23