Scholarship Opens Doors for Naivy’s Summer in France

This summer, Naivy Dominguez Salas boarded a plane to France for the adventure of a lifetime—studying abroad. “One of my friends was going abroad for one of her classes, and listening to her made me want to go too,” she said of her decision to pursue the program. “I always wanted to study abroad, but I never really thought I would. But when I saw MCC’s options were more affordable than at a four-year university, I thought—there’s no better time to do it than now.”

That decision led Dominguez Salas to apply for the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship, a highly competitive national program that awards 3,500 scholarships of up to $5,000 each year to U.S. citizen undergraduates to study or intern abroad. This was a particularly competitive year with only 20% of applicants being awarded nationally.

Dominguez Salas first learned about the Gilman Scholarship through an advisor in MCC’s Latinos Unidos student club. The application process was rigorous—requiring three essays, including a personal statement, a community impact essay, and a service project proposal. Dominguez Salas worked diligently, seeking feedback from friends, coworkers, and even the College’s tutoring center.

Her hard work paid off, and she found out she had been awarded the scholarship during the first week of May. “A weight was lifted off my shoulders,” she said. “I knew I wouldn't have to worry as much about money and could actually enjoy my time there.”

“We’re incredibly proud of Naivy for earning the Gilman Scholarship,” said Lindsay Carson, who leads MCC’s study abroad program. “This achievement is a testament to her academic excellence, professionalism, and global citizenry.”

In late June, Dominguez Salas boarded a plane to Dijon, France, where she spent the next month taking two classes—humanities and French.

“In Humanities, I learned more about French culture and felt better prepared to enter this new environment,” she said. “My French class was taught entirely in French by a teacher who knew very little English—but she was great at explaining things. We learned vocabulary and took trips to the market where we could put what we learned into practice and feel like part of the community.”

Though she doesn’t consider herself fluent yet, the experience sparked a desire to keep learning. “I feel like I made real progress—and it made me want to keep studying so that next time I go, I’ll be able to speak more with the locals,” she said.

Despite some initial nerves, Dominguez Salas found France surprisingly easy to navigate. “At first, I was scared to take the metro in Paris, but after doing it a couple of times, I got the hang of it,” she said. “In France, public transportation is great. I didn’t have any trouble getting around in Dijon—there were bikes, electric scooters, buses, and trams. I just paid for a monthly card and could use most of them as much as I wanted.”

One of her favorite moments was a solo day trip to Montmartre.

“It was nice checking out all the places I wanted to visit and just walk around, really enjoying my time with a slow-paced day,” she said. “But the most rewarding part of the whole trip was getting to know France not just as a tourist, but as a student. You see a different perspective of the place you’re staying—it allows you to experience the culture, daily life, and people in a deeper and more meaningful way.”

Dominguez-Salas wholeheartedly recommends the study abroad experience to other students. “It was such a fun and unique experience that will stay with me forever,” she said. “Studying abroad really changes your perspective on the world—and yourself. You come back feeling more independent and curious about the world you live in.”

“Naivy is an exemplary Gilman scholar because of her passion for sharing her experience with others,” added Carson. “Her enthusiasm for study abroad will undoubtedly encourage other students to step beyond their comfort zones and pursue life-changing experiences.”

Through MCC’s partnership with the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs, students are able to earn credits by studying abroad in Austria, Costa Rica, England, France, Ireland, Ghana, Toronto, and Spain. See more information about MCC’s study abroad programs.