UNE Nursing student wins renowned Gilman Scholarship to study in Morocco

A nursing student in the University of New England’s Westbrook College of Health Professions has been awarded the national Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to support her study abroad experience to UNE’s Morocco Campus.   

Sophie Hansen ’27, who is from North Haven — an island off the coast of Rockland, Maine — will attend UNE’s campus in Tangier, Morocco, this fall with the support of a $5,000 scholarship, marking a significant step toward her goal of becoming a travel nurse and expanding her global perspective in health care.  

The Gilman Scholarship, administered by the U.S. Department of State, enables students with limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with critical skills for national security and economic prosperity. The program aims to broaden the student population studying abroad by supporting underrepresented groups, including those, like Hansen, who hail from rural communities.   

“I feel really grateful to have this opportunity,” Hansen said, noting that she chose to attend UNE in part for the rare opportunity to study abroad as a nursing student. 

At the University of New England, studying abroad is a large part of the student experience, with over 32% of students studying abroad or taking a travel course each year. The University’s distinctive approach to international learning allows students in rigorous academic programs like nursing to study abroad without falling behind academically.  

“I think that growing your global perspective and just having a better understanding of different parts of the world and different cultures can only be beneficial as someone going into health care,” she said, highlighting the spirit of adventure and global-mindedness that UNE strives to foster in its students. 

Hansen’s passion for health began during her junior year of high school when she took an EMT class.   

“Through that process, I started to realize how interested I am in the human body and health care,” Hansen explained, adding that she is specifically interested in labor and delivery nursing.   

On UNE’s coastal Biddeford Campus, Hansen teaches swim lessons at the Campus Center and is a licensed member of the UNE emergency medical response team. During the summer, she volunteers as an EMT on her home island and works for St. George Ambulance on the mainland.  

“Sometimes the calls we go on are hard or complicated, or, in my case, a lot of the time I know the patients, and it can be hard to do that work,” she said, explaining why she has continued to pursue health care. “But the feeling that you get when you know that you’ve done everything you can and helped support that person, gotten them to the care that they need, and made that whole experience as best as it possibly could be just feels meaningful.”  

Hansen said she has found a supportive environment at UNE that nurtures her academic and professional aspirations.   

“I can’t emphasize enough the support and all of the resources that are available to us as students from our professors and advisors and all of the faculty and staff at UNE,” Hansen remarked, calling out her academic advisor, Sarah Hutchins, and the UNE nursing faculty for their support.    

“In high school, lots of us have been told, ‘Oh, your professors aren’t going to care if you pass or fail. It’s all up to you.’ And that is just not at all the case,” Hansen shared. “They’ve been so helpful to me and helped me manage to be successful.” 

During her time abroad, Hansen plans to take core science courses, including anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and an introductory Arabic class, but she said she is also excited to explore the area and learn about the culture.  

“I’m excited to get to see it in person and explore with my friends,” she said, referring to Chefchaouen, Morocco’s famous “Blue City.”  

As Hansen prepares for her journey to Morocco, departing at the end of August, she reflected on the impact this experience will have on her future career.   

“I can’t think of a better way to prepare for travel nursing than studying abroad in nursing school,” she said.