Nah'Shon Williams

2025 Gilman Scholarship Recipient

Hometown

South Bend, IN

Major

History Honors; Music

College

College of Liberal Arts

 

Established in 2001, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is committed to sending American students of limited financial means from all backgrounds to study abroad.

 

Seeking professional development as an aspiring historian, Nah’Shon Williams was motivated to apply for the Gilman Scholarship and build on a previous two-week study abroad experience in Ghana. Nah’Shon saw the rare opportunity to conduct historical research outside the United States by participating in the Purdue Galleries Modern Museums Maymester in Czechia. While enhancing his archival research skills and building an international professional network, Nah’Shon is poised to grow with every step of this immersion experience from engaging with the different values of Czech tradition to the rich cultural and historical context of Prague. Just as improving his ability to educate others is an important outcome of this growth, Nah’Shon anticipates that he will also share his cultural experience of growing up in the Black church with gospel music, which, he notes, became popular with European musicians in the 1900s. As a musician, he looks forward to attending a performance of the Jazz Republic and an opera at the Prague National Theatre. Upon returning to his hometown of South Bend, Nah’Shon will share his Gilman funded study abroad experience with high school students for his follow-on project.