LaGuardia Community College Student Wins U.S. State Department Scholarship to Study in South Korea

Rajwant Kaur begins study abroad program on June 26

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (May 7, 2025) — Rajwant Kaur, 32, a Computer Science major at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY, has been selected as a recipient of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (Gilman Program) from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This summer, she will travel to South Korea for a six-week program focused on Korean language and psychology, designed to promote cross-cultural understanding, global competency, and foreign language acquisition.

“I applied for the Gilman Program because I believe language is a powerful tool for connection and opportunity. I’m so thankful to Dr. Maria Savva, who taught my EIS216 International Schooling in Global Contexts course, for encouraging me to apply and providing valuable feedback on my application,” said Rajwant, whose goal is to become a Cybersecurity Analyst. “As someone passionate about cybersecurity, learning Korean and studying in South Korea, home to major tech companies like Samsung and LG, aligns with my career goals. I look forward to exploring South Korea’s culture, work environment, and technological advancements.”

Based on the competitiveness of her application and the fact that she will be studying a critical need language while abroad, Rajwant has also been selected to receive a supplemental Critical Need Language Award.

Rajwant is currently studying Korean at LaGuardia in preparation for her study abroad experience and looks forward to expanding her knowledge of East Asian culture. Born and raised in India, Rajwant speaks six languages: Punjabi, Hindi, Dogri, Gujarati, Kashmiri, and Urdu. At 21, Rajwant and her family moved to the U.S. after her father was injured during a robbery at his gas station in Texas. She paused her education in India to support him during recovery.

“Once he got better, my father pushed me to go back to school,” said Rajwant. “I didn’t apply to any other colleges—LaGuardia was the first and only place I visited. When I came to ask about admissions, I felt welcome and knew this was the place where I wanted to start my journey. LaGuardia gave me a sense of belonging and purpose. This wasn’t just about education—it was about rebuilding my life with confidence, one step at a time,” said Rajwant.

Rajwant is currently conducting research with Professor Doyel Pal on Prompt Injection and Large Language Models (LLMs) through the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP). She is also participating in the TTRP Bootcamp at LaGuardia, gaining hands-on experience in website development, and serves as a Political Organizer Intern for NYC’s 2025 Elections.

Through LaGuardia, she completed an internship at Boyce Technologies in Long Island City through the SOAR program and participated in NASA National Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) Missions, collaborating with other students to simulate a real NASA mission, working together to plan, research, and present a project.

“One of the best things about LaGuardia has been the incredible support system—mentorship from my ASAP advisor and professors, research programs like CRSP and Q-STEM, and internship opportunities through SOAR. These programs have helped me grow academically and professionally, giving me real-world experience and direction in my field,” said Rajwant, who will finish her LaGuardia degree in August 2025. She plans to transfer to John Jay to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity and Computer Science.

“LaGuardia has opened doors I didn’t even know existed and has empowered me to believe in myself. It’s more than a school—it’s a community that uplifts you, stands by you, and wants to see you succeed,” said Rajwant, who is raising her son, now 13, while pursuing her college degree. “Balancing motherhood and college has been challenging, but my son remains my biggest motivation. His presence in my life pushes me to work hard and succeed, both for his future and mine.”

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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.

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