June 30, 2026

by Lauren Ferguson

When Jessirin Conversano ’27 was in the process of transferring to Ramapo College of New Jersey, he had no plans to study abroad.

On his first official day on campus, that all changed.

Now, thanks to the supportive, encouraging staff at Ramapo, and a pair of scholarships, the U.S. Army veteran is preparing to spend the Fall 2026 semester at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom. The former military intelligence analyst – who never went overseas during his six years of service – will be taking two business courses and an accounting course at the University, and plans to travel around England and Europe.

“I am very excited about it, and believe me, if it was something somebody asked me about like seven months ago, I was not even planning to go study abroad,” said Conversano. The accounting major from New Milford, NJ, transferred to Ramapo after earning his associate’s degree online while serving in the military.

Veteran Jessirin Conversano ’27, center, served in the U.S. Army for six years. Here he poses outside a military ball with his supervisors.

Becoming a Gilman Scholar

On Conversano’s first day as a Roadrunner he went to the Office of Financial Aid. He also saw study abroad posters around campus. He asked financial aid staff about the posters, and they told him to stop by the Roukema Center for International Education. “After Financial Aid, I went right to Study Abroad,” he recalled. There, he met Assistant Director of International Education Kathryn Lamanna.

“You can go to her, ask her anything, and she gives you more than what you expect, which I think is awesome,” Conversano said. Lamanna connected him with Dr. Rebecca Root, professor of political science and international studies and director of Ramapo’s Office of Prestigious Fellowships and Scholarships. Root provided him with information on the U.S. Department of State’s prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

The highly-competitive scholarship program is geared toward Pell Grant recipients. It provides “merit-based scholarships to outstanding American undergraduate students with high financial need to pursue credit-bearing academic studies and career-oriented internships abroad,” according to the program’s website.

Root guided Conversano through the application process. He applied, but said he did not expect much. Then he learned that he was selected for the scholarship. “You never know if you are going to win, unless you try,” he said.

Earning the William and Sandra Frech Scholarship

In addition, Lamanna worked with Foundation Scholarship Specialist Elizabeth Brand to identify students who could be eligible for scholarships through the Ramapo College Foundation. Conversano said Brand reached out to him about the William and Sandra Frech Scholarship Award that helps scholars with study abroad expenses.

The scholarship is named in honor of professor emeritus of International Business Dr. William Frech, a Fulbright Scholar, and his wife Sandra. The couple believes that studying abroad provides students with a valuable insight into other cultures, as well as first-hand experience with different perspectives.

Conversano was selected for the scholarship. “I didn’t even think to expect that,” he said.

The Roadrunner said serving as an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army helped to shape his interest in learning from different cultures and world politics. “I had joined the military to earn the benefits and help me get through college debt free,” he wrote in a thank you letter to the Frechs. “Because of your generosity, I now have the opportunity to study abroad, which is something I never truly considered before… I never really got the opportunity to travel abroad while I was in the military which left me feeling like I missed out on valuable life experience that I still wanted to get.”

U.S. Army Veteran Jessirin Conversano ’27 celebrates his promotion to sergeant with his first supervisors.

Preparing for His Future

The Army helped Conversano “become more disciplined,” he said. It also sparked his career interests. Based on his experience as an intelligence analyst, he is interested in pursuing an analytical field such as auditing or forensic accounting.

He has recently focused on getting his resume ready and networking – and has found the staff in Ramapo’s Cahill Career Development Center to be very supportive.

“I have gone to them multiple times, and they are very organized and helpful,” he said.

Since becoming a Roadrunner, he has found one thing to be absolutely true: “Ramapo is great in the sense where the staff show you the opportunities and are there to go above and beyond.”

For more information on prestigious scholarships at Ramapo, visit the Office of Prestigious Fellowships and Scholarships or contact Dr. Root at rroot@ramapo.edu. For more information on Foundation scholarships visit Ramapo’s scholarship webpage.