Psychology Major a Gilman Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient to visit Japan

By Brynne Irish

Student Recipient of the U.S. State Department’s Gilman Study Abroad Scholarship

The College of Professional Programs is excited to congratulate Bryce Drager on receiving the U.S. State Department’s Gilman Scholarship! Bryce is a passionate first-generation student, majoring in Psychology at Eastern Washington University and is expected to graduate in 2027. As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, he has had the opportunities to be a guest speaker several times in lifespan development classes along with being a presenter on topics such as sensory development in children and changes in older adulthood focusing on hearing loss.

Originally, Bryce decided to attend EWU for the Social Work program with an interest in being a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. However, he changed from Social Work to Psychology after learning the breadth of study and research areas in Psychology available to him. Drager was interested in mental healthcare and had developed a passion for research combined with an interest in foreign languages and cultures. “I was truly inspired to do this when I studied abroad for the first time in Japan where I met a psychologist there that integrated Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremonies with his therapeutic practice. Learning about what he did made me want to learn more and led me to where I am today” he stated.

Bryce first studied abroad in Japan in 2024, where he connected to international professionals in his field which ignited a passion for psychology in a non-Western context. He was unsure if he would enjoy living somewhere else for a long period of time, which led him to do a short-term program. After that first trip, Bryce was all in. “I had to do everything I could to propel myself forward to doing a full-length study abroad program, and Gilman was part of keeping that idea going.” Drager expressed how it was not just about getting the scholarship itself, but it was about the journey towards applying for it, as he used it to reflect on what he wanted to gain from study abroad. The U.S. State Department’s Gilman International Scholarship Program supports low-income students to study or intern abroad. This program offers young Americans the experience to gain the professional skills, language abilities, and knowledge of the world needed for successful careers.

To apply for the Gilman Scholarship, Bryce wrote three essays of varying lengths. He also wrote a fourth optional essay specifically for programs in countries where the main language spoken is considered a critical needs language. Currently, his research is focused on psychotherapy in China, but while studying abroad in Japan, Bryce hopes to continue with similar research related to culturally relevant psychotherapies. While being in Japan, he’ll have opportunities to find the most authentic way to learn more about East Asia and psychology along with gaining a better understanding of the effectiveness in using culturally adapted psychotherapies from China on American citizens.

For other students who may be interested in EWU’s Study Abroad program, Bryce explained how leading up to going feels long and it can be possible you may experience a variety of thoughts during that process including doubts due to possible homesickness. “For me, I’ve had a few times where I thought to myself “Do I really want to do this?” and started having doubts, but that is part of the process. It’s important to work through these thoughts with an open mind because it can be stressful to think about how much your environment may change.” said Bryce. An effective method Bryce shared is to talk about these thoughts with someone you trust and to learn about homesickness. Such as, look into what it is, how it affects people, and how best to overcome it.

Thinking about your doubts can be kind of like a prelude to homesickness, but as long as you know what it is, you can overcome it.

There were two staff members who helped Bryce through this process. First is Morganne Elkins, who is his current study abroad advisor with EWU Global. “She has done a lot to communicate with me about the process and given me feedback and encouragement through the process.” Next is Cori Jaeger from the McNair Scholars program here at EWU. “She was there as someone to encourage me to actually hit send on the applications for all the scholarships, including Gilman, and documentation for this whole process.” Additionally, he had support from the Global Studies office and the Writers’ Center to help him through the application and writing process. Bryce also shared how he was surprised that the hardest part for him while filling out applications for scholarships and study abroad was having confidence in his application, the physical motion of actually clicking the submit button, but he found it helpful to have someone there with you as you’re submitting.

As Bryce is a McNair Scholar, he mentioned how he was interested in researching the  effectiveness of using culturally adapted psychotherapies from China on American citizens. As he learned more about the topic, he discovered “an interesting quirk about how different Asian ethnic groups are referred to between the abstracts in a study and the participants.” He feels that it’s very important for anyone interested in doing research to know that you may be surprised by how the questions you have about your topic may shift as you learn more and more about it.

Being both a McNair Scholar and also studying abroad is not a common thing. But, beyond my inherent desire to take on both of these responsibilities, both are great opportunities to distinguish yourself for graduate programs or future employers.

Bryce greatly encourages others who may be interested in researching or are thinking about studying abroad to not be discouraged to do so. “There can be many barriers to achieving both of these things, but none are impossible to overcome.”

The College of Professional Programs is honored to feature and recognize Bryce Drager for his hard work in receiving the Gilman Study Abroad Scholarship. We hope he has a great time on his study abroad trip to Japan this next academic year!

Interested in Study Abroad and available Scholarships?

Contact Morganne Elkins at

EWU Global

345 Patterson Hall

global@ewu.edu or 509.359.2331

Interested in being better prepared for graduate school and graduate level research through the McNair Scholars Program?

Contact Cori Jaeger at

McNair Scholars Program

107 Monroe Hall

mcnair@ewu.edu or 509-359-6523