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Henderson, Nevada – The International Cultural Exchange Services (ICES) announced Thursday it has selected Jesilyn Mabrey, 18, of Lanett, as a third-place winner of the 2022 ICES Bridging Cultures Scholarship. Mabrey is a senior at Springwood School.

According to the release, the scholarship included a contest in which applicants shared their thoughts in an original 300-500-word essay on the topic: “How does knowing people from other countries and cultures make our lives better?” The scholarship was open to high school students nationwide who competed for seven scholarships totaling $13,500.

Mabrey was selected as a third-place winner out of nearly 700 applicants and will receive $1500 toward her college education.

Mabry says there are many benefits of becoming friends with people from other cultures.

“Becoming friends with someone from another culture benefits both individuals greatly because of the new viewpoints understood, empathy developed, and increased global unity that arises from a simple hello,” Mabrey said in the release.

Mabrey’s full essay can be found at https://blog.icesusa.org/2022-bridging-cultures-scholarship-winners

Mabrey plans to attend Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to pursue a degree in either biomedical or optical engineering. She ultimately wants to help improve medical technology so tests and processes for sick people are more accessible, accurate, and take less time.

ICES is a non-profit youth exchange organization that provides high school students the opportunity to study abroad. Each year, ICES brings students from over 30 countries to the U.S, as well as offering study-abroad opportunities to American students. ICES is currently accepting applications for host families and study-abroad applicants for the 2022-23 academic year. For more information, visit www.icesusa.org or call (800) 344-3566.