Hilary Legge, ‘Doah Managing Editor
November 20, 2013

‘Doah photo by Hilary Legge

Shenandoah University held its 25th annual International Convocation on Wednesday, Nov. 13. At the event, attendees got to hear from a special guest speaker and learn the locations of the 2014 Global Citizenship Project trips.

Put on by International Programs, the purpose of the event spoke to the central idea of what it means to be a part of the S.U. community. Director of International Programs Bethany Galipeau-Konate highlighted this by reminding those in attendance of the S.U. mission statement which states, “Shenandoah University educates and inspires individuals to be critical, reflective thinkers; lifelong learners; and ethical, compassionate citizens who are committed to making responsible contributions within a community, a nation and the world.”

Before the introduction of the speaker, attendees were given a special performance by S.U. student and dance major Ashante Green. The guest speaker was Shannon O’Donnell, an award-winning travel blogger. She began her blog, ALittleAdrift.com in 2008 when she decided to leave everything behind and travel the world.

Since then O’Donnell has traveled to over 30 countries, published a book titled “The Volunteer Traveler’s Handbook” and was named one of National Geographic’s 2013 Travelers of the Year.

Several people were awarded Resolutions of Appreciation during the event for their work as global citizens. Those recognized included guest speaker O’Donnell, students Jordan Hoile and Kyle Feldman, faculty members Dr. Amy Sarch and Dr. Andrea Smith, and alumna Kim Pineda. The selections were made by the university and members of the board of trustees based off of community nominations.

The event closed with the announcement of the GCP locations. This year, one of the five groups will each be traveling to Albania, Bolivia, Costa Rica, South Korea and Morocco.

Now in its 10th year, the Global Citizenship Project offers students, faculty and staff of S.U. the chance to travel abroad for free during the week of spring break.