Destinations announced for Shenandoah University’s Global Citizenship Project

WINCHESTER, Va. (WHSV) - Groups of students at Shenandoah University are in for the trip of a lifetime.

Thanks to the university’s ‘Global Citizenship Project’ (GCP), students, faculty and staff are given the opportunity to travel internationally.

Wednesday, they learned where they will be spending their spring break during the 33rd International Convocation.

“I was flabbergasted, I’m going to Argentina. It was just, I was just so shocked like my jaw dropped to the floor I was like ‘Oh my god like really?’ I’m still kind of shaking from it,” Shadyamond, a student at Shenandoah University said.

Every spring break, select groups get to experience an all-expenses-paid international trip.

However, the five groups didn’t know where they would be headed in the spring until Wednesday afternoon.

“I hope I get to engage with a lot of different cultures that reside in the country and just see the world. I know it’s such a small portion but I think it’s going to lead to a new opening if that makes sense ... a new chapter,” Liberty Tennyson, a student at Shenandoah University said.

Next spring, American Samoa, Argentina, India, Slovenia and Zambia will host members of GCP from Shenandoah University.

Originally from Staunton, Reece Levin said he is excited to continue his travels outside of the Shenandoah Valley.

“I kind of just want those memories to then tell my kids, tell my grandkids and show other people, tell other people like how’s it’s like in other countries, things we do differently,” Levin said.

Some students have spent much of their lives traveling and want to participate in GCP to continue growing and learning with different countries.

“If we stay in the same place for like our whole lives our perspective around the world is kind of skewed but when you see how big it is and how different we are in different parts of the world we just grow into a different, better person,” Virgilio Vazquez, a student at Shenandoah University said.

For nearly 20 years, SU has offered GCP experiences as a way to get the people on campus more exposure and a better understanding of different cultures and ways of life.

“A lot of people say, ‘it changed my life’ and it really does,” Bethany Galipeau-Konate, director of international programs said. “They now are able to be more empathetic to their neighbor from somewhere around the world or a little more patient with someone whose first language isn’t English.”

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