Office of International Education caps off year with annual International Celebration

On Tuesday evening, students, faculty and families gathered for the Office of International Education’s annual International Celebration to present annual awards and to celebrate another year of growth.

The event opened with a few speakers, highlighted by Jennifer Pribble, a Richmond professor and an International Education Award winner in 2014. Joe Hoff, interim dean of international education, and Michele Cox, director of study abroad, then presented awards to 15 people,  including 10 Spiders Abroad Photo Contest winners.

Aastha Minocha and Mel Shuaipi were the two students who won an International Education Award: Shuaipi won the domestic student International Education Award, and Minocha, who is from India, won the foreign student International Education Award.

Shuaipi, who moved to America from Albania when she was young, has done extensive work in the Dominican Republic, as she has helped build microfinance programs for Haitian migrant workers in there.

“The people who live there created these cool savings and credit groups that allow them to deposit savings and take out loans within their communities without having to belong to a bank,” Shuaipi said.

Shuaipi will return to the Dominican Republic this summer for the fourth time, this time bringing a $10,000 grant awarded to her under the Davis World United World College Projects for Peace initiative.

Although there was a deep pool of nominations, Hoff said, Shuaipi’s continued involvement with this program made her stand out.

“There’s just no comparison with what she’s done and what she’s going to do in the future too,” Hoff said.

Minocha had already lived an international life before arriving to Richmond. Minocha, whose father works for the Indian embassy, has never lived in a country for more than four years, she said. She has been highly involved with international education at Richmond, completing two study abroad excursions and working in office.

“Aastha stood out because of all that she’s involved in on campus,” Hoff said

Attendees mingled before and after the ceremony, while they ate a wide array of international appetizers and listened to a live band.

The celebration symbolically capped off a successful year for an office that is in the middle of a large change, as the university is searching for a dean.

Dean Hoff, who will return to associate dean of international education, said the selection process has been led by the provost’s office.

“I believe they brought on campus the finalist candidates,” Hoff said, “And so I am hoping they will make an announcement soon so that somebody will start next fall.”

Contact Editor-In-Cheif Jack Nicholson at jack.nicholson@richmond.edu