By Macy Santicola, Advertising Manager
This year, students who have studied abroad and students who have participated in an internship abroad during the 2017-2018 academic year are eligible to enter contests being held by the Internationalization Committee.
Dr. Felipe Rojas, Study Abroad Coordinator and professor at West Liberty, created this contest to highlight West Liberty’s traveling students. “I thought it would be really great to get our students excited about Study Abroad and also give them a kind of little reward for what they’ve done representing West Liberty outside the country,” said Rojas.
While this is the first year for the contest, Rojas plans to continue it annually to showcase the experiences and opportunity that West Liberty offers its students. “We want to make sure that students know what kind of things the other students do,” said Rojas.
Because this is the first year, some specifics are still being ironed out. Rojas hopes to have the contest judged by students as a way to make the contest more interactive, but the final decision has not been made as of this date. There will be prizes for first and second place, but the committee has not finalized what those will be just yet.
The contest has three parts: photography, video, and creative writing or art. The submissions are due Oct. 26 of this year so students will be able to view the submissions during International Month which is in November.
“I think the videos are going to be really exciting to see,” said Rojas. “Ideally [we want] something more cultural or something that you wouldn’t really see or equate with, for example, Paris. Something that’s a little bit beyond just a monument, something that goes out of the box a little bit.” Rojas encourages students to be creative, and most importantly, “Have fun. If you don’t think it will work just try it. It’s the first year, so who knows.”
Students can find more information and specifics on the contest at West Liberty University’s Global page. Photography, which is being limited to four entries per student, can be submitted at the contest page. Videos and creative works can be sent to Dr. Rojas at [email protected].
Rojas hopes the contest will attract more students to the Study Abroad programs, “I don’t think that students know the kind of opportunities that are out there through West Liberty.”
Any students who are interested in studying abroad during their time at West Liberty can fill out a form on West Liberty’s Global page, and Rojas will work with the student to find an opportunity that works best for him or her.
Photo Credit: Macy Santicola
