The Longwood University Office of International Affairs will bid a final farewell to this year’s international students on Thursday, April 25 with the annual goodbye event held in room 111 of Bedford Hall. A reception in Bedford’s atrium will follow.
This year’s event will honor five exchange students from France: Amelie Cattin, Elena Le Gouic, Francois Bremond, Alex Khammari, Michel Galeron, one from Switzerland: Florian Ellenberger, five from the United Kingdom: Samantha Boustead, Adel Linsley, Amy Howourth, Chloe Hartwell, Laura Savva, and six from China: Ran Ding, Bingcao Ge, Huiwen Hu, Shu Xu, Chengmin Zhang and Xiaoyu Zhang, according to Brian Bolton, International Student Services Advisor.The ceremony will also honor one student from Spain and one from Georgia, who will both graduate from the university this spring, as well as a student from Colombia who is completing her ESLP studies at the university.
“Longwood is very fortunate to benefit from the presence of a vibrant community of international students,” said Bolton. “These students, who come from a wide variety of countries, enrich our campus with their languages, cultures and unique points of view.”
Bolton said the event is a way in which the International Affairs Office can “recognize and thank international students for enriching our campus with the culture and knowledge they bring with themselves from their home countries.” The Office of International Affairs implements other programs throughout the academic year to accommodate international students during their time at the university. This includes the International Welcome Reception, the International Student Buddy Program, which allows incoming International Students to be paired up with a current Longwood student, and the option for students to become the roommate of an international student. To begin the ceremony, the Office of International Affairs has encouraged the international students to give presentations based on their experiences in the United States and at the university. Florian Ellenberger, the student from Switzerland, among others will give a presentation on his time a Longwood.
EJ Dowling, the International Student Buddy Co-Coordinator will also say a few words on this past year, and her experiences working with the students. Dr. Robert Frank, director of the Office of International Affairs, as well as other university officials, will deliver closing remarks in honor of the students. The Office of International Affairs encourages the entire university community to attend the ceremony to “say goodbye (and auf Wiedersehen and adieu and adios…)” to the international students.
