Suitcase Stories: Worldly Wisdom and International Perspectives

November 9, 2006

Lacey, Washington – Saint Martin’s University kicks off International Education Week on Monday, November 13 with words of worldly wisdom from Secretary of State Sam Reed in a noon presentation at the Norman Worthington Conference Center. The event is open to the public.

“Suitcase Stories: Worldly Wisdom and International Perspectives” showcases the value of international education experiences and the importance in today’s world of gaining an understanding of other countries and other cultures. Secretary of State Reed will speak about his international experiences both as a citizen and a representative of Washington State and how those experiences have assisted him in his work and in developing a world view. He will be joined by his special assistant, Patrick McDonald, a 1984 Saint Martin’s alumnus, who will also recount his international experiences as a National Guardsman stationed in Iraq, Bosnia and other war-torn nations.

Joining Reed and McDonald on the panel will be Saint Martin’s University political science professor, Dr. Richard Langill and Michael Bonnett, a Saint Martin’s senior who spent spring semester interning in Shanghai, China. Dr. Langill has traveled widely as a member of the Peace Corps and on behalf of Saint Martin’s University, teaching in China and leading student trips to Japan.

Saint Martin’s University offers multiple opportunities for students to study abroad including semester programs in Europe, Central and South America, Australia and Asia. In addition study trips are available to France, China, Japan and Mexico. Business internships are offered in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

In addition more than 140 international students attend Saint Martin’s University at the Lacey campus. Students from 13 countries take classes and participate in the life of the campus. This year the University experienced a nearly 40 percent increase in the number of international students.

Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 21 majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering. A Catholic, Benedictine university, Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,200 students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey, Washington main campus, and 600 more to three extension campuses.

For additional information:

Michelle Harrington
Office of International Programs and Development
360.438.4504
mharrington@stmartin.edu

Anne Kirske
Interim director of communication
360.486.8857
akirske@stmartin.edu