WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Sept. 6, 2019 — West Liberty University’s International Center held a Welcome Back Picnic on the Quad to greet new and returning international students and introduce everyone to its newest staff member Ryan Glanville.
“The welcome picnic is always a success,” said Adwit Lamichhane, the vice president of WLU’s International Club who is from Nepal. “I am excited to have my friends back on the Hilltop and talk to new students who are interested in joining our big family.”
Lamichhane also serves as a student ambassador in WLU’s Enrollment Services Center.
This year, WLU is home to 60 international students from a total of 29 countries including India, Honduras, China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Thailand, Nigeria, Bolivia, Russia, Germany, Venezuela, France, England, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand, Italy, Colombia, the Bahamas, Brazil, Trinidad & Tobago, Japan, Ireland, Scotland and Kazakhstan.
Glanville, who is originally from Sykesville, Md., is a bit of a world-explorer himself and has lived in the states of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, New York and now Ohio, along with Duesseldorf (Germany) and Istanbul (Turkey). Both Germany and Turkey represent his own study abroad experiences.
Most recently, Glanville worked in the hospitality industry. Prior to that he was a translator and flight attendant for Delta Airlines, based out of New York City. He is conversationally fluent in German.
Glanville formerly worked at the University of Missouri-Columbia as exchange student coordinator and study abroad advisor. He also was a graduate assistant in the Office of International Programs while doing graduate work at West Virginia University.
Coming back full-time to the international career work, Glanville is passionate about devoting himself in helping WLU’s international programs grow and prosper.
“I chose to apply for the coordinator of International Programs position at West Liberty because I missed the professional field of International Education,” said Glanville, who also is enrolled in WLU’s master of education degree program.
The welcome picnic was a good beginning for Glanville.
“We had a great welcome picnic and I was able to meet many of our international students, faculty and staff and even some community members,” said Glanville. “I hope to learn more about all of the existing programs and activities connected with internationalization efforts on campus in my first year. I want to expand the opportunities available and continue to support our international students, faculty and staff here on campus.”
As one of the campus clubs and organizations, the International Club is open to all WLU students. Cultural exchange is its major purpose and the club targets both internationals and American students.
To achieve the goal of cultural exchange, Director of International Enrollment Mia Szabo arranges for foreign students and local students to live as roommates each year.
“Exchange programs want international students to live with local students in a dorm so that cultural exchange happens easily,” said Szabo. “But we would do the same thing even if it was not required just to enrich the campus with diversity.”
Szabo has been leading the WLU international program for 10 years and is currently traveling on a recruiting trip to Asia. During this time the international presence on the Hilltop has grown significantly.
Wheeling resident Sierra Klages, who joined the club in her freshmen year, thinks it’s a great way to make friends.
“The best part of international club is meeting people from different places and making friends who I consider family,” said Klages.
The International Club meeting is held at 4 p.m., Mondays in the Alumni Room, College Union. For more information, please contact Szabo at mszabo@westliberty.edu or contact Glanville at 304.336.8382. The International Center is located in historic Shotwell Hall.