GCU TODAY • 5
R
ichard Conaway has been around — he has
visited 26 countries and taught English in the
Czech Republic, where he met his wife, Linda.
So he feels right at home as GCU’s international student
coordinator, a role the Redondo Beach, Calif., native has
filled for the last three years. GCU Today talked with
Conaway about what the University does to make it a
home away from home for our 174 undergraduates from
other countries, especially the ones who can’t go home
for the holidays.
1
Do students tend to becomemore homesick
during the holidays?
I don’t think they do because
they’re plugged into the campus and are having such a
good time doing things. Jeremy Mack (director of student
engagement) and Pastor Tim Griffin (dean of students)
have created a campus culture where the magic of
friendship just happens, so we don’t have to do anything
special for the students. They’re immersed in the campus
community, and the campus community embraces them.
2
Howdomost international students react to
American holiday traditions?
They really enjoy
them. It’s an opportunity for them to experience some
American culture intimately. They particularly like
Thanksgiving because it’s unique to the United States.
3
What is your favorite holidaymemorywithGCU
international students?
I invited some students
from Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Nepal to my house
for Thanksgiving last year. For some of them, it was their
first Thanksgiving. You know how crazy family can be
sometimes, but everyone had a good time and they enjoyed
the meal I got to cook for them. They said, “Wow, men
cook in this country!”
4
What is the biggestmisconception that
international students have about America?
That we eat hamburgers for breakfast. They think the
hamburger is our typical food for breakfast, lunch and
dinner. I think they find Americans to be nice and friendly
and they see our society as more informal than what
they’re used to, especially in the relationships between
students and instructors. For example, it’s common
overseas for the students to stand up when the instructor
enters the room.
5
What are themost amazing things you’ve
discoveredwhile living in or visiting foreign
countries?
I discovered that the United States is just
one of many democratic and free countries in the world
and that the world is a lot safer than we might think. But
the most significant discovery for me was that no matter
where I went, I met people just like me who had the same
worries and similar aspirations. We might be separated by
geography or language, but we are the same species.
RICK VACEK
5 ON 5 WITH
Exactly a year to
the day after being
diagnosedwith a
fast-growing cancer
of the blood and
bonemarrow, Emma Kerr recently celebrated
the halfway point of her treatment. Supporters
of the Phoenix girl threwa big party in her
backyard and invited a special guest, singer/
songwriter Chris Trapper. Emma, 11, is the
honorary race starter for the sixth annual GCU
Foundation Run to Fight Children’s Cancer,
Saturday, March 12, 2016, on the Phoenix
campus. Run proceedswill help Children’s
Cancer Network and Phoenix Children’s Hospital
raise awareness about childhood cancer
and support families and children fighting
the disease. Visi
Oh,
Yeah?
Got Your
Number
LopesWay opened in
August amidmuch hoopla,
expanding the number of
campus restaurants to 15
and giving the University a
new retail hubwith the Lope
Shop. Take a stroll with us:
266
50
6,000
Habit Burgers consumed
weekly, on average
833
Pizza slices sold daily,
on average, at Slices
300
GCU and “Star Wars”
co-branded T-shirts
the Lope Shop
expects to sell by
Christmas
$
6.99
Price of purple GCU
doggie bandana, perfect for
Fido’s Christmas
stocking
Richard Conaway, International Students Office
Menu
items
Salad
options
