Around two decades ago the former Director of Global Education at KSC, Skye Stephenson, was living in Chile with the new Coordinator of Global Education, Lisa Johnson, but neither had set their sights on KSC at the time.
“We both live in Keene, we get together socially periodically… and so I was interested in the work that she was doing here and when she announced her retirement, I was like ‘Oh, I want her job,’” Johnson said.
Johnson said her time in Chile sparked her passion in the field.
“It changed my life. It was a very transformative experience and so from there, I knew that I wanted to somehow, someway, continue to foster international and intercultural exchanges,” Johnson said.
She then went on to earn her master’s in international education at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont.
“I was fortunate enough shortly thereafter to get the job at Smith [College],” Johnson said.
Johnson said she served in a similar role at Smith as part of the associate team for international study. She noted Smith’s office was similarly co-located with other student support services much like KSC’s is.
But campus location is not the only thing that is familiar to Johnson about KSC.
“I have been on campus for functions at the Redfern Arts Center, other city functions… I’ve been to the library frequently, so I had some familiarization with the campus,” she said.
One difference Johnson said she noticed between Smith and KSC’s programs was that KSC utilized exchange agreements and partnerships with universities abroad more than Smith had.
“That means to me that there are as many Keene State students interested in going to these host institutions as well as students from those host institutions wanting to come to Keene State,” Johnson said.
Another big aspect of KSC’s office that Johnson said sets it apart is domestic study away which allows students to attend a partnered university of their choice within the United States for a semester.
“Domestic study away is somewhat new to me and I’m still in the process of learning how to talk about it within the context of global education,” she said in an email with The Equinox.
In terms of plans for the office going forward, Johnson said she wants to increase the office’s prominence on campus.
“One of the things I would like to do … is to try to elevate global here on campus and elevate awareness about some of the countries where the international students are coming from, as well as some of the countries where [KSC] students are sending away,” she said.
Johnson said she also wants students to know their options when it comes to Study Away.
“Sometimes it’s perceived that studying away isn’t within reach financially and I would argue that that’s not entirely true and that there are some opportunities that make it as affordable as if the students were here on campus,” she said.
Vice President of Enrollment and Student Engagement MB Lufkin said the office plays a big role in the college’s enrollment and retention strategies.
“We are interested in getting to a place where every student has an opportunity for what is called a high-impact practice,” Lufkin said.
She noted internships, work-studies and Study Away are all high-impact practices that can attract more students to KSC and grow satisfaction for current students.
Additionally, Lufkin said having someone like Johnson in the office who can support international students when they come to KSC is key for the college.
“It’s a really important position [and] we were very fortunate to get the finalist that we hired. She comes to us with an amazing background and has already hit the ground running,” Lufkin said of Johnson.
Nathan Hope can be contacted at
nhope@kscequinox.com
