Stan and Karen Johnson
OFFICE OF GLOBAL PROGRAMS
Pisa , Italy
Happy Retirement, Dr. Johnson!
Welcome to the newest edition of Going Global, the quarterly newsletter that provides readers with information and reflections on the international experiences of GCC students.
Presented by: The Stan and Karen Johnson Office of Global Programs Director: Dr. Lois Johnson Field Director: Dr. Mark Reuber Study Abroad: Mrs. Jennifer Gilliland Global Studies Assistant: Mrs. Maria Morin Student Advisors (2019-20): Cailyn Chiarello, Anna Cook, Allyson Davies, Emma Kauffman, Margaret Hosack, Lydia Rothbard, Jenna Crampsey
We hope you enjoy our newsletter! Find us on Instagram (gcc_ogp) Visit us anytime in HAL 319!
Krakow, Poland
2
Happy Retirement, Dr. Lois Johnson! Our esteemed Director of the OGP, Dr. Lois Johnson, retires from GCC this summer after over two decades of service to the college. Dr. Lois Johnson spent most of her childhood in western Pennsylvania. “I grew up in Greenville, PA, moved to Canton, OH for three years because my dad was a pastor, and then came back to Rochester, PA until I finished high school.” She went to Geneva College as an education major because she had a scholarship there, and finished college in three years. In her first year of teaching, Dr. Johnson’s charge was specially-challenged second graders. To amuse the children, she discovered a piano in a cubbyhole in her basement classroom, dragged it out, had it tuned, and painted it red! “I taught school for five years, earned my Master’s degree from Slippery Rock and then went to Penn State to get my supervisors certificate, but that didn’t happen.” Instead, she worked on a Doctorate in Education and did some teaching at Penn State University. She taught in the Williamsport area, then moved to West Virginia. There she taught at Davis & Elkins College and worked on her dissertation. “I did research in Pickins, WV. It was up the side of a mountain with no guardrails…and at night I could hear the bobcats crying. It was quite scary!” Dr. Johnson married and moved back to western Pennsylvania, and soon came along her daughter and her son. In looking at Christian school options for her daughter, Dr. Johnson was not happy with any that were available in Butler, so she built her own at North Main Christian school, which later became Penn Christian Academy. “When I was at Penn State, I started Mount Nittany Academy with another girl. So I had a little bit of experience in the Christian school world and I had a little bit of experience with the private schools” When the Lord indicated to Dr. Johnson that He wanted her to apply to Grove City College, she argued with Him! In prayer, she said “Lord, if this comes from you, show me in three different ways.” And she received exactly what she requested!
Dr. Johnson in West Virginia
“I came (to Grove City College) as an education professor to build the early childhood program.” But after four years, an opportunity presented itself to begin leading faculty-led travel courses in education, and Dr. Johnson was happy to take advantage. She began a summer eight-week long course in London, but it was difficult because she had to leave both her parents and children back home in Butler for far too long. Soon she was leading other travel courses. Along with Dr. Mark Reuber, who together with his wife were in the process of implementing our study center in Nantes, Dr. Johnson became a natural choice for leadership when the Grove City College Office of International Education (now called the Office of Global Programs) was created by Stan and Karen Johnson in 2005. Dr. Johnson has traveled to many parts of the world as part of her duties, but one of the most interesting trips was to Sweden, where she was able to connect with other descendants of her Swedish grandmother and grandfather on Gotland, a Swedish island in the Baltic sea. Here, she was able to really connect with her ancestry. For example, she learned that her grandfather ended up in Bradford, PA, as a result of stealing a pig in Sweden when he was in the eighth grade!
Dr. Johnson at her grandmother’s house in Sweden Throughout her career, Dr. Johnson has strived to learn more and be a creative force in her sphere of influence. Once she began working in international education, she completed training in the NAFSA Academy and worked at conferences to strengthen her knowledge about the field. She remembers those times fondly, “It was a lot of fun!” She went on to become a NAFSA coach and delighted in training others with the knowledge that she had gained.
Dr. Johnson in London in 2009
Last year, Dr. Johnson was the recipient of the Pennsylvania Council for International Education (Pacie) W. LaMarr Kopp Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes an individual in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who has demonstrated longstanding excellence, commitment, and leadership in the field of international education.
Through over two decades of educating students and forging new pathways, Dr. Johnson has thoroughly enjoyed her time at Grove City College. “I go where the Lord leads me, and He led me there, and we will see where He leads me in the future.” If you would like to reach out to Dr. Lois Johnson, drop her an email or send a card: Dr. Lois Johnson 263 Hemlock Drive Butler, PA 16001 Happy Retirement, Dr. Johnson! You will be missed!
Meet our
STUDENT ADVISORS
for 2020-2021
Cameron Fahs Florence, Italy LdM Institute Marketing Class of 2021
Madison Miller Edinburgh, Scotland CISabroad Communications Class of 2021
Katelyn Claffey Seville, Spain ISA Veritas Management Class of 2021
Sara Matthews Florence, Italy LdM Institute Education Class of 2022
Caelan Ulke Florence, Italy LdM Institute Communications Class of 2021
Evelyn Slye Florence, Italy LdM Institute Sociology Class of 2021
Kacy Mann San Sebastion, Spain USAC Spanish and French Class of 2021
Jenna Crampsey Prague, Czech Republic ISA Communications and Design Class of 2021
Welcome!
Led by Prof. Michael Coutler and Prof. Elizabeth Baker and organized by Polish native Mrs. Maria Morin, this trip will lead you on a whirlwind tour of all the beauty and history that this majestic land has to offer. Visit Warsaw, the old town in Krakow, hike the Koscieliska Valley, ride the funicular to Gubalowka and experience Polish food and folk music. From spectacular castles to touring a concentration camp, you will experience the trip of a lifetime in Poland! HUMA 200 | POLS 101 | POLS 390 $3,750 includes tuition, transportation, lodging, tours, entertainment, most meals Email Dr. Coulter for information
This travel course to Guatemala will explore options for caring for orphaned children around Antigua. The course is led by Dr. Lisa Hosack, and more information can be obtained by email. Elective credits in POLS or GOBL, SOCW 390 or PSYC 390. $3,200.
HUMA 200 | HIST 265 | HIST 390 Dr. Mitchell has lived for 13 months in Catalonia and is familiar not only with the common tourist attractions (Sagrada Familia, the Font Magic, Parc Gßell) but also the fun, out-of-the-way sites (an underground Roman city, an amphitheater where Christians were martyred, a personal conversation with Spaniards who have lived through the Civil War, a garden maze) and cultural opportunities (dancing the sardanya in front of Barcelona’s cathedral) that makes this travel course different from many of the other offerings. Approx. $3,999 for a full 14 days of travel! Email Dr. Mitchell to learn more!
During this course, students from will research, develop, and lead various public health projects including: * Canine Rabies Vaccine clinic * West Nile Vaccine clinic * Women's Health * Gardening/Nutrition * Cardiovascular/Exercise Health seminars.
Work with dogs, horses and more on the Crow Reservation in Montana. Spend the first week on campus and the second week on the Reservation!
For more information, email Dr. Tracy Farone: TSFarone@gcc.edu