International Education Week Welcomes Alumnus Chris Crawford
Published: November 14, 2022 | Author: Kenzie Lundberg | Read Time: 3 minutes
Southern Utah University’s Office of International Affairs welcomes alumnus Chris Crawford as the keynote speaker for the 2022 International Education Week. Crawford will speak as part of the Global Connections Fair on Thursday, November 17, 2022, in the Sharwan Smith Student Center Ballroom.
“So many SUU students study and serve abroad before they graduate but don’t know what’s possible for them to do internationally after they graduate,” says Dr. Kurt Harris, Director of Learning Abroad at SUU. “We’ve created a Global Connections event as part of International Education Week this year to help students learn about international opportunities and meet people who have connections in business, education, military intelligence, humanitarian service, and the U.S. foreign service. We’re honored to have Chris Crawford, a fellow T-Bird who has built a career working internationally, as our keynote.”
Originally from Draper, Utah, Crawford graduated with a degree in criminal justice and political science from SUU in 2004. During his time at SUU, he served in many academic capacities and joined the Utah Army National Guard. After graduation, he served in Iraq with the U.S. Army, then went on to earn a law degree from William and Mary. Crawford is a foreign service officer who served as a diplomat in East Timor, Afghanistan, Australia, and France and currently is in Washington D.C.
“Through SUU I was able to become a leader and feel more confident in myself,” said Crawford. “I graduated high school with relatively low grades but being given a presidential scholarship at SUU really motivated me. I worked hard and ended up graduating magna cum laude. It showed me that I can achieve a lot if I work hard and put the effort into it.”
As an alumnus of SUU, Crawford hopes that attendees of International Education Week will leave feeling like they can do amazing, outside-of-the-ordinary things. As a global citizen, he hopes that students see that they can achieve plenty even as a student, they just need to be willing to step out of their comfort zone.
“We understand our own country and our own culture better when we understand other peoples,” said Crawford. “I think it’s important for everyone to get outside of our communities, our own space, even our own country, to see other parts of the world. Being able to get outside of your comfort zone and experience other cultures, even if that’s a summer away or a spring break abroad, helps to open up ideas and minds.”
International Education Week is a worldwide initiative celebrating global education, diverse cultures, and learning abroad. All students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to join the International Affairs Office for a variety of events, including a Fifa Tournament, International Grad Mixer, Global Connections Fair, and Days For Girls Service Project, from November 15 through November 18, 2022. See the full schedule of events at suu.edu/iew.
Crawford will be giving the keynote speech for SUU’s International Education Week celebration during the Global Connections Fair held on November 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Sharwan Smith Student Center Ballroom.
SUU’s Office of International Affairs fosters globally engaged communities by supporting the exchange of values, cultures, and ideas in an effort to advance a more just, empathic, and prosperous world.
Tags: Alumni International Affairs