Intercultural Programs Alumni Grant Fund increases access for students, provides stipends for faculty leaders
A fall 1981 intercultural to Jerusalem left a lasting impression on the late Christine Good Shenk ’83.
The accounting grad, who passed away in July 2024, formed friendships that semester that endured long after she graduated from EMU. Nine of her fellow students on the intercultural became part of a close-knit circle of friends known as “The Gang,” which has continued to gather regularly for decades.
Her widower, Ed Shenk ’83, was not part of the intercultural. At the time, the international agricultural development and biology education major was studying at Pennsylvania State University. Over the years, though, as the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, couple attended biannual reunions in major cities, members’ homes, beach houses, and even aboard a Caribbean cruise, he deepened his friendships with members of The Gang.
In her memory, he donated $90,000 to establish EMU’s new Intercultural Programs Alumni Grant Fund and intends to make additional gifts going forward. The fund provides financial support for students who want to participate in intercultural programs but may not have the means to afford them.
EMU’s intercultural programs have impacted thousands of graduates, offering opportunities to engage in different cultures, build global relationships, and experience a new perspective.
“When I began to think about the impact of intercultural programs, it was the friends, the experiences, and the exposure to other cultures that really lasted for her,” Ed Shenk said. “This is something she would’ve supported.”
His donation marks the largest-ever gift from an alum specifically for intercultural programs, according to Tim Swartzendruber ’95, senior regional advancement director for EMU.
“This is the first fund, in the 53 years of excellence in crosscultural learning at EMU, that will go 100% to undergraduates who need financial support to seize this life-changing opportunity, and stipends for our adventuresome professors who lead interculturals!” he wrote in a recent Facebook post.
Christina Harrison, director of EMU intercultural programs, called the grant fund a “game changer” for students. “This alumni-funded support will eliminate financial barriers for so many students who may be unable to consider an intercultural travel program due to lack of resources,” she said. EMU leaders said they hope the fund will reach $500,000.
For more information about EMU’s unique experiential intercultural learning opportunities, including future programs, visit emu.edu/intercultural.
Note “IPAGF” when you give to EMU and you will join alumni like Ed Shenk who are paying it forward in a meaningful way for today’s students.
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