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Kendra Park

Kendra Park graduated from the School of International Studies at the University of the Pacific in 2001. She received two B.A. degrees-one in International Relations and one in French. While she was a student, she studied abroad in Senegal and participated as an election observer in their elections in 2000. While she was a senior, she became one of the first undergraduates in the US (the other is also an SIS alumni) to be an election supervisor. This time she went to Kosovo and worked for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

When Kendra graduated, she received the prestigious Scoville Peace Fellowship which allowed her to work for a year at the NGO of her choice in Washington D.C. She used this scholarship for a fellowship at Citizens for Global Solutions. For the past two years she has been a program officer, for Sub-Saharan Africa for the organization Search for Common Ground. She began graduate work at Columbia University in the Fall of 2005.

Eddie Lee Richardson III

Eddie always knew that he wanted to study abroad. He chose the School of International Studies at Pacific for just that reason. “I enjoyed the international feel to everything, and I appreciated the amount of support students receive for study abroad. I also enjoyed the small size of the University and the very small size of the School.”

An International Relations and Political Science major, Eddie studied abroad at the University of Hyderabad, India. Already fluent in Spanish, he wanted to learn another language and spend time in a place that not a lot of other students had visited. “I was inspired by friends who live there and know the place. Hyderabad has a population of five million people. It is the fifth largest city in India and is mostly Muslim.” Eddie stayed for a time with the family of a friend while there, but spent most of his time on the University of Hyderabad campus in an international dorm. “I loved it. I made good connections with other Americans who have a love of exploring other cultures. Studying abroad allowed me to learn about another country and meet a lot of wonderful people. I came back with much more of an interest in communities and interactions within our own country, and the realization that any kind of meaningful change done nationally can affect us internationally.”

Law school is Eddie’s next educational goal, and he recognizes that the cross-cultural communication skills he learned in preparation for study abroad are just as useful nationally. “You need cross-cultural communication skills in Stockton, too. Everybody needs these skills. This makes SIS not just an international school, but a school about life.”

Elizabeth Anne Shrafman

An International Relations and Spanish major, Liz chose SIS in part for the integrated curriculum and large amount of support that students receive from faculty. “I was interested in a lot of things and SIS was the only place that put them all together. The faculty are really student-centered and interested in helping students learn.” Liz was also very excited about the School’s study abroad requirement.

Her choices of Sao Paolo and Salvador da Bahia, Brazil as study abroad locations were made for the challenge they offered in terms of both culture and language. “I wanted to study in Latin America, and the amazing diversity of Brazil really attracted me. The food and the dance are a big part of their culture, and I wanted to be a part of that. I was also able to learn Portuguese!” Liz also studied in Sevilla, Spain. “I had been to Spain before and really loved it. I picked Sevilla because it seemed very cosmopolitan and traditional at the same time.”

To Liz, the study abroad experience is an invaluable part of her education at SIS. “Study abroad helps you to learn a culture. Even if you’ve traveled to a place before, it’s not the same as living there with a family, going to school, and speaking the language everyday. You meet so many people that you would not otherwise have met. You get to experience international issues from a completely different perspective. You get to take these experiences back and reintegrate them into your educational experience at SIS.”

After graduation, Liz looks forward to an internship with the Platinum Advisors Group in San Francisco, one of the largest lobbying groups in California. The experience will provide exposure to many different sectors of both business and government, and help cement her future career plans. Liz feels that her SIS education, with its emphasis on second language competency and cross-cultural training, has prepared her for any job situation she might encounter. “Here you’re given the tools to see many different perspectives on one issue, and from many different angles. The cross-cultural training we receive is unique to our program in teaching us how to relate to other cultures.”

Paul Oliva
Former Director, Global Corporate Relations
Visa International

Paul Oliva, who earned his B.A. from School of International Studies at the University of the Pacific, is the Director for Global Corporate Relations at Visa International. In this capacity, Paul is responsible for coordinating external communications regarding three key areas of Visa’s global business: stakeholder relations, commercial solutions, and transaction processing and information technology solutions such as VisaNet, Visa’s global payments engine. Paul works with Visa’s business units and corporate relations staff at the company’s corporate offices and its six regional organizations around the world to communicate news and to drive understanding of payment industry trends. He initiates strategies to reach the financial services industry, merchants, cardholders, technology developers, and government and corporate Visa users via the news media, industry analysts, thought leaders, and direct communication channels.

Paul started his career at Visa as Director of Member Communications for Visa U.S.A. in February 2000.

After completing his studies at Pacific’s School of International Studies, Paul furthered his education at the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, where he earned an M.A. in International Affairs. Following graduate school, Paul was a founder and the Executive Director of Baytrade, an international trade development alliance formed by the San Francisco-based Bay Area Economic Forum. He also founded and managed TradePort, LLC, an international trade online information service, and helped to form CalTrade, a statewide alliance to promote sound international trade programs and policies. Earlier positions included international policy and public affairs work with the State of California and with his own public affairs consulting practice.

Paul Oliva speaks Italian and German. He has been appointed by four U.S. Secretaries of Commerce to the Northern California District Export Council, where he is currently Vice Chair; he serves on the California Chamber of Commerce International Trade Committee and on the University of the Pacific’s Alumni Council for the School of International Studies.