A donation of $200,000, to be distributed over three years, was made to help fund international education at Oswego State. John Christian, class of 1987, is president and chief executive officer of CAPA International Education has pledged the amount along with CAPA.

According to its website, CAPA International Education has been providing students with “the learning experience of a lifetime” for 40 years. They provide both individual and group- based programs, claiming to have programs in seven countries on four different continents.

Christian generated an interest in international education after he studied abroad in London in 1986. He was the first member of his family to have a passport. $100,000 will be used to fund President Deborah F. Stanley’s International Initiatives that leads to opportunities for Oswego State to incorporate a global perspective into the classroom.

“The world is an amazing teacher,” said Christian at a ceremony recognizing his and CAPA’s donations.

Another gift funds the José Ramon Pérez International Scholarship. The scholarship provides two full need-based scholarships for students at Oswego State to study abroad. One scholarship will send Megan Haufe to the CAPA London Program and the other scholarship will send Lindsay King to Beijing. The scholarship will end up sending six students abroad

“Study abroad doesn’t just have an impact, but can truly transform lives,” Christian said. He discussed his experiences abroad at the announcement ceremony, “I had learned to appreciate learning, I learned about the world and my place in it, and I found something I had a passion for.”

Christian comes from Troy, NY and began in International Education as Foreign Student Advisor for Oswego State in the office of International Education. He then moved on to an 18-month post-graduate program in Beijing where he was the Resident Director of the Oswego State Beijing program. According to CAPA International Education’s website, he completed a Masters Degree at the University of London. Christian has been with CAPA for over 17 years.