International Appalachian (INTAPP) was the recipient of three Student Organization Leadership Awards. The Student Organization Leadership Awards are presented by the Office of Campus Activities and the Club Council to recognize outstanding leadership and achievements of student organizations at Appalachian State University. INTAPP was the recipient of three awards: Outstanding Multicultural Organization Award, Collaboration Award, and the Student Organization Presidential Award.
The Collaboration Award was presented for INTAPP’s work in facilitating Culture Crawl, an annual event that takes place during International Education Week. The event was organized by INTAPP’s Outreach Chair Latanya Gordon, whose leadership and commitment to collaboration made the event a resounding success. According to Gordon, “In the past, the performers for Culture Crawl have been less representative of the cultures that App State has to offer, so when I took over the position as Outreach Chair, one of my main goals was to reach out to communities that had not been approached before, including historically black sororities and fraternities. I think that these new partnerships with these other awesome organizations doing great work on this campus is what led to us receiving this award; the event would not have been successful without their willingness to share parts of their culture with the Appalachian community.”
The Student Organization Presidential Award was presented to INTAPP’s President, Junior Murilo Artese, who gives credit for the group’s success to its members: “INTAPP has been working hard this past year not only to promote international education around Appalachian’s campus but to make sure we have a strong base for the future. As the President, my job can be hard and overwhelming at times, however every INTAPP member plays an important role to make our organization the best that it can be. I would not be able to do my job well if I didn’t have such amazing individuals around me.”
INTAPP is a university-funded student organization that works with the Office of International Education and Development to fulfill the organization’s mission and to weave internationalism into the cultural fabric of Appalachian, creating better world citizens prepared to contribute to their local communities. INTAPP is advised by Karen Marshall, Assistant Director of International Student and Scholar Services and Outreach, who is not surprised by the group’s success. According to Marshall, “I have seen how much hard work and dedication they put into executing their vision over the course of this academic year and know that they are deserving of this recognition. This mission aligns beautifully with the goals of OIED, and our impact on this campus would be greatly diminished without their partnership. INTAPP has done a tremendous job this year, and it is wonderful that the group is being recognized for its efforts.”