On Wednesday, April 3, the 2013 International Awards Ceremony was held where Kristopher Wilson won the Homer Higbee International Education Award at MSU.

Kristopher Wilson, a junior majoring in International Relations and Comparative Cultures and Politics in James Madison College, has made numerous contributions that support a welcoming environment for international students and visitors at MSU. Over the past several years he has used his own experiences abroad to increase international understanding and awareness while also finding the time to volunteer with several student organizations and activities.

Beginning with an experience in South Africa as a participant in the freshman seminar program, Kristopher studied the deep racial divisions between cultures and the lingering effects of apartheid in South African society. Exploring the topic further he studied abroad in Brazil during the summer of 2012, which gave him fresh insights about race and politics. While abroad he learned Portuguese and Spanish, which have only helped to deepen is his understanding of these cultures.

An intellectually curious student leader, Kristopher’s intercultural understanding has been an asset to many organizations including:

• The Leadership Institute at MSU (LIMSU): as a co-founder of LIMSU he is currently serving as the vice president of Internal Affairs.
• The International Student Summit on Food, Agriculture and the Environment: as a student ambassador he helped organize programming for the student summit. 
• The Michigan State Model United Nations Organization: as the assistant crisis director, he is helping to educate high school students of international crisis and diplomatic ways of resolving them.

Additionally, Kristopher has been a role model for other students and has served as an orientation leader at MSU’s International Student Orientation. 

His active participation on campus and high level of interest in promoting international and cross-cultural understanding has made a deep and meaningful impact at MSU. His extraordinary commitment and dedication to support MSU’s international students make him a worthy recipient of Homer Higbee Award.