Sue and Paul Westmark

Sue and Paul Westmark have served international students at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota for almost three decades. They assist with cultural sharing programs, holiday celebrations, and assist with new international student orientation. Sue and Paul also recruit St. Cloud residents to engage with the SCSU international community, promoting the university's cultural events to the local community and working with community members to coordinate meals for international students during holidays when the SCSU food service is closed. They also go into the community to gather necessities for new international students such as winter attire, bedding, cooking utensils, etc. The mayor of St. Cloud designated the Westmarks among the recipients of city's 2012 Rock-On Awards for outstanding civic contributions and leadership. One of the nominators for NAFSA's 2013 Hugh Jenkins Award wrote, "They are two people dedicated to making international students feel at home in an unfamiliar land, two people who are making our local and global community a more friendly place, and two people whose hospitality transcends the borders of religion, culture and language."