Southeastern student to travel to San Salvador

Press Release Date: 11-11-2010

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s David Reagan has been selected for an immersion trip to San Salvador, El Salvador, during the first week in January.

The immersion trip is a structured combination of cultural diversity training, humanitarian construction efforts, and social studies learning. The participants are encouraged to research as much as possible about the history of El Salvador before arriving in the country. During the visit, the majority of time will be spent building a house for a family in need and meeting the local people.

Reagan is a junior from Denton, Texas, and is a double major (English, and communication with an emphasis in journalism). He will be one of 23 students representing 21 affiliations and 19 institutions. He is the only student selected from Lambda Chi Alpha, which has more than 400 chapters across the country. He is also the only representative from Oklahoma and this region of the country.

"It was very competitive," Reagan said. "I sent in my application early, but was still put on a waiting list (he didn’t know at the time that he was first on the list). Since it was a national competition, I thought that would be the end of it, but when they called me back, I quickly jumped on the opportunity."

Reagan is vice president of external affairs, which is the philanthropy chair for SE’s chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha. He also serves as news editor of The Southeastern and works as photographer, videographer and graphic designer for Dean of Students Camille Phelps.

The Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV) sponsors the trip that will offer students a week of service and cultural immersion with the people of San Salvador.

"I’m excited about the opportunity," Reagan said. "I was in Canada for a month of volunteer service with non-profit organizations. I loved it and would like to learn to do the same here in Durant."

Reagan did an internship with a newspaper while in Canada. His fraternity has a national newsletter and has asked him to write about his trip when he returns to the United States.