Senior Calvin Charles has returned from a long weekend in Toronto, Canada, to plan this summer's convention of Circle K International, the largest collegiate service organization in the world. At last year's conference in Indianapolis, Charles was elected to CKI's ten-member governing board as International Trustee-at-Large, representing CKI clubs in the Asia/Pacific, Latin American, and European regions. He is also the liaison for the Expansion Committee and the Translation Committee, which is crucial for communicating with club members in the regions he represents.
Previously, Charles, who is an economics and business major, worked on the district level, serving as lieutenant governor of the Foothills Virginia District composed of nine colleges and universities in the area. This experience increased his interest in Circle K, so he decided to run for an international position at the 2015 conference. He spoke before hundreds of conference delegates and campaigned against candidates from much larger schools.
At the 2016 conference in June, Charles (at right, wearing a bow tie) is looking forward to hearing local clubs share their successful service projects. He says, "These are college students around the world working to better their communities by doing things like fighting hunger and illiteracy or building parks. Each international conference has a two-day service project. This year our focus is homelessness in Toronto."
Charles is applying to graduate schools but is undecided on what he wants to do after graduation. Meanwhile, he is enjoying his Hampden-Sydney experience as a member of the swim team, working on the Garnet literary magazine, and serving as a head resident advisor.