Shenandoah University

In March, Shenandoah University sent a group of 10 students, faculty and staff members overseas to Saint Lucia as a part of the Global Citizenship Project. The trip, led by Dean Emeritus and Adjunct Professor of Business Miles Davis, Ph.D., saw participants take part in a variety of activities, tours and experiences all geared toward immersing them in the local culture. During the trip, the group took several lessons in Kweyol, a French-based creole language widely spoken in Saint Lucia. The group also toured Pigeon Island, a 40-acre islet connected to the mainland by a causeway that hosts a variety of hiking trails, colonial ruins and panoramic views. On a day trip to Soufriere, the group also participated in a masquerade workshop with local youth arts students, visited the Rodney Bay Mall, and toured Sulphur Springs, a dormant volcano known for its mud baths. Then, returning to Hewanorra, the group visited a local hospital, toured the Morne Fortune Museum & Art Gallery, and finished the trip with a dance and carnival history workshop. Shenandoah University's Global Citizenship Project celebrated its 21st year in 2026 and sent students, faculty and staff members to Slovakia, Saint Lucia, Kenya, Hong Kong and Ghana this spring. Since its inaugural year in 2005, GCP has sent over 1,400 students, staff, faculty, and trustees to over 70 countries and seven U.S. states and territories so that each participant might learn more about the world and themselves. To learn more about GCP, visit su.edu/gcp.

In March, Shenandoah University sent a group of 10 students, faculty and staff members overseas to Ghana as a part of the Global Citizenship Project. The group, led by Professor of Hispanic Studies Bryan Pearce-Gonzales, Ph.D., saw participants take part in a variety of activities, tours and experiences all geared toward immersing them in the local culture. Arriving in Elmina, the group began its trip with a tour of the Cape Coast Castle, a commercial fortress built by European traders, before taking a trip to Kukum National Park and later visiting the University of Cape Coast. Then, on a day trip to Kumasi in southern Ghana, the group toured the Manhiya Palace Museum, and got to see the Okomfo Anokye Sword, an immovable sword buried in the ground, said to have belonged to Okomfo Anokye, a leader of the Ashanti people. Returning to Elmina, the group finished the trip with a tour of central Accra, a visit to the U.S. Embassy, and dinner and dancing in Sakumono before heading home the following day. Shenandoah University's Global Citizenship Project celebrated its 21st year in 2026 and sent students, faculty and staff members to Slovakia, Saint Lucia, Kenya, Hong Kong and Ghana this spring. Since its inaugural year in 2005, GCP has sent over 1,400 students, staff, faculty, and trustees to over 70 countries and seven U.S. states and territories so that each participant might learn more about the world and themselves. To learn more about GCP, visit su.edu/gcp.

In March, Shenandoah University sent a group of 10 students and faculty members overseas to Hong Kong as a part of the Global Citizenship Project. The group, led by Assistant Professor of Economics Diego N. Marcos, PhD., saw participants take part in a variety of activities, tours and experiences all geared toward immersing them in the local culture. The group began its trip by visiting Victoria's Peak, the tallest hill in Hong Kong, shortly after arriving. In the following days, they visited and toured Hong Kong Baptist University, took a Chinese calligraphy lesson, walked the promenade at Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront Park, and had dinner at Knutsford Terrace. Then, the group took a day-trip to Sok Kwu Wan for a beach day before meeting with Global MBA students in Shenzhen the following day. Then, the group visited the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and participated in a Laigua animation activity, and returned to the airport the following day. Shenandoah University's Global Citizenship Project celebrated its 21st year in 2026 and sent students, faculty and staff members to Slovakia, Saint Lucia, Kenya, Hong Kong and Ghana this spring. Since its inaugural year in 2005, GCP has sent over 1,400 students, staff, faculty, and trustees to over 70 countries and seven U.S. states and territories so that each participant might learn more about the world and themselves. To learn more about GCP, visit su.edu/gcp.

In March, Shenandoah University sent a group of 10 students and faculty members overseas to Kenya as a part of the Global Citizenship Project. The group, led by Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Katherine Bain, PhD., saw participants take part in a variety of activities, tours and experiences all geared towards immersing them in the local culture. After arriving in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, the group toured the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and the Nairobi National Museum before visiting Amref International University the following day. Then, the group toured Kibera, one of the most densely populated and impoverished urban areas in Africa. After taking a train to Voi the next day, the group toured Taita Taveta University and did a safari ride at Tsavo East National Park. Then, in Diani, the group visited the Shimoni Slave Caves, a series of tunnels used as a slave-holding port in the 17th century. Lastly, the group traveled to Mombasa, visiting the Swahilipot Hub Foundation, a non-profit youth empowerment organization focused on innovation and technology, before finishing the trip with a tour of the Jumba la Mtwana ruins. Shenandoah University's Global Citizenship Project celebrated its 21st year in 2026 and sent students, faculty and staff members to Slovakia, Saint Lucia, Kenya, Hong Kong and Ghana this spring. Since its inaugural year in 2005, GCP has sent over 1,400 students, staff, faculty, and trustees to over 70 countries and seven U.S. states and territories so that each participant might learn more about the world and themselves. To learn more about GCP, visit su.edu/gcp.

Shenandoah University sophomore Alex Schoenen earned the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's Men's Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week award on March 23. It's the second weekly ODAC award for the Hornets this season. Schoenen recorded 25 digs and registered 11.5 blocks in a 3-0 week for the Hornets last week. The middle blocker/outside hitter from Northampton, Pennsylvania, had eight solo blocks and seven block assists in the three games. In a midweek non-conference game versus Bluefield University (Virginia) on March 19, Schoenen accumulated a season-high 10 digs before setting a career-high in solo blocks (five) against Eastern Mennonite University on March 21. This year, Schoenen leads the Hornets with 54 blocks, which includes 20 solo blocks and 34 assists. Defensively, he also has a .964 reception percentage.

Shenandoah University junior Addisyn Banks has been named an NCAA Division III All-American honorable mention by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) on March 19, becoming the third player in program history to earn the award. Banks led the Hornets in scoring (18.1 points per game), assists (3.6 per game), steals (2.3 per game) and blocks (20 in 28 games), and ranked second on the team with 8.1 rebounds per contest and 42 made 3-pointers. The Nokesville, Virginia, native played in all 28 games (27 starts) for the Hornets, helping the team earn an at-large bid into the 2026 NCAA Division III women's basketball championship tournament.

Shenandoah University junior Meghan Gaskins was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's Softball Pitcher of the Week for the first time in her career on March 16. The junior from Chesapeake, Virginia, started two games and made three total appearances for the Hornets last week, posting a 0.50 ERA and striking out 15 over 14 innings. Gaskins fired a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Wheaton College (Illinois) during the Space Coast Spring Games in Melbourne, Florida, on March 9, the first of two complete games for the right-hander during the weeklong tournament. In that March 9 win, Gaskins struck out seven batters and didn't allow a base runner until a leadoff walk in the seventh inning. The no-hitter was the first for the Hornets since 2022. On March 11, Gaskins pitched a five-inning complete game shutout while striking out five in a 16-0 win over Emerson. Gaskins then pitched the final two innings of the Hornets' 8-7 walkoff win over Baldwin Wallace University on March 12. Gaskins is 4-0 on the year with a 0.67 ERA, 19 strikeouts, and only 13 hits allowed in 21 innings.

Shenandoah University catcher JP Williams was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's Baseball Player of the Week on March 16 following a two-win week for the No. 11 Hornets. In three games last week, Williams went 8-for-10 at the plate with three doubles, a home run, six RBIs, and six runs scored. Additionally, the junior from Haymarket, Virginia, drew three walks and was hit-by-pitch once, and went 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts. In two games against Virginia Wesleyan over the weekend, Williams had five hits, five RBIs, six runs scored, two walks, and his lone home run of the week. Behind the plate, the catcher had 15 putouts and an assist with no errors. Overall this season, Williams leads the Hornets with a .509 batting average. He also has 22 RBIs and 13 extra-base hits.

Shenandoah University senior Sean Rinebolt was named a Scholar All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association on March 19. The senior from Keedysville, Maryland, finished his Shenandoah career with over 100 wins, becoming the second SU wrestler to reach that mark. Rinebolt earned third team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference honors for the 2025-26 season while also being named the conference's Lighter Weight Wrestler of the Week in November. The 133-pound wrestler also earned all-region recognition after placing seventh at the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament in February. To qualify for this recognition, wrestlers must place in the top eight at their respective regional tournament or maintain a win percentage above 66% with at least 15 matches wrestled, while also maintaining either a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher or at least a 3.2 GPA over the last two semesters.

The Shenandoah University men's tennis team swept this week's Old Dominion Athletic Conference weekly awards as Dominick Suwak earned the conference's Singles Player of the Week while he and teammate Aryanth Chintharlapalli netted the Doubles Team of the Week award on March 16. Suwak, who has earned ODAC Singles Player of the Week four times during the 2025-26 season, helped the Hornets go 4-0 last week during the PTR Spring Tennis Fest in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Suwak, a senior from Arlington, Virginia, won all four of his singles matches in the top spot of Shenandoah's lineup.

Shenandoah University junior Addisyn Banks was named to the D3hoops.com women's basketball All-Region VI First Team on March 16. Banks led the Hornets in scoring (18.1 points per game), assists (3.6 per game), steals (2.3 per game) and blocks (20 in 28 games), and ranked second on the team with 8.1 rebounds per contest and 42 made 3-pointers. The Nokesville, Virginia, native played in all 28 games for the Hornets, with 27 starts, helping the team earn an at-large bid into the 2026 NCAA Division III women's basketball championship tournament.

Shenandoah University first-year student-athlete Molly Donaldson earned All-Region honors in the shot put from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the NCAA Division III 2025-26 indoor track and field season. Donaldson's best mark of the season came at the Joe LaRocco Invite at Roanoke College in February, when she set a new school record with a throw of 12.92 meters, a distance that also is the third-best in the South Region. Donaldson initially set the program record at the Bomber Invite at Ithaca College with a toss of 12.45 meters the week prior.

Shenandoah University senior Dan Ailor was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Golfer of the Week on March 11 after leading the Hornets' men's golf team to a victory at the Fernandina Beach Collegiate in Florida on March 9-10. It was the second second career ODAC Golfer of the Week honor for Ailor, who earned the weekly award early in the 2023-24 season. This week, the senior shot 70-72-69 in three rounds with the three-under-par 69 in round three tying a career low. Ailor tied for second overall in the 78-golfer field with 211 (-5).

Shenandoah University's field hockey team posted the fourth-highest collective GPA across all three NCAA divisions in 2025 as 24 Hornets were named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's 2025 Division III National Academic Squad. Fourteen of those 24 Shenandoah's student-athletes - Camryn DeLeva, Ava Fields, Regan Fields, Reagan Flory, Autumn Goldsberry, Lily Kyvelos, Kaitlyn Mogar, Kaitlyn Nakamura, Elizabeth Quinn, Madison Short, Emily Swartzbaugh, Sidney Tucci, Kayleigh Vodvarka and Mackenzie Watkins - also were named an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction, which recognizes those who earned a cumulative GPA of 3.90 or higher during the fall semester. A minimum GPA of 3.50 is required for student-athletes to qualify for the NFHCA National Academic Squad.

Shenandoah Conservatory has announced the winners of the 2026 Student Soloists Competition (SSC) following the final round on March 1 in Armstrong Concert Hall. Winners included Morna Chenchen Hu, soprano (Category II); Wentao Luan, saxophone (Category I); Andrew Wood, piano (Category I); and Coleman Wright, saxophone (Category II). Honorable mentions went to Grace Ashby, soprano (Category I), and Lizhuo Sun, piano (Category II). Winners of this year's competition will be featured in performances with the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra throughout the Conservatory Performs 2026-27 season.

Shenandoah University's baseball program earned the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Week award for the second consecutive week as outfielder Jaime Padilla earned the honor on March 2. Padilla hit .500 (7-for-14) at the plate last week in four wins for the Hornets. The senior from Yonkers, New York, had seven RBIs, six runs scored, and three doubles, and was a perfect 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts. The highlight of Padilla's week came in a win over Immaculata on Feb. 28, during which Padilla went 3-for-4 with three doubles, three RBIs, two runs scored and two steals.

The Shenandoah University men's and women's indoor track and field teams earned four All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference accolades during Day 2 of the 2026 ODAC Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 1 at Roanoke College's Kerr-Cregger Field House in Salem, Virginia. SU first-year Roman Bernard, of Richmond, Virginia, set a school record and earned second team All-ODAC in the men's 400-meter with a time of 49.92 seconds, surpassing the record that he set earlier this season in the same venue. Fellow first-year Molly Donaldson, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, also earned second team all-conference honors in the women's shot put, hitting a mark of 12.49 meters on the first of her six attempts. The final All-ODAC performers were sophomore Grace Semow (Greensburg, Pennsylvania) and senior Amy Oleksy (Milltown, New Jersey) in the women's 800-meter. Semow ran a 2:21.78 for second place, setting a new personal record. Semow's time was 0.79 seconds away from breaking the school record. Oleksy came in right behind her teammate, finishing in 2:23.07 to snag third team All-ODAC honors while also setting a PR.

Shenandoah University's Addisyn Banks and Emily Williams each earned their first career all-conference awards when the 2026 All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference women's basketball teams were announced on Feb. 26. Banks, a junior from Nokesville, Virginia, was named to the All-ODAC first team while Williams, a senior from Thurmont, Maryland, was a second-team honoree.

Shenandoah University junior Carl Keenan was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's Baseball Player of the Week on Feb. 23 after a standout performance at the plate that helped propel the Hornets to a 3-0 week. Keenan went 9-for-13 (.692) in three non-conference games, including a stellar performance in the second game of a doubleheader against Penn State Abington in which the second baseman hit for the cycle.

Shenandoah University men's tennis student-athlete Dominick Suwak earned the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's Singles Player of the Week award on Feb. 23 after excelling in two matches against top 25 teams in Newport News, Virginia. Suwak, playing at the top singles spot for the Hornets, went 2-0 last week in matches against No. 24 Christopher Newport University and No. 25 Haverford College.

Shenandoah University junior Carl Keenan was named to D3baseball.com's Team of the Week on Feb. 25 after a stellar three-game performance that also netted him the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's top weekly award two days earlier. Keenan went 9-for-13 (.692) in three non-conference games, including a stellar performance in the second game of a doubleheader against Penn State Abington in which the second baseman hit for the cycle. Over the course of those three games, Keenan had two home runs and two doubles among his nine hits, four RBIs and six runs scored. The second baseman from Winchester, Virginia, was also 4-for-4 on stolen base attempts during that span, and was perfect on nine fielding chances. He led the team with a .526 batting average through Shenandoah's first five games.

Shenandoah University junior Addisyn Banks earned her fourth Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Week award of the women's basketball season -- and third on the defensive side of the ball -- when she was named the ODAC's Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 9. In two conference wins last week, guard/forward from Nokesville, Virginia, tallied 17 rebounds, nine steals and four blocks while scoring 36 points and dishing out nine assists.

Shenandoah University senior Matt Conroy was named a 2025 College Sports Communicators Football Academic All-American on Jan. 27. Conroy, who's studying biochemistry, has a 3.89 career GPA, including a perfect 4.0 in during the 2025 Fall Term. The linebacker from Bel Air, Maryland, is the third Shenandoah football player to earn CSC Academic All-America honors in the past two seasons, joining Steven Hugney and David Munoz, who each earned the award following the 2024 season. Conroy was named to the CSC Academic All-America Second Team. The full list of honorees from NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA is available at academicallamerica.com.

Shenandoah University's Addisyn Banks earned her second Old Dominion Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week nod of the season on Jan. 19 following a 2-0 week for the Hornets.

Shenandoah University's Jaime Padilla and Liam Stewart were named D3baseball.com 2026 Preseason All-Americans on Jan. 14. Padilla and Stewart, both first-team honorees, each earned D3baseball.com All-America honors at the end of the 2025 season. Padilla also was named an American Baseball Coaches Association All-American.

Shenandoah University's Division of Athletic Training continued its run of excellence at the 2026 Virginia Athletic Trainers' Association (VATA) Annual Meeting on Jan. 2-4, at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, Virginia. Shenandoah's student quiz bowl team, composed this year of Makenna Thrush, Trilby Kite, Aesia Garban and Kristen Meinberg (alternate), won the VATA Quiz Bowl for the fourth straight year. Those four, and fellow student Caitlyn Sweet, also presented research posters during the conference, and professors Kim Pritchard, Ph.D., LAT, ATC, and Kelley Wiese, Ph.D., LAT, ATC, were each recognized for their oral presentations.

Simon Bellenbaum earned the first-ever weekly conference award for Shenandoah University's men's volleyball team when he was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Week following SU's program debut on Jan. 11. Bellenbaum helped the Hornets to a 1-1 weekend at the Regent tri-match featuring the host Royals and Randolph College. SU defeated Regent 3-0 in its second game for the program's first-ever victory. Bellenbaum, a first-year student from York, Pennsylvania, accumulated six solo blocks and eight digs on the defensive side of the court during the Hornets' two matches. He tallied three blocks in each match and had five digs against the Royals. Offensively, Bellenbaum had six kills on a .417 hitting percentage across 12 total attacks.

Shenandoah University had 1,195 students earn a spot on the Dean's List for the Fall 2025 semester. To qualify for the Dean's List, students must be enrolled full-time in baccalaureate degree programs and earn a semester GPA of 3.50 or higher. Dean's List students who achieve a semester GPA of 3.90 or higher also qualify for the university's President's List.

Shenandoah University celebrates the 530 students who earned a spot on the President's List for the Fall 2025 semester. To qualify for this prestigious academic recognition, students must be enrolled full-time in baccalaureate degree programs and attain a semester GPA of 3.90 or higher. All President's List honorees are also recognized on the university's Dean's List, which includes students who earn a semester GPA of 3.50 or higher.

Shenandoah University senior linebacker Matt Conroy earned his second All-America award of the 2025 college football season with a selection to the Walter Camp Division III All-American team on Dec. 23. Conroy was previously named an Associated Press Division III All-American following a season in which he finished with 147 tackles to lead all of Division III. He also recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, while adding two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 11 games played. Conroy posted nine games with at least 10 tackles, highlighted by a 22-tackle performance in Week 3 at Hampden-Sydney. During a Week 5 matchup against Bridgewater, he broke the program's all-time career tackles record, finishing his career with 442 stops to surpass Ben Burgan's previous mark of 352.