A chorus of cricket chirps and a breeze rustling through the leaves greeted João Branco Chaves ’25 to Gettysburg College shortly after 11 p.m. on August 14, 2021. Having just completed the 15-hour trip from Portugal to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Branco Chaves opened the door to his room in Paul Hall, turned on the light, and spotted a welcome bag on his bed. Inside he found dozens of Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish snack packs alongside a piece of paper on which the word hello was written in several languages. It was through this welcome gift that Branco Chaves experienced his first encounter with the care and connectedness that define the Gettysburg College community.
In 2019, Branco Chaves left his Lisbon, Portugal, home to complete his last two years of high school at the United World College of South East Asia in Singapore, and upon his high school graduation, he knew he wanted to pursue higher education. While researching colleges and universities using the resources of United World College, Branco Chaves discovered one private liberal arts and sciences college that stoked his curiosity: Gettysburg College. Although Branco Chaves admits he hadn’t heard about Gettysburg before his college search, he was intrigued and delighted as he delved into information about the College and its academic program offerings, particularly in the areas of theatre arts and business, organizations, and management.
“I knew I wanted arts administration in my future, and I didn’t just want to do a business major,” he said. Researching further, he discovered Gettysburg College’s historic Majestic Theater in downtown Gettysburg and read about the various entertainment the theater hosts throughout the year.
“Back home in Portugal, we have some form of an entertainment industry, but it’s not one of our big industries,” he said. “The fact that I could double major in theatre arts and business, organizations, and management was what brought me to Gettysburg.”
During his first year, Branco Chaves wasted no time building the foundation for his network of Gettysburg connections. Obtaining an on-campus job as a student assistant for the Center for Career Engagement led to additional employment opportunities with the Center for Global Education and the Majestic Theater.
“Getting involved with the Gettysburg community opened many doors to find my American family,” he said. “Working with them through the last two years, I was able to build strong connections with administrators, staff, and students.”
Gettysburg College connections also enabled Branco Chaves to participate in two experiential learning opportunities. Through a partnership made possible by Greg Edelson ’87, P’18, P’21 and the Center for Career Engagement, he joined a weeklong brand marketing and strategy immersion trip to Orlando, Florida, this year during winter break. There, he met and learned from business leaders behind some of the most prominent family vacation destinations, including Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios, Sea World, LEGOLAND, and Coca-Cola.
Then, in February, the Who Are We? A Festival Celebrating the Films of Ken Burns at the Majestic Theater enabled him to further delve into the work of arts administration as he worked collaboratively with the Majestic Theater staff to coordinate logistics for the festival’s programs. During the festival, he helped manage the guest speakers and guest lounge, while also contributing to the fast-paced environment through collaboration and teamwork among different production departments. Through this experience, he was able to have meaningful, inspiring conversations with many of the guest speakers in attendance.
“What makes Gettysburg College unique is the people. People are here because they want to help you. They want you to succeed in your academics and your internships. They want you to take advantage of study abroad opportunities and activities. That’s why I tell incoming students make sure you spend time building connections with people.”
– João Branco Chaves ’25
Despite balancing his academic courses, work schedules, and co-curricular activities, Branco Chaves said he’s always focused on continuing to build connections with the people who come his way at Gettysburg.
“What makes Gettysburg College unique is the people,” he said. “People are here because they want to help you. They want you to succeed in your academics and your internships. They want you to take advantage of study abroad opportunities and activities. I’ve met my best friends here. That’s why I tell incoming students make sure you spend time building connections with people.”
By working with the Office of Residential & First-Year Programs as a Resident Assistant, Branco Chaves said he’s been able to connect with the first-year student population in many different areas. “It’s creating a better sense of belonging; offering them different opportunities to interact with diversity, equity, and inclusion topics; and sharing some tools for how to think more critically about international topics,” he noted.
Continuing to build his connections, Branco Chaves encountered faculty members willing to meet with him, answer his questions, and provide resources to further his academic interests. He credits Management Prof. Alice Brawley Newlin and Adams Professor in Theatre Arts Prof. Susan Russell for helping him understand how he could apply his coursework in business, organizations, and management to his theatre arts studies. He also acknowledges Sharon Warrington in the Center for Student Success for working with him one-on-one to provide invaluable academic coaching support that helped him succeed in his studies.
He continues to name countless individuals he’s proud to call his Gettysburg family and friends, including his student employment supervisors Rebecca Barth, assistant director of the Center for Career Engagement; Stephanie Rye, administrative services assistant for the Center for Global Education; and Majestic Theater staff.
As a member of the International Student Advisory Board who recognizes and appreciates the growing numbers of international students studying at Gettysburg, Branco Chaves said he wants to do all he can to make the College an inclusive community for everyone. Working closely with the Center for Career Engagement and Center for Global Education, he helps ensure career advisors understand the visa process, create career-related opportunities for international students and first-generation college students, and explore possibilities for students to connect global education with their careers.
Currently, Branco Chaves is working with the Office of Student Activities & Greek Life, College Life Division, Office of International Student Services, and additional offices across campus to develop a way to celebrate Gettysburg College’s consequential education beyond borders and the many connections that the College has with the international community.
“Being able to interact and work closely with many departments across the campus has allowed me to understand how teamwork is an essential skill to have and keep developing,” Branco Chaves said. “All of these departments and offices are here to promote an impactful experience for our students, so making sure that these bridges and collaborations are built across our community gives us a chance to grow a stronger and more empowered community. Having such a presence in multiple offices also gives me the opportunity to encourage departments to keep the focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion topics, creating a stronger sense of belonging in our community and a more equitable campus.”
“João is an outgoing student whose lived experiences give him a truly global perspective,” said Brad Lancaster, director of international student services. “That perspective is crucial to our campus as we look to internationalize and diversify our campus.”
Reflecting on the people he’s met and the relationships he’s established during his first two years at Gettysburg, Branco Chaves references the following quote from Fernando Pessoa, a 20th-century Portuguese poet, writer, literary critic, and philosopher:
“O valor das coisas não está no tempo que elas duram, mas na intensidade com que acontecem. Por isso, existem momentos inesquecíveis, coisas inexplicáveis e pessoas incomparáveis.” In translation from Portuguese, “The value of things is not the time they last, but the intensity with which they occur. That is why there are unforgettable moments and unique people.”
“Interacting with people and making meaningful connections with people are a big part of the consequential education at Gettysburg College,” he said.
By Michael Vyskocil
Photos by Abbey Frisco
Posted: 03/30/23