International Relations

Cameron McDonald’s education at Roanoke College has taken him to the other side of the world and back.  

The international relations major, who’s also earning minors in multiple languages, had opportunities to travel to Japan for May Term and to take part in an in-depth research project in Korea — a trip that led to him being quoted in the Chosun Daily newspaper and invited along with his fellow students to visit with Prince Yi Jun. 

McDonald ’24 also competed with Roanoke’s award-winning Model UN team and co-led a geopolitical analysis project that won first place in an international competition. His senior year, he was picked for the Washington Semester program, allowing him to live, intern and study full-time in the nation’s capital. 

McDonald has his sights set next on law school and a career working in immigration advocacy and reform. His hope is to play a part in lightening the burden for other global travelers. “I just hope to spread a little bit of kindness in the world,” he said.

The Public Affairs Society brings together passionate, curious students to consider current events from multiple perspectives. Through discussion groups and campus events, it aims to share ideas and encourage a robust civil discourse.  

"It's just a respectful environment where you can talk about political things and learn more about issues without being afraid to voice your opinion," said Elizabeth Williams '26, an international relations major.

The society's weekly, student-led meetings explore a wide range of issues — politics, criminal justice, international affairs and more — that affect our world and shape our future.

Photo: In one example of the type of thought-provoking events it hosts, Roanoke College's Public Affairs Society organized a campus-wide panel on health care policy that allowed students to hear from subject-matter experts.

In just a few short years, Gaston Ocampo ’20 has gone from Buenos Aires to Roanoke to Lisbon, a journey spanning more than 8,500 miles — and he’s not done yet. He’s out to change the world. 

“My role and that of our organization is to build bridges,” said Ocampo, an international relations and business administration graduate. “In the regions we serve, multifaceted challenges persist, creating ripples that transcend borders and influence our collective future.” 

Ocampo, who grew up in Argentina, was writing from his offices in Portugal, where he serves as secretary general of IPDAL, an international nonprofit dedicated to strengthening ties between Portugal, Latin America and the Caribbean. 

The work puts Ocampo at the center of a whirlwind portfolio of global concerns. For the Maroon who co-founded the International Club, led the Public Affairs Society and did undergrad research in Turkey and Tunisia, it’s nothing short of a dream gig. 

"My journey to IPDAL is intricately woven with my experiences and teachings at Roanoke," Ocampo said. "I arrived as a freshman all the way from Buenos Aires and found a community where I could get guidance from esteemed professors, unwavering support from staff and camaraderie from my fellow students. That was the foundation for a profound understanding and appreciation of the importance of global interconnectedness."

Adrian Gillem ’15 came to Roanoke from the U.S. Virgin Islands with a passion to learn more about the world around him. Now, he leads an international team of engineers as a senior program manager for Microsoft, a job he landed less than seven years after graduating. 

In college, Gillem was an international relations major, Model U.N. representative and International Club mentor. While still a sophomore, he earned a prestigious, federal Gilman Scholarship and a Freeman-ASIA Scholarship to conduct research in Japan that he later presented at a conference. 

He also worked on campus in the Information Technology Department — discovering a new passion that he’d blend with his international relations background to shape his career path. Prior to joining Microsoft, Gillem worked for Fortune 500 firm Booz Allen Hamilton as an IT strategist and developer, leading work in D.C., Japan and South Korea. 

His interdisciplinary education taught him that his skills weren’t limited to one field. “I can be an IT professional who can extend my career into international relations through the work I do,” he said.