Susan Michelle Van Schoonhoven

Susan Michelle Van Schoonhoven, 36, of Cove, Oregon died near Santa Rosa, New Mexico on February 27, 2008, the result of an automobile accident.

She was born in Washington, D.C. to John Van Schoonhoven and Louise Young Van Schoonhoven on September 16, 1971. She spent her childhood and youth in Laurel, Maryland before moving to Oregon for her university education. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Theory and Application of Mass Media, Theater, and Multimedia from Eastern Oregon University in 2001. She attended the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont and received her Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation in 2007.

She was employed at the School for International Training with the International Youth Peacebuilding Camp, which brought students together from around the world to dialogue on issues, build peer and mentor relationships, and create a global network of peacebuilders. She was also a staff member for CONTACT: Conflict Transformation Across Cultures which trains peacebuilders from around the world to develop and enhance skills in transforming conflicts in their home communities and in war-torn regions of the world. She was also employed by the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice at the University of San Diego as a Peace Writer documenting the story of a Sudanese Woman PeaceMaker through interviews and research. Her work, entitled "The Sacrifice of Honey" will be published in a collection of narratives. She was also the Conference Rapporteur for the 2007 Conference, "Is Peace Possible?: A Summit of PeaceMakers on Today's Frontlines."

Susan lived and worked in Japan and Germany and traveled throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe, truly a citizen of the world. Her many skills included her talent as a singer and songwriter, a photographer, and a writer. She was a beautiful person who had dedicated her life to helping make the world a better place.

She is survived by her mother and father of Cove; her sister Heidi Van Schoonhoven of Hollywood, Florida; her uncle Gordon Young of Cove; her close family friend, Jean Hunter of Portland, Oregon as well as many cousins.

Services will be held at the Episcopal Chapel on Church Street in Cove, Oregon on Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. followed by interment at the Cove Cemetery. A reception will be held at Kimsey Commons adjacent to the chapel.

The School for International Training has established a scholarship in her name for the CONTACT Program. Checks can be made to "CONTACT Program" and mailed to: SIT, PO Box 676, Kipling Road, Brattleboro, VT 05301. The phone number is 1-800-257-7751 and the website is www.worldlearning.org.