Oregon State University–Cascades alumna Kristen Jokinen and her husband Ville Jokinen will speak about their 30,000‑mile bicycle journey around the world during a presentation titled “Joy Ride: A Bike Odyssey Toward Openness, Curiosity & Kindness” on Feb. 20.
The free event will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Charles McGrath Family Atrium in Edward J. Ray Hall at OSU-Cascades. Registration is required and refreshments will be available.
Through film and discussion, the Jokinens will explore the humanity they encountered during their travels and how those experiences continue to shape their perspectives.
Kristen Jokinen, who grew up in Bend and earned a liberal studies degree from OSU‑Cascades in 2009, cites a study‑abroad experience in Thailand as a defining moment in her education. While in Chiang Mai, she interned at an orphanage where she taught arts and English classes, developed programs for girls from local villages and conducted research for a thesis on human trafficking. That experience sparked her passion for international travel and cultural exploration.
Jokinen’s travel memoir, “Joy Ride: A Bike Odyssey from Alaska to Argentina,” features an introduction by author Cheryl Strayed. The book chronicles the landscapes she and her husband traveled through, the people they met, and the ways the journey transformed her understanding of herself and the world.
To register, visit https://beav.es/TfK. For disability accommodations contact 541-322-3100 or events@osucascades.edu.
