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U.S. Team
See more of our corporate leadership team by visiting the Worldstrides website.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Jennifer Acosta
Senior Vice President & General Manager
Jennifer Acosta
Senior Vice President & General Manager
Jennifer Acosta joined the ISA team in 1996 as the Director of Admissions, and has served as ISA’s Senior Vice President, Enrollment Management since 2009. Jennifer leads a team of 30+ staff members who work with students during the pre-departure process, focusing on customer service and student engagement. Jennifer has been an integral member of the ISA leadership team with a special focus on program management and a desire to meet students on their terms. She graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies, and from Southwest Texas State University with a Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish. Her international education includes a semester at the Universidad de Sevilla in Sevilla, Spain and a summer at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.
Angel (Chicho) Eguiluz Pacheco
Senior Vice President, Global Operations
Angel (Chicho) Eguiluz Pacheco
Senior Vice President, Global Operations
Ángel Eguiluz Pacheco, known by all as "Chicho," is ISA's Senior Vice President of Global Operations. A native of Spain's northern coastal town of Santander, Chicho began his career with the program when he settled in the southern city of Sevilla in 1997. Before beginning work with the Sevilla program, Chicho spent several years at the University of Salamanca, where he received his degree in Spanish Language and Literature and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language. His university career also included his own personal study-abroad experience, when he was awarded a grant to study at the University of Leuven in Belgium. Chicho later went on to experience life in the United States while in Virginia teaching Spanish at James Madison University. His accumulated knowledge of foreign language studies, as well as his ability to closely connect with American study abroad students, have given Chicho the reputation that he has acquired within the study-abroad sphere both in the United States and in Spain. Now leading all of ISA's programs in Europe, Chicho is often on the move, although the Sevilla office remains his home base.
Susan Farley
Vice President, Institutional Agreements & Financial Affairs
Susan Farley
Vice President, Institutional Agreements & Financial Affairs
Susan was born and raised in Texas and graduated from Texas Christian University with a B.A. in Latin American Studies and Spanish. Her primary study abroad experience was in Costa Rica, where she enjoyed living with a family and exploring the beautiful country. That first program abroad changed the course of her life and sparked a passion for international education. Susan joined the ISA team in 1997 and has returned to Costa Rica many times over the years for business and personal travel. She has also been fortunate to travel extensively in and around ISA's program locations in Europe, Latin America and the Pacific. In her free time, she most enjoys exploring the great outdoors with her husband, sons and the family dog.
Mark Gallovic
Vice President, Campus Partnerships
Mark Gallovic
Vice President, Campus Partnerships
Mark has been dedicated to the education abroad profession for more than 24 years, having been transformed by his own student experiences abroad in Venezuela, Mexico, and Spain, as a high school and undergraduate student. Prior to joining ISA in 2014 as Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, he served as Director of Education Abroad as the University North Carolina Wilmington, for eight years, as Assistant Director of the Office of International Programs at Arizona State University for eight years before that, and previously for the Institute for Study Abroad, both in the U.S. and Australia. Mark earned undergraduate degrees in International Studies and Spanish at Miami University, and a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Arizona State University. When not focused on education abroad program development, he likes to go off recipe, and cook by the inspiration of quirky ingredient baskets. Like many others hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Mark will always root for the underdog.
Beth Price
Vice President, Student Outreach
Beth Price
Vice President, Student Outreach
Beth first fell in love with travel during her semester of study abroad as a Marketing student at the University of St. Thomas. As an avid life-long-learner, Beth most recently completed her MBA at UT Austin. While her Minnesota roots were as thick as her accent, she moved to Austin, TX the summer of 2009 to join the ISA team. Since then she has continued exciting travels, which includes exploring 6 out of the 7 continents (you're next, Antarctica). Some of her favorite highlights include climbing Kilimanjaro, seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland, scaling the Great Wall of China, bartering for a rug at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and relishing in Peruvian cuisine while enjoying the view of Machu Picchu.
David Puente, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Academics
David Puente, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Academics
David grew up in Minnesota looking at maps and reading about faraway places when not busy shoveling snow. As a backpacker and later as a military officer he began exploring more temperate parts of the world, and at last count he had visited 45 countries. Shortly after moving to Spain in 2002 he joined ISA. Since then he has worn many hats and shown he's game for any challenge. Currently he leads our site visits and spearheads efforts to enhance and assess students' intercultural learning. David feels lucky to work closely with upper management, resident staff and faculty on both sides of the Atlantic, doing his best to live up to his last name--bridge in Spanish! He is a proud parent, a political news junky, and a bit of a music snob.
Elizabeth Erbeznik, Ph.D.
Senior Director, Curriculum & Academic Programs
Elizabeth Erbeznik, Ph.D.
Senior Director, Curriculum & Academic Programs
Hailing from Northern California, Elizabeth graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a BA in English and French and then received her MA and PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Texas at Austin. Elizabeth first traveled to Switzerland as a high school exchange student, then studied abroad for a year in Lyon, France, where she enrolled in literature courses with local students and traveled throughout most of Western Europe during long vacations. After graduating from UCLA, she joined the Peace Corps and taught English in Madagascar. Before joining ISA, she taught French language and literature courses at Northern Illinois University and UT-Austin. She loves reading books in their original language (or translations), traveling, camping and going on adventures with her husband and daughter.
Health Safety and Security
Robin Reliford, J.D.
WorldStrides Vice President for Health & Safety
Robin Reliford, J.D.
WorldStrides Vice President for Health & Safety
Robin joined International Studies Abroad in 2013 and oversees international risk and crisis management for ISA’s higher education programs. She works with staff globally to monitor world events to mitigate against risks; implement emergency protocols and procedures; and manage student emergencies. She works closely with executive management on policy development and compliance. Robin is a leader in the field, presenting on issues affecting student health and safety at local and national conferences. A Philadelphia native, Robin received her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and her B.A. from West Chester University. An avid traveler, Robin is always ready for her next international experience and believes that one day she will learn to pack light.
Patrick Barker
Director, Health, Safety & Security
Patrick Barker
Director, Health, Safety & Security
Patrick joined the ISA team in August of 2014 working in the ISA Embedded Office at the University of Kentucky. After receiving his BA in Geography from the University of Kentucky, he spent time in Washington, D.C. interning with the Overseas Security Advisory Council. Patrick later returned to UK for his MA from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, where he focused on national security policy. He studied abroad in Amman, Jordan for a summer where he fell in love with the Middle East. He has also been fortunate enough to travel to over 50 countries all over the world. In his free time, Patrick enjoys trying new restaurants, road trips, Instagraming and cheering on his beloved Kentucky Wildcats.
Kate McSurley
Assistant Director, Health, Safety & Risk Management
Kate McSurley
Assistant Director, Health, Safety & Risk Management
Kate first traveled abroad as a participant of TEAN, studying in Australia at the University of Queensland. Her time overseas allowed her to examine English literature from a fresh, new angle and have a proper introduction to Australian literature. Before joining TEAN, Kate also served as a National Admissions Advisor for a fashion & interior design college as well as a technical writer for a sport technology company. Kate holds a BA in English/Communications from Saint Xavier University and earned her M.A. in English at DePaul University, both in Chicago. Since her time at UQ, she has continued her travels throughout Europe and the U.S., but she will always have a soft spot for Australia.
DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Yolanda Golden
Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Yolanda Golden
Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Yolanda Golden leads WorldStrides’ strategic planning and implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that impact employee training and development, product delivery, and customer service.
Yolanda has enriched communities by serving, training, and developing programs to support diverse populations for over 25+ years in K12 and Higher Ed spaces. She joined WorldStrides in 2017 and has enhanced the lives of thousands of students by delivering exceptional STEM programs within the Envision unit of WorldStrides. Yolanda has spearheaded, collaborated, or supported various aspects of WorldStrides’ current DEI infrastructure and programming to include the development of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and the DEI Council.
Yolanda earned a BS in Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Social Work from Loyola University of Chicago. She's previously served as Associate Dean of Student Success at Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago as well as Adjunct Professor and Academic Advisor Coordinator at Loyola where she was responsible for ensuring policies and curriculum were inclusive, and equitably met the needs of unrepresented populations. While at Loyola she developed coursework centered on the differential needs of vulnerable populations and practice strategies for invention to budding undergraduate and graduate level educators and social worker scholars.
Enrollment Management
Emily Busse
Senior Director, Enrollment Management
Emily Busse
Senior Director, Enrollment Management
Emily grew up in a family that celebrated international student exchange, leading her to spend her junior year of high school living with a host family in Melilla, Spain. After graduating from DePaul University, Emily spent another year in Spain, this time living in Malaga and teaching English at a local school. During this period, her younger sister studied abroad in Malaga through ISA. Upon returning home to Chicago, Emily was happy to land at ISA headquarters in Austin, TX as a Program Manager. After six years on the Enrollment Management team, she relocated to Melbourne, Australia for a new role with ISA, which by then had joined the WorldStrides family of companies. In her role as Global Mobility Manager, she helped open a new student recruitment market, partnering with Australian and New Zealand universities to send their students on WorldStrides programs worldwide. Following two exciting years down under, Emily returned to the US to explore new opportunities, expanding her experience in the higher education experiential learning space by working in corporate university recruiting, managing the hiring of interns and new college graduates. Emily is thrilled to have returned to international education and WorldStrides in her role as Senior Director, Enrollment Management. Emily oversees management of ISA & TEAN programs, supporting the Enrollment Management team and all ISA and TEAN students through every phase of the program lifecycle.
Matt Gulizia
Associate Director, Enrollment Management
Matt Gulizia
Associate Director, Enrollment Management
Originally from Omaha, NE, Matt earned his B.S. in International Business, B.A. in French, and M.Ed. in Higher Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. He studied in Paris through ISA as an undergraduate, which sparked his passion for education abroad and the French language and culture. In his spare time, he likes practicing yoga, baking, and exploring different coffee shops in whichever city he finds himself. Matt finds study abroad to be one of the best ways to contribute to personal growth and loves being a part of that for his students.
Kim Sarna
Associate Director, Enrollment Management
Kim Sarna
Associate Director, Enrollment Management
Kim is an Arizona native who earned her degree in Hispanic Studies from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She studied abroad in Valparaíso, Chile and loved it so much that she returned upon completing her degree to work as an English language teacher. Kim's passion for international education ignited during her time in Chile, as she gained self-confidence and greater awareness of other customs and cultures. She is proud to work as the Associate Director of Enrollment Management and serve as the Geographic Oversight Manager for Spain and Latin America. Kim works with a team of outstanding staff abroad to support and encourage students to experience their own achievements abroad. In her free time, Kim enjoys walking her dogs Holly and Gordo.
Brittany Lavornia
Senior Program Manager, Enrollment Management
Brittany Lavornia
Senior Program Manager, Enrollment Management
Originally from little Rhode Island, Brittany acquired her desire for travel when studying abroad for a semester at the University of Roehampton in London, England. During this semester, she traveled the U.K. extensively and collected passport stamps from a dozen countries in Europe. Brittany received a B.S. in Psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University and went on to join ISA in 2015 to advise on programs in England and Scotland. She enjoys enabling students to gain the confidence and self-awareness that comes from studying abroad, and helping plan their big adventures! Brittany enjoys playing with her pitbull Amira, learning coding and graphic design, has started collecting passport stamps from Central America and the Caribbean, and helping her husband begin his collection, starting with Japan!
Anthony Viltro
Senior Region & Account Manager, Europe
Anthony Viltro
Senior Region & Account Manager, Europe
Anthony is from Ohio and attended The Ohio State University where he earned degrees in Psychology and Italian. It's hard to believe that once upon a time, Anthony dreaded the idea of learning a second language and studying abroad. Nonetheless, he studied in Italy on two occasions, once in Lecce and again in Siena, and hasn't looked back since. He also taught Italian language at East Carolina University and worked as a Resident Advisor in Florence. Study abroad helped Anthony achieve things he didn't think possible, and he hopes the students he works with will have similar life-changing experiences. In his free time, Anthony enjoys playing beach volleyball, cat-sitting for friends, and planning his next trip.
Amy Remondi
Senior Region & Account Manager, Spain
Amy Remondi
Senior Region & Account Manager, Spain
Amy received a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Miami, during which time she studied abroad in Granada, Spain for a year. She fell so in love with the Spanish lifestyle and culture that after graduating she moved to Barcelona to teach English for 3 years, and then moved to Japan to continue teaching. Amy loves working with students and feels strongly about cultural exchange. Inspired by her years abroad to help students experience the thrills of learning a new language and culture, she now works as the Barcelona Program Manager. In her free time, she loves biking, camping and hiking - all with her 'adventure' cat!
Gloria Trueba
Senior Region & Account Manager, Europe
Gloria Trueba
Senior Region & Account Manager, Europe
Gloria Trueba Garcia is a Santander native who spent part of her youth in Germany. Upon graduation, she moved to Salamanca to study German/English translation at the Universidad de Salamanca. After studying abroad in Dublin, she worked in Scotland, England, and Ireland. She started working for ISA 11 years ago in the ISA Salamanca office. After a few years there she moved to her hometown Santander to be the Resident Director there. She also was the Resident Director in our office in Brussels until she moved back to Spain to be the Director of the office in Madrid. She is now living in Austin and has joined our team here. She loves travelling, puzzles and going on long walks with her puppies.
Brynne Shannon
Senior Program Manager, Latin America & Spain
Brynne Shannon
Senior Program Manager, Latin America & Spain
Brynne’s first experience overseas was when she studied abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Captivated by experiencing a different way of life, she decided to go back and spend the year after graduation teaching English in a rural Northern Thai town. After the experience of a lifetime, she became hooked on the love of travel and international education and landed her dream job working with students on their journeys to studying abroad. She has traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and Australia, dabbled a bit in Europe, and is eager to venture to Latin America someday soon. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, tending to her urban garden and many houseplants, and taking barre classes.
Lillian Nguyen
Program Manager, Europe
Lillian Nguyen
Program Manager, Europe
Born and raised in Texas, Lillian attended the University of Texas at Austin and earned her B.A. in European Studies and Italian. As an undergraduate, she studied abroad in Rome, Italy and in Würzburg, Germany, which sparked her interest in international education. After visiting the Sassi in Matera and viewing the beautiful artwork in Galleria Borghese in Rome and in Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, Lillian hopes to help students have once in a lifetime experience studying abroad. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, roller-skating, and reading.
Hannah Hamilton
Program Manager, Europe & United Kingdom
Hannah Hamilton
Program Manager, Europe & United Kingdom
Born in Corvallis, OR, family stories of adventures and travels were joyfully shared and impressed upon Hannah at a young age. As an undergraduate at the University of Texas here in Austin, she jumped at the opportunity to circumnavigate the world aboard a ship. The experience was life-changing and led her to pursue a Master’s Degree in International and Comparative Education from The George Washington University. Hannah started at ISA in 2006 and worked closely with our programs in Morocco and Europe. After six years with ISA Hannah made the decision to stay home to raise her two children. She served on their school PTA board for four years, further fueling her interests of advocacy and equity in education. Having recently returned to ISA in 2021, Hannah is thrilled to continue advising students as they pursue their own international education efforts.
Kat Clark
Program Manager, Spain
Kat Clark
Program Manager, Spain
Kat graduated from the University of Arkansas with a major in Communications and minors in Spanish and Sustainability. She attended a study abroad program in Madrid, Spain and was greatly impacted by her educational courses, fascinating new friends, and the beautiful culture that surrounded her. Upon graduation, Kat headed back to Spain, this time to the Canary Islands, to teach English! Next, her journey led her back to her home state of Arkansas to participate in an AmeriCorps service term focused on teaching garden and nutrition education to elementary-aged students. Kat is passionate about creating sustainable communities, traveling, and pursuing hobbies like cooking, yoga, and gardening. Through her position as Program Manager, Kat is excited to aid students as they enrich their educational experience and embark on an adventure of a lifetime!
Will Chavez
Program Manager, Spain
Will Chavez
Program Manager, Spain
Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico Will graduated from the University of New Mexico with a double major in Political Science and International Studies. As an undergrad Will had the opportunity to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. His favorite thing about Spain is the 'no pasa nada' mentality and the blissful feeling of riding the metro home after a long day. Upon returning home he began working with his university's international education office where he built strong relationships with many in the international community. Upon graduation Will left to explore the world and found a job teaching English in rural Thailand. He now spends his time mountain biking, working out, and of course travelling.
Katie Chaffin
Program Manager, Europe
Katie Chaffin
Program Manager, Europe
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Katie received her Bachelors in Management with a concentration in Sustainability from UMass Amherst in 2017. While in school, she discovered her love of travel when she studied abroad in Prague with ISA. After graduation, she moved to Texas and served for one year as an Americorps member working in K-12 schools in Austin, which strengthened her love of working with students. She has also worked as a farm and garden manager, and at various summer camps. In her free time, Katie loves to go camping, bake, and play guitar. She is excited to work with students and help them on their study abroad journeys!
Bella Nunez
Program Manager, Africa & Europe
Bella Nunez
Program Manager, Africa & Europe
Michelle McRaney
Interim Program Manager, Africa, Europe & Latin America
Michelle McRaney
Interim Program Manager, Africa, Europe & Latin America
Michelle graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a focus on International Management. She studied International Business in Caen, France and Spanish and International Management in Monterrey, Mexico. Michelle joined the ISA team in 1998. Michelle has led programs in Guanajuato, Mexico; Salamanca, Spain; Granada, Spain; Santander, Spain; Sydney, Australia; and Santiago, Dominican Republic. She also accompanied several ISA site visits in Chile and Argentina, and conducted new program research and staff training in Mexico and Brazil. In 2006, Michelle moved to Lima, Peru, where she set-up ISA's first program in Peru, which expanded to include Cusco. Michelle is excited about sharing the Peruvian culture and cuisine with all ISA participants and helping to adjust to life in Lima.
Kimi Shao
Interim Program Manager, Europe
Kimi Shao
Interim Program Manager, Europe
As a native Chinese, Kimi graduated from Xi'an International Studies University in China majoring in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. In her sophomore year, she went on a trip for her first abroad experience to South Korea through a tennis exchange program, and this eye-opening experience piqued her interest of studying abroad. While still studying, Kimi started to formally teach Chinese to a variety of international students in one of the foremost universities in Xi'an, China.
With the determination to promote mutual understanding, culturally and academically, Kimi furthered her study at New York University with a masters program in International Education, while interning at the Ministry of Education of China in Beijing and the National Committee on U.S.- China Relations in New York for two years, obtaining more knowledge and familiarity with different types of educational exchange programs.
Being in the international education field with multiple roles as a language teacher, program organizer and international student herself, Kimi is thrilled to be able to assist more students domestically and internationally to have a memorable and meaningful experience during their study abroad programs.
Shannon Diegel
Interim Program Manager, Spain
Shannon Diegel
Interim Program Manager, Spain
Shannon, who has a Master’s Degree in International Education, loves helping students expand their horizons by studying abroad. Shannon studied abroad herself while attending Loyola University Chicago, and enjoyed the experience so much that she later moved to Bangkok to teach English. She currently lives in Chicago and when she isn’t travelling, she is on a quest to make the world’s best chocolate chip cookie!
Alejandra Olais
Team Lead, Enrollment Associate
Alejandra Olais
Team Lead, Enrollment Associate
Alejandra was born in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. She studied Business Administration in college where she decided to explore the world and study abroad. She studied Real Estate and Urbanism at the Complutense University of Madrid during the summer of 2014. Later in 2015, she enrolled in an Au Pair program and moved to New York City for a year. During the program she studied at BMCC of Manhattan Community College. This was a wonderful experience for her and it solidified her love of travel and all things international. To continue her love for traveling and studying, Alejandra went to Barcelona in 2016 for her Master's degree in Communication, Public Relations and Event Planning at Formatic Barcelona University. She loves the adventure of traveling and meeting people from all over the world.
Grethel Chavez
Enrollment Associate
Grethel Chavez
Enrollment Associate
Grethel was born and raised in the beautiful and friendly city of Merida, Mexico. Always intrigued by opportunities where she is able to utilize her English skills, Grethel has had a lot of experience translating official documents to Spanish and has been able to implement her license in Communications towards her everyday life. Grethel previously worked for ISA's parent company, Worldstrides, where she was able to provide excellent customer support to students and parents. Grethel is always open to new opportunities for professional and personal growth, and is eager to collaborate and work with the Admissions team at ISA. Grethel has traveled extensively throughout the Yucatan and developed a profound appreciation for her culture and heritage. During her free time, Grethel loves to bake yummy treats for her friends and coworkers, and enjoys listening to all types of music while doing so!
Cindy Tejero
Enrollment Associate
Cindy Tejero
Enrollment Associate
Cindy received degrees in Marketing from Anahuac Mayab University and Digital Marketing from the University of Yucatan. After graduating, she spent a few months volunteering as an English Teacher in Jaipur, India. During this time, she had the opportunity to travel around Asia visiting her dream locations: Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. Some highlights of her time spent abroad include visiting the Taj Mahal in India and caring for rescue elephants in Thailand. Cindy's favorite aspect of working and traveling abroad is getting to encounter people who feel like friends/family the minute you meet them! Cindy continually looks for ways to challenge herself, which includes solo-travel adventures. Cindy recently pursued an English immersion program in Santa Barbara, California, where she quickly fell in love with the charming Californian people and the beautiful landscapes of the U.S. Cindy is thrilled to play a part of your study abroad journey!
Ronnie Morales
Enrollment Associate
Ronnie Morales
Enrollment Associate
Ronnie was born and raised in the beautiful and friendly city of Merida, Yucatan Mexico and studied English at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. He had the opportunity to travel to Paris, France and getting know more about French culture, and as a result, Ronnie’s favorite aspect of working and visiting other countries is getting to know about the culture, customs, and history. As a Scout Wood Batch Director, he has participated in different international moots and jamborees as a volunteer. He loves the adventure of traveling and meeting people from all over the world!
Helen Cuevas
Enrollment Associate
Helen Cuevas
Enrollment Associate
Helen was born and raised in Merida, Mexico. She has a degree in Fine Arts from the Autonomous University of Yucatan and was able to study one term at the University of Guadalajara, in Jalisco, making her knowledgeable in most aspects of the studying abroad experience, even if domestically. She was also able to travel through Belgium, France and Great Britain in 2017, where she enjoyed visiting Museums and relishing the colder weather. During that trip she met her favorite author, Neil Gaiman, at a book festival and promised herself to go back someday. In her free time, Helen loves all things crafts, learning new languages (such as German and French) and tending to her garden. She enjoys listening to 80's music, synth pop, new wave, and is a big fan of comics and cartoons.
Mariela Orta
Enrollment Associate
Mariela Orta
Enrollment Associate
Mariela is happy to help students in their process to study abroad. She joined her first exchange in high school; spending a year in France studying and living with a warm French family is an experience that shaped her life path, and she believes doing an exchange is a once in a lifetime experience that no one regrets. She studied International Relations and Political Science on a double bachelor’s degree from UDLAP class of 2019. She thanks her exchange during high school for my academic decisions and curiosity for learning as much as she can about the world she lives in. She have travelled to Canada where she took Business English classes and did a backpacked during Christmas 2018 in Europe, because she loves the Christmas markets. Mariela is a bookworm and a yoga amateur and is currently studying a master’s degree in communications and digital media, and it will help students during their enrollments.
Karina Abarca
Enrollment Associate
Karina Abarca
Enrollment Associate
Born in Mexico City, Karina graduated from the Anahuac Mayab University with a degree in Business Administration and Management. She has participated in professional exchanges in Argentina with a focus on organizational behavior and management, multiple civil society organizations, and intercultural community development projects. Her participation in these has led her to become passionate about and develop in the field of human rights, globalization, economy, and gender parity.
Inclined toward the benefits of international education and growth opportunities for students from all over the world, Karina is extremely happy to accompany and advise all those seeking new challenges on this path of learning. In her spare time, Karina enjoys photography, coffee, and sports.
Brianda Diaz
Enrollment Associate
Brianda Diaz
Enrollment Associate
Signature Programs
Jenna Tantillo
Strategic Programs Manager
Jenna Tantillo
Strategic Programs Manager
Jenna completed her first semester abroad in a small town in southern Spain during high school and international education has been an important part of her life ever since. She has participated in three other study abroad programs, including a year in Santiago, Chile and has earned an MA in International Education Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Jenna finds joy and meaning assisting students in realizing international experiences to meet their language goals and increase intercultural competency. Outside of work Jenna spends her time knitting, frolicking outdoors, stretching and breathing, and visiting her home state of California.
Campus Partnerships
Eric Anderson
Senior Associate Vice President, Campus Partnerships
Eric Anderson
Senior Associate Vice President, Campus Partnerships
Before joining ISA in 2017, Eric spent three years with Up with People as the Vice President for Admissions. Prior to Up with People, Eric was with GlobaLinks Learning Abroad for 10 years as a Regional Director and then Director of Institutional Relations. Eric also lived in Coogee, Australia for three years as the Operations Manager for the Olympic Youth Camp as part of the Sydney Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games. He has been a member of NAFSA for 15 years, and the Forum since 2008. Eric has visited over 40 countries and all 50 states, but these days prefers spending free time at home in Colorado catching bugs and watching Moana over and over and over with his wife and two daughters.
Dan O'Brien
Associate Vice President, Campus Partnerships
Dan O'Brien
Associate Vice President, Campus Partnerships
Dan‘s interest in people, places, and cultures started at age 13 when his grandfather took him to Austria for a week-long stay. Since that time, Dan has traveled to more than 25 countries, and has more than 16 years experience in education abroad. Dan has a Master of Arts in Intercultural and International Management from the School for International Training. He studied for a semester at the Universidad de Sevilla as an undergraduate student and as a graduate student served as a group leader for the Experiment in International Living – Spain. Dan is passionate about the power of education abroad and the global competencies it provides students.
Staci Hanrahan
Associate Vice President, Campus Partnerships
Staci Hanrahan
Associate Vice President, Campus Partnerships
With Texas roots and an adventurous spirit, Staci has made her way around the world and back to Texas. Her life was forever changed during her senior year at the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville when she was given the chance to study abroad for a semester in Málaga, Spain with ISA. She went on to get her M.Ed., but found her way back to ISA as the Regional Director for the Pacific Northwest. Since then, she's had the chance to teach English for a few years at Soonchunhyang university in South Korea, travel and WWOOF around Asia/Oceania, and scuba dive in some incredible Southeast Asian waters. Most recently, she served graduate and transfer students at an HSI here in Austin, Texas, but couldn't stay away from International Education for long. She's excited to continue her journey with ISA to keep supporting our university partners, students, and communities that work to make education abroad accessible and transformational!
Melissa Chambers
Associate Vice President, Campus Partnerships
Melissa Chambers
Associate Vice President, Campus Partnerships
Melissa is grateful to have spent the past 20 years transforming students’ lives though international education. Her professional areas of expertise include developing strategic partnerships for international education, sexual health and sexual violence prevention, and diversity, equity, and inclusion for education abroad. She is the author of NAFSA’s Sexual Health Abroad: A Guide to Healthy Practices (2009 and 2016). As a thought leader in the field, Melissa has presented at state, regional, and national conferences and sits on the Rainbow SIG of NAFSA Advisory Board. She has undergraduate degrees in Spanish and creative writing and a master’s degree in communication studies. Melissa loves exploring new places with her husband and two young sons or just hanging at home with their crew of dogs and cats (including fosters from time to time), cooking, and devouring a good book. Melissa proudly supports local agriculture by hosting a farmer's market pop-up at her home once a month and is co-leader of an inclusive scouting group, Navigators USA. She volunteers on the grant writing team with YES! to Consent, a Philadelphia based nonprofit offering body-positive, consent-based sex education for youth.
Zac Einerson
Associate Vice President, Campus Partnerships
Zac Einerson
Associate Vice President, Campus Partnerships
Zac has been professionally active in international higher education since 2004. Volunteering in an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya when he was 16 allowed him to practice travel with a purpose and experiential learning. From this encounter, Zac concluded that properly reflecting upon his experiences was an integral part of the learning process. While earning a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Colorado State University, he also studied abroad in Prague, the Czech Republic, and St. Petersburg, Russia. Upon his return, Zac worked as a peer study abroad advisor, and then became a full-time study abroad advisor after graduation. Based on his strong regard for reflection, he additionally co-founded Lessons From Abroad, Inc., an organization dedicated to helping students who have recently returned from study and internship abroad programs to articulate their experiences and communicate their program’s value academically, socially, and professionally. Zac has two master’s degrees and expects to receive his Ph.D. from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland this year. He has traveled to nearly 100 countries and all seven continents. He currently lives in Los Angeles, CA and is eager to see more students experience the world.
Sarah Warren
Embedded Office & Regional Director
Sarah Warren
Embedded Office & Regional Director
Growing up in a small town in Kentucky, Sarah always wanted to get involved in international education. She earned a B.A. in German Language, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Kentucky. During her time at UK, she studied abroad outside of Munich, Germany to improve her language skills and learn about the culture firsthand. Studying abroad not only improved her German but also gave her an appreciation for international cultures and a host family she still talks with, even years later. Helping a student discover the same things for themselves is something that Sarah is excited to be involved with as part of the ISA team. In her spare time, Sarah likes to write, cook, play video games, and spend time with friends.
Zoe Crowe-Barnes
Director
Zoe Crowe-Barnes
Director
Zoe was born and raised in Chicago, Ilinois and first discovered her passion for travel after participating in a High School Service Learning program in Cocle, Panama. She graduated from University of Missouri with a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish. During her time at Mizzou, Zoe participated in Service Learning programs to Nicaragua. Zoe had the opportunity to explore Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua and enrich her cross-cultural learning and understanding through experiencing Central and South America. She is excited to be a proponent of international education and cultural awareness with ISA.
Zac Macinnes
Director
Zac Macinnes
Director
A native of Austin, Texas and graduate of Emmanuel College in Boston, Zac has served international education since 2009, including as a URR for ISA in New England, Assistant Director of Study Away at Trinity College, and Assistant Director of Career Development at the University of Connecticut. While at Trinity, he received his M.A. in Public Policy and conducted extensive research on underserved populations in education abroad. A regular at NAFSA Region XI, BASAA, and other international education events, he enjoys engaging with our university partners on matters related to diversity, equity & inclusion, marketing and communications, technology, and more.
Lily Andrules
Regional Director
Lily Andrules
Regional Director
Lily had her first international experience when she traveled to Reutlingen, Germany in high school on an exchange program. While completing her Bachelor of Arts at Temple University, she studied and interned abroad in London during the fall semester of her junior year. When she returned, she realized that she had grown a huge passion for promoting students to think and live globally, and started to pursue a career in the field of international education. Prior to joining TEAN, she had the opportunity to work in student services and institutional relations.
Josefina Vega
Regional Director
Josefina Vega
Regional Director
Josefina graduated from UC, Irvine with a BA in English and minor in Literary Journalism. Her first experience overseas was when she studied abroad in England for her third year of university. Upon her return, she wanted to help other students go abroad too, so she became a Peer Advisor at UCI’s Study Abroad Center. This is where her passion for International Education grew and she decided to pursue it as a career. Originally from San Diego, her journey led her all the way to Chicago to work for TEAN. She is excited to continue to help send students on amazing adventures abroad with the TEAN team.
Colton Oliphant
Regional Director
Colton Oliphant
Regional Director
Colton has been a member of the International Education community for just shy of a decade and has spent most of that time at the University of IdahoEducation Abroad Office coordinating 22 faculty-led programs each year and sending thousands of studentsabroad on their programs. He has presented at multiple professional conferences including NAFSA, ACADA, and LFA—including a session where he taught people how to use creativity as a tool in their professional lives. His international experiences have led him to 24 separate countries over 5 continents for a combination of work, study, and pleasure. Now he has taken residence at International Studies Abroad (ISA) and looks forward to being a part of their facilitation of student dreams. Exploring the world and expanding minds is his passion and he’d love to help you do the same!
Alex Halvorson
Regional Director
Alex Halvorson
Regional Director
Alex is a Wisconsin native who earned undergraduate degrees in Spanish and Community Health from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Alex first developed a passion for international travel and education during his undergrad after he went to Germany to visit a German exchange student friend from high school. With an invested interest in the Spanish language, he decided to study in Granada, Spain for 2 semesters. He is also an ISA alum! His love for study abroad and higher education is what led him to pursue his Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from St. Cloud State with hopes of helping more students travel the world and broaden their horizons. If Alex isn’t working or daydreaming about eating tapas in Spain, he enjoys running marathons, cheering for the Minnesota Vikings, playing his ukulele, re-reading Harry Potter books or staying at home watching The Office.
Snow White
Regional Director
Snow White
Regional Director
While growing up, Snow spent every summer traveling around the United States, camping and visiting as many national parks as possible, which sparked her love of travel. A Florida native, Snow attended the University of South Florida (USF), where she earned a bachelor’s degree in cell and molecular biology and studied abroad twice—a full semester in Melbourne, Australia and a summer in Florence, Italy. She actually began working in international education right after her first study abroad trip, in the USF Education Abroad Office, and continued to work there for five years after graduation while also completing a master’s in business administration. Snow is a passionate advocate of study abroad for all students and loves helping them explore their possibilities. In her free time, she likes to hang out with her two guinea pigs, Muffin and Koala, and plan her future travel adventures.
Stephanie Piña
Regional Director
Stephanie Piña
Regional Director
Stephanie has worked in international education for five years. She discovered her passion for leading the next generation abroad when she spent two summers in Granada, Spain, where she became an assistant director to several groups of high school students and loved every minute of it. Stephanie is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where she double majored in international relations and government and triple minored in business, Brazilian Portuguese, and Latin American studies. During college, she also studied abroad in Brazil for a year. Stephanie is always looking forward to guiding students toward their next adventure. She currently lives in Austin, TX along with her husband, who is originally from Venezuela, and their loud, Chihuahua/Miniature Pinscher, Taco.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Alonso De La Fuente
Associate Vice President, Academic Records
Alonso De La Fuente
Associate Vice President, Academic Records
As a Texas native who lived in Mexico for several years, Alonso developed an interest for cultures and languages at an early age. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin where he attained a Bachelor's in Hispanic Studies and in Latin American Studies with a focus in business and economics. While at UT Austin, he studied at Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM)-Mexico City for two summers where he had the opportunity to interact and learn from students from all around the world. A self-proclaimed foodie, Alonso also enjoys weightlifting, the hike and bike trail, HIIT, and spending time with friends and his beagle and miniature Goldendoodle. With over 14 years at ISA, Alonso is a firm believer that study abroad is essential to become a global citizen.
Linda Marín
Academic Affairs & Records Support Specialist
Linda Marín
Academic Affairs & Records Support Specialist
Linda was born in Mérida, Yucatán, México, and spent most of her childhood summers in Los Angeles with her family and twin sister. It was during those family trips that she discovered a passion for languages and interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds. She has worked in different fields where she has been able to apply her language skills. Most recently, she provided customer service support to students and parents as a bilingual telemarketer for two years prior to joining ISA's parent company, WorldStrides, in January 2018. Linda joined the ISA team as the Academic Affairs and Records Support Specialist in December 2018 and is currently pursuing a Master's in Business Administration.
Financial Aid
Rachel Mullkin
Financial Affairs Coordinator
Rachel Mullkin
Financial Affairs Coordinator
A New Jersey native, Rachel's first trip to Europe was in 2018 and it sparked a huge passion for European culture. After that trip, she went on to study abroad with ISA in Paris to continue her studies and become more fluent in French. Studying abroad changed her life course. She completed her degree in Business Administration at Montclair State University and decided to move to Texas. Now that she has begun her journey with ISA, Rachel is eager to be part of the student's process of having a unique and unforgettable educational travel experience. Other than traveling, Rachel enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, and painting.
Student Outreach
Andrea Maza
Senior Program Advisor
Andrea Maza
Senior Program Advisor
Andy was born and raised in Merida, Mexico and she studied psychology at the Universidad Modelo. The English language has been Andy's passion since she was little. She asked her mother for English classes when she was eight years old and she fell in love with the language instantly! Andy has traveled to several states in the Mexican republic and also to Guatemala. In her free time, Andy loves to play and go out with her dogs and her partner! Andy is not married but she has been with her partner for more than 17 years. With this new position in ISA, Andy hopes to develop more skills and new opportunities to grow professionally and enhanced her knowledge of the language she already loves.
Jerry Spillane
Program Advisor
Jerry Spillane
Program Advisor
Born in New York City, Jerry’s first travel abroad experience was to Ireland, visiting relatives, when he was 14 and, subsequently, every summer throughout his High School years. After a stint of volunteer social work with impoverished families in the north of Mexico, his academic curiosity moved him to study philosophy in Spain and Italy, where he fell head over heels in love with the people, the history, the languages, the art, the cuisine. Jerry has taught language and philosophy in schools in Europe and Mexico with the personal objective of lighting a fire in students’ minds and hearts. In his free-time he enjoys writing, listening to music, investigating history and the evolution of human thought, and having friends over to share good food, robust wine and spirited conversation.
Alexandra Diaz
Program Advisor
Alexandra Diaz
Program Advisor
Alexandra was born in San Jose, California. She lived in several parts of the US for 13 years and then moved with her mother and brothers to Mexico at the age of 14. Since then, she has been living in Merida, Yucatan. She is a mother of 3 children, and her mission in life is to raise her children the best that she can with a wonderful childhood and the best education provided. She possesses two native languages, English and Spanish since she has Mexican parents. She is always looking to improve her life and work quality and she’s never afraid of taking risks!
Yisel Mengelle
Program Advisor
Yisel Mengelle
Program Advisor
Born and raised in Merida, Yucatan, Yisel is passionate about science and has a degree in Biotechnology engineering from the Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan. When she started college, she began to give tutoring classes to elementary and middle school students, she loves working with them! She also has a passion for different cultures and places, which is why she is very interested in languages, such as Japanese and Korean. She had the chance to participate with students from USA in programs and events in her home university, and that marked her heart making her want to continue meeting people from all around the world. Yisel also enjoys traveling, which has led her to visit various states of Mexico, always carrying a camera with her to capture each landscape. During her free time, she's always making art and crafts while listening to music, mostly k-pop!
Mateo Becerra
Program Advisor
Mateo Becerra
Program Advisor
Mateo was born in Yucatan, Mexico but was raised in Los Angeles, CA. He grew up on music and art and had the amazing chance to travel around the US. Back in Mexico he worked as an English teacher for six years and had the chance to teach abroad as well. Mateo loves to share experiences with people and learn from everyone around him. His favorite quote is "lead the students by your example, it works".
Iriz Delgadillo
Senior Outreach Support
Iriz Delgadillo
Senior Outreach Support
Iriz was born and raised in Mexico City. Her love for culture, history, and language started ever since she was little, while listening to her grandmother’s stories about her travels abroad, the way she explored archeological places and all the wonders she discovered all around the world. While growing up, her parents took her and her brother in endless road trips to several places around México, getting to know every little town on the road, archeological places, museums, people, customs and more. She loves learning languages and looks forward to traveling abroad, meeting new places and cultures, and share that passion with everyone else. On her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music and writing.
Cristina Mayagoitia
Outreach Support
Cristina Mayagoitia
Outreach Support
Born and raised in Merida, Yucatan, Cristina grew up with an innate passion for nature and the ocean, so she decided to study Marine Biology. Although she started giving English classes to nursery students when she was in her first year of college, she then had the opportunity to teach English to elementary, junior high and high school students. She lived for a short time in Scotland and visited some European countries. Cristina enjoys field trips, the beach, riding her bicycle, reading, cooking and food in general!
Alumni Relations
Shelly Alfaro
Associate Director, Alumni Relations
Shelly Alfaro
Associate Director, Alumni Relations
A Houston native, Shelly had the privilege of first traveling out of the States to visit her family in Mexico at a very young age. Growing up in an immigrant household sparked her curiosity for learning about different cultures and systems. She was the first in her family to go to college and received her bachelor's degree in International Relations from Texas State University in 2015. During her undergraduate career, Shelly had the opportunity to study abroad with ISA for a semester in Paris, France where she learned the value and complexity of holding both Mexican and American identities and how these are perceived in different parts of the world and by others. Eager to share more about her adventures in France, she participated in the ISA Global Ambassador program and served as a Texas State University Study Abroad Peer Advisor before graduation.
Service-Learning
Kristine Barer
Director, Service-Learning
Kristine Barer
Director, Service-Learning
Hailing from San Jose, CA and eager to explore the world, Kristine studied abroad in Durham, England and Lund, Sweden before graduating from Santa Clara University in 2006 with a B.A. in Communication. Prior to joining ISA in 2011, Kristine lived and worked in Australia and South Korea. In 2014, she earned her M.B.A. at St. Edward's University with an emphasis in Global Entrepreneurship. As a veteran of the service-learning department, Kristine is excited by the growth of experiential program offerings and models. Observing student progress and development from connections made with host communities abroad is what keeps her ticking. Kristine has traveled to over 35 countries and hopes to travel to at least 35 more.
Jennifer Yakubek
Placement Coordinator, Service Learning
Jennifer Yakubek
Placement Coordinator, Service Learning
Jennifer grew up in North Texas and graduated from New York University with a major in Science, Technology, and Society and a minor in Biomolecular Science. In her free time, she loves finding new recipes to cook (or places to eat) from all over the world, learning new piano pieces, and playing with her dog!
From when she first visited Shanghai as a child to when she had the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Cambridge in high school through Worldstrides, she has loved traveling from a young age and hopes to do so more in the future.
In addition to her own study abroad experience, Jennifer assisted as an on-site program staff member at one of Worldstrides’ programs at Barnard College. Now she’s excited to help students navigate through their service-learning experiences!
Internships
Xena Pulliam
Director, Internships
Xena Pulliam
Director, Internships
Taylor Green
Program Manager, Internships
Taylor Green
Program Manager, Internships
Veritas Christian Study Abroad
Aley Bedair
Director, Veritas Christian Study Abroad
Aley Bedair
Director, Veritas Christian Study Abroad
Born and raised a native Texan, Aley developed a love for travel at a young age. Graduating from Texas A&M University with a degree in International Studies: Spanish Arts and Culture, Aley had the amazing opportunity to study abroad with ISA-Veritas in Cusco, Peru for the Summer of 2016. Aley spent her mornings taking classes, and the afternoons doing mission work at an after-school program for young children. Her time in Cusco really deepened Aley's passion for culture and experiential learning. Aley loves Broadway musicals, whether seeing one live, or singing along in her car. She also has a deep love for alpacas, and thinks them to be one of world’s greatest creatures. Aley is excited to share her love of study abroad and missions as part of the ISA-Veritas!
Administrative Staff
Brooke Putney
Administrative Assistant
Brooke Putney
Administrative Assistant
Brooke is a recent graduate from The University of Texas, where she majored in English with a minor in Sociology. While she spent most of her life growing up in Virginia, she has proudly called Austin home for the last five years and plans to spend many more soaking up the Texas sun, eating breakfast tacos and taking dips in Barton Springs. In her free time, she loves trying new restaurants with friends, spending time on the water, walking town lake with her two pups and snuggling up with a good book. A few summers back, Brooke left the country for the first time to explore several cities in Italy with two high school friends and hasn’t stopped craving new experiences in new environments since. Big Sur is next on her domestic list while Ireland, Spain and Thailand reside on the top of her international one.
