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Arrival in a New Country, New Culture, and New Lifestyle
This post comes to us from Anna Martin from the University of Denver. Anna is an International Studies & Spanish Major currently studying in Cadiz, Spain. The first two weeks of intensive Spanish class here in Cadiz are complete, and to celebrate, we are heading to the beach! My time in Spain has been a whirlwind, [...]
The post Arrival in a New Country, New Culture, and New Lifestyle appeared first on The API Abroad Blog.
Academic Programs International Staff Directory
Board of Directors
Hometown: Austin, TX
Study abroad experience: Salamanca, Spain
Favorite travel location: Cuba
Education: Bachelor’s in Communications with an International focus from the University of Texas at Austin, Diploma in Hispanic Studies, Master’s in Spanish Language & Culture from the University of Salamanca.
Fun fact: Jennifer would love to learn how to salsa dance.
Hometown: Austin, TX
Study abroad experience: Madrid, Spain
Favorite travel location: Innsbruck during Christmas.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Montclair State University, Master’s degree in Liberal Studies from Boston University and Ph.D. in Intercultural Communications from University of Texas.
Fun fact: Sharon once had James Michener and his wife as surprise dinner guests at her house!
Hometown: Brookline, MA
Study abroad experience: Madrid, Spain
Favorite travel location: Too many to name, but a big piece of Julie’s heart is in Spain!
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature from Hamilton College, Master’s degree in Spanish from Middlebury College
Fun fact: Julie once had a 100 pound Great Pyrnees/Golden Retriever that thought she was a lap dog!
Hometown: Temple, TX
Study abroad experience: Rotary student in Belgium; College student in Lyon, France
Favorite travel location: Brittany loves every place she has been, as each one is different and special. If she had to pick one, it would be Paris.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in International Studies/Economics and French from Austin College.
Fun fact: Brittany has a heart for orphans. She and her family hope to add more children to their family from other countries within the next few years! She also loves to knit – her family has an over-abundance of scarves!
Health and Safety
Hometown: Austin, Texas
International Experience: Mr. Reyes has an international law practice and for several years now he has traveled frequently to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Favorite Travel Location: Barcelona, Spain
Education: Undergraduate Degree from the University of Texas; Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas School of Law
Fun fact: From 2001 to 2011 he held senior positions in the government including several years at the United States Department of Justice and the White House.
Student Services
Hometown: Austin, TX
International travel experience: Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, and Mexico.
Favorite Travel Location: Athens, Greece.
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Economics (To be completed in December 2017)
Fun Fact: Monica is Mexican and Salvadorian, yet she has not been to El Salvador.
Hometown: Austin, TX
Study abroad experience: Granada, Spain (with API!)
Favorite travel location: Paris, France
Education: Bachelor’s degree in International Studies with minors in Spanish & Business from Texas A&M University.
Fun fact: Paige has a passion for tap dance!
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Study abroad experience: Faculty-led month in Egypt; Angers, France; Paris, France
Favorite travel location: Dublin, Ireland; Prague, Czech Republic
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies with a regional track in Europe from St. Edward’s University
Fun fact: After completing her final semester at St. Edward’s University studying abroad in Angers, France, Rebecca stayed in Paris for as long as she could get away with! She spent her time studying French and had the opportunity to visit 9 different countries. She hopes there will be many more travels in the future!
Hometown: Austin, TX
Study abroad experience: Granada (with API!) and a faculty-led trip to Berlin
Favorite travel location: Lagos, Portugal
Education: Bachelor’s in International Studies from Texas A&M University
Fun fact: Lauren collects coins from around the world. So far, she has collected coins from over 20 countries.
Hometown: Shelby Township, Michigan
Study abroad experience: Quito, Ecuador
Favorite travel location: Courtney enjoys traveling most when she can stay long enough to truly get to know local people and adopt new habits.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Economics & Spanish from Kalamazoo College, Master’s degree in International Development Studies from The George Washington University.
Fun fact: Courtney has visited Malaysia, Ethiopia and Cuba, but she’s never been to the UK. Not even for a layover!
Hometown: Silver Spring, Maryland
Study Abroad Experience: None formally but Juliana was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala in Tierra Blanca Totonicapan and Chiche, Quiche.
Favorite Travel Location: Undetermined as there are still so many places to explore but things that pull Juliana’s heartstrings are: level of community, food, flora, fauna and music!
Education: Tufts University B.A. Child Development and Community Health (undergraduate) and Master of Science in Social Work University of Texas at Austin (MSSW): Community Administration and Leadership, Nonprofit Studies Portfolio (both graduate school)
Fun Fact: Juliana has a multicultural (Central America/US/China Shar Pei breed) that she brought back from Guatemala!
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Study abroad experience: Dijon, France
Favorite travel location: The Rodin museum and gardens in Paris, France.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in English from Wake Forest University.
Fun fact: Carolyn’s first trip abroad was when she was five – she went with her family to Australia with a stop-over in Tahiti. Carolyn most vividly remembers the sharks in Tahiti and koala bears in Australia.
Hometown: Plano, TX
Study Abroad Experience: Maastricht, The Netherlands. I also completed my master’s degree as an international student in Leeds, England.
Favorite Travel Location: My favorite cities are Istanbul and London, but my favorite vacations are to the mountains or a remote beach.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and International Studies from Baylor University. Master’s degree in International Communication from the University of Leeds.
Fun fact: One of Meghan’s life goals is to travel through all 7 continents and all 50 U.S. states.
Study abroad experience: Salamanca, Spain (with API)
Favorite travel location: Salamanca, Granada, or Béjar (home of the Moss Men)
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Language and World Business with a concentration in Spanish from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Fun fact: Rachel is an expert baker. Her specialty is caramel-apple pie with pecan crumble topping. She prefers to bake while listening to metal!
Hometown: West Lafayette, IN
Study Abroad Experience: Aix-en-Provence, France
Favorite Travel Location: Lisbon, Portugal and Quebec City, Canada
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and French from Grove City College
Fun Fact: Kelsey and her family hosted international students and others from Germany, South Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, and France while she was growing up. She had the opportunity to visit two of them in their hometowns — one in Germany, and the other in France!
Hometown: Austin, TX
Study Abroad/International Experience: Angers, France
Favorite Travel Location(s): Paris, France; Lucerne, Switzerland; Berlin, Germany and Rome, Italy
Education: Bachelor’s in Global Studies with a concentration in European Studies from St. Edward’s University, Master’s in International Studies from Texas State University
Fun Fact: Jennibeth loves yoga and watching foreign films!
Hometown: Hawley, PA
Study Abroad Experience: Spent a month in Havana, Cuba (with API!!), a semester in Valparaiso, Chile, and 3 weeks in Heredia, Costa Rica
Favorite Travel Location: Havana, Cuba, Monteverde, Costa Rica, and San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies and Public Policy from Vanderbilt University
Fun fact: Hannah loves dogs as much as she loves to travel
Hometown: Sugar Land, Texas
Study abroad / international experience: Belize, El Salvador, Mexico
Favorite travel location: Pensacola, Florida.
Education: Associates of Business Administration (Bachelors will be completed spring 2018).
Fun fact: Paigge loves Naija music!
Administrative and Special Projects
Hometown: Houston, TX
Study abroad experience: London, England; Madrid, Spain
Favorite travel location: Mt. Desert Island, Maine…. or New Zealand or anywhere in southern Germany, Austria, and Northern Italy!
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Houston
Fun Fact: Before moving to Austin, Jean-Marie lived in Munich for 2 years with her husband and 2 sons.
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA & Medford, New Jersey
Study abroad experience: Paris, France; Seville, Spain; Salamanca, Spain
Favorite travel location: Istanbul, Turkey; Paris, France; Barcelona, Spain; Venice, Italy; Lisbon, Portugal
Education: Bachelor’s degree in French and Spanish, Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics
Fun fact: Vija is a visual artist!
Hometown: Austin, TX
Study abroad experience: Bangor, Wales, UK; Bologna, Italy; Granada, Spain
Favorite travel location: Holly had an amazing experience couch-surfing around Switzerland – Geneva, Bern, Lucerne, and Zurich to be exact. One of her couch surfing hosts even threw an authentic fondue party with about 20 other couch-surfing hosts and their guests!
Education: Bachelor’s degrees in Italian and Spanish from Bangor University, Wales.
Fun fact: Holly has been an extra in about 12 films/TV movie/TV shows. The highlight of these experiences was meeting Gael Garcia Bernal on a set a few years ago!
Financial Services
Hometown: Originally born in Seoul, Korea, grew up in Glendale, CA; lived in various cities around Los Angeles, now in Austin, TX!
Study abroad experience: None, per say, but see above!
Favorite travel location: All of the islands of Hawaii: Oahu, Maui, Kaui, the Big Island; Montreal, Canada; New York, NY
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business
Fun fact: Aimee likes to create art! Drawing, painting, photography, or jewelry to name a few specific crafts.
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Study abroad experience: Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Favorite travel location: Throughout towns & villages in Mexico.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Master’s degree in Taxation from Texas A&M University.
Fun fact: Jill and her husband both are identical twins.
Hometown: Santa Barbara, CA
Study abroad experience: Sophie didn’t study abroad in college, but lived in Australia for a year and traveled Southeast Asia for 4 months.
Favorite travel location: Vietnam because the people, coffee, scenery and pho were amazing!
Education: Sociology at CU Boulder
Fun fact: Sophie will put hot sauce on almost anything!
Hometown: Shreveport, Louisiana and Washington, DC
Study Abroad Experience: None, but Peggy hopes her son, who is majoring in German, will study abroad in Berlin with API.
Favorite Travel: Cuba and Italy
Education: Bachelor of Science in Social Work from TCU and Masters of Science in Social Work from Temple University
Fun Fact: Peggy loves to give house concerts to promote musicians and to benefit CASA of Travis County, an advocacy program for abused and neglected children.
Hometown: Miami, FL
Study Abroad Experience: Madrid
Favorite Travel Location: Western North Carolina – the most peaceful place on Earth
Education: BA in English with a Spanish minor from Rollins College, and a Masters in Secondary School Counseling from Kutztown University
Fun Fact: Morgen went on a 2 week bicycle trip around Europe when she was in high school, starting in Luxembourg and ending in the Swiss Alps.
Hometown: Pratt, KS – However, Andrea has spent almost half of her life in Texas!
Study Abroad Experience: Andrea had two short-term experiences in Quito, Ecuador and Cuernavaca, Mexico and also worked in Madrid, Spain for an academic year as an English Assistant.
Favorite Travel Location: Andrea had an amazing Christmas experience in Salzburg, Austria complete with Christmas markets, a sleigh ride, and of course a Sound of Music tour. However, Spain and Portugal are still her top favorite countries so far.
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and Education with a minor in English from East Texas Baptist University.
Fun Fact: Andrea is a big fan of contra dancing!
Hometown: Houston, TX
Study Abroad: None, but lived abroad in Germany 2 different times in my life.
Favorite Travel Location: Cassis, France
Education: BBA in Marketing from UT Austin
Fun Fact: Shirley is a self-proclaimed “crazy volunteer-Mom”! Her favorite volunteer activity is working as a docent at the Blanton Museum of Art.
Hometown:Corpus Christi, TX
Study Abroad Experience:Julia has traveled through Europe with her family.
Favorite travel location: Scotland
Education:Fashion Merchandising from Texas State University
Fun fact: Julia has been a volunteer chaperone for high school band trips and is learning and working with aquaponics.
Customized Programs
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Study abroad experience: summer faculty-led program in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Caitlin also lived almost 4 years in Argentina to complete her Master’s degree.
Favorite travel location: Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina
Education: B.A., International Affairs and Spanish, James Madison University; M.A., Development Management and Policy, Georgetown University & la Universidad de General San Martin
Fun fact: Caitlin enjoys road cycling, cooking homemade pasta, and wine tasting.
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Study abroad experience: In high school, Tracy spent a summer studying Spanish in Madrid, Spain. During college, Tracy took a semester of of school to enroll in a TEFL certification program based in Prague, Czech Republic. Upon completion of the program, Tracy stayed in Prague for a few months teaching English to both children and adults.
Favorite travel location: She has two! South Africa and New Zealand.
Education: BA in Applied Learning and Development with Elementary and Special Education Certification from the University of Texas at Austin
Fun fact: Tracy loves the USPS and sends at least one snail mail letter a week!
Hometown: Austin / San Antonio, Texas
Study Abroad Experience: Celeste didn’t study abroad in college, but taught English for 2½ years in Madrid, Spain. During this time she was able to absorb the Spanish culture and travel extensively throughout Europe!
Education: Bachelors Degree in Communication from St. Edward’s University
Favorite Travel Location: There are far too many to list but Italy, Greece and Morocco would be the top contenders.
Fun Fact: Celeste enjoys dancing flamenco as a hobby and often reminisces about the day she met and enjoyed a conversation with Anthony Bourdain.
Hometown:Dallas/Austin, Texas
Study abroad experience: Sevilla, Spain and Salamanca, Spain
Favorite travel location: That is a hard question… but I would have to say Rome, Italy or the West coast of Ireland.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin. Master’s in Spanish Language & Culture from the University of Salamanca.
Fun fact: Courtney’s favorite 80s bands are Duran Duran and the Thompson Twins.
Hometown: Austin, TX
Study abroad experience: Kristin studied abroad for a year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She also worked on location as a Program Coordinator for an argentine study abroad company in Buenos Aires.
Favorite travel location: Trindade, RJ, Brazil.
Education: BA in Spanish and Philosophy from Southwestern University.
Fun fact: Kristin was the songwriter/vocalist for an Argentine musical duet called “Los Cohetes”.
Hometown: Fairfield, IL
Study abroad experience: As a student, Sarah participated in a faculty-led study abroad program to London, Brussels, and Trier. As faculty, she taught in Florence.
Favorite travel location: Casa Guidi, the apartment where poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning lived in Florence.
Education: BA and MA in English from Texas State University; PhD in English Literature TCU.
Fun fact: Sarah once traveled to Istanbul to see a concert (Ane Brun!)
Hometown: Green Brook, NJ
Study abroad experience: Paris with API, summer faculty-led program in Istanbul/Berlin
Favorite travel location:Berlin, Germany
Education: French and Int’l Affairs from Northeastern
Fun fact: Amy went to boarding school to study ballet and has danced at Lincoln Center twice.
Institutional Relations and Outreach
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio and Wilmington, North Carolina
Study abroad experience: Tours, France and Salzburg, Austria
Favorite travel location: Collioure, France
Education: French and German (undergraduate), International Administration (Masters)
Fun fact: Liz loves to cook, loves to dance, and loves to watch vintage movies, not all at the same time.
Hometown: Millstone Township, New Jersey
Study abroad experience: A year in Madrid, Spain (with API!); a year teaching English in Barranquilla, Colombia (…with API again!); and a year as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Maceió, Brazil
Favorite travel location: My heart could never decide between Spain, Colombia, and Brazil, but Lençóis Maranhenses National Park and Fernando de Noronha—both in Brazil—are indescribable.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Communication/Public Relations and Spanish from Marist College
Fun fact: Kerianne tries to send herself (and her parents!) postcards from where she travels. She literally can’t travel without a journal, or several. Journaling every day is the goal!
Hometown: Seneca, South Carolina
Study abroad experience: Madrid, Spain & Paris, France
Favorite travel location: Machu Picchu, Peru
Education: Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Michigan State University, Master’s degree in Higher Education and Counseling fr0m Clemson University
Fun fact: Jeff worked for the Tour de France in 1991-1992.
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Study abroad experience: Studied in Florence, Italy (with API) and volunteered in Reynosa, Mexico building houses for a local neighborhood
Favorite travel location: Cinque Terre, Italy and Seville, Spain
Education: Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Saint Anselm College
Fun fact: Jenny was a Division II student-athlete and played 4 years of volleyball while in college!
Hometown: North Grafton, Massachusetts
Study abroad experience: Martha has been on many site visits!
Favorite travel location: Italy and Ireland
Education: Bachelor’s degree in English
Fun fact: Martha has 6 children and 15 grandchildren!
Hometown: Center City, MN
Study abroad experience: Tokyo, Japan
Favorite travel location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Communications from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Fun fact: Ryan used to be a competitive barefoot waterskier, has a definite nerdy side, and loves dessert.
Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia/Vienna Austria/Virginia/Austin, TX
Study abroad experience: Although Christie did not have an official study abroad experience, she has lived in Colombia, Burma, Hong Kong, and Austria.
Favorite travel location: Salzburg, Austria
Education: Bachelor’s degree in German from the University of Texas at Austin.
Fun fact: Christie ran her first marathon on a whim, signing up three days prior. Before the marathon, she had never ran more than 9 miles!
Hometown: Houston, TX
Study abroad experience: Grenoble, France (with API!)
Favorite travel location: Chelsea’s favorite travel spot is a tiny bed & breakfast on the outskirts of Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. Heaven on earth!
Education: Bachelor’s degree in English and French from the University of Texas at Austin; MFA in Creative Writing from Chatham University
Fun fact: Chelsea has attended every Harry Potter midnight release (book & film).
Hometown: Onalaska, WI
Study Abroad Experience: Seville, Spain
Favorite Travel Location: Mexico and anywhere that I have never been!
Education: BA in Spanish and MS in College Student Development and Administration from the University of WI-La Crosse
Fun Fact: Jason was a flight attendant for 3 years and spent at least 2 days every week in Mexico. He is also full of useless facts about the state of Wisconsin, and would challenge anyone to a Golden Girls trivia contest.
Hometown: Brookline, MA
Study abroad experience: Madrid, Spain
Favorite travel location: Too many to name, but a big piece of Julie’s heart is in Spain!
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature from Hamilton College, Master’s degree in Spanish from Middlebury College
Fun fact: Julie once had a 100 pound Great Pyrnees/Golden Retriever that thought she was a lap dog!
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Study abroad experience: Leiann studied abroad with API in Rome, Italy.
Favorite travel location: There are so many places I have yet to explore – ask me again in 30 years!
Education: B.A. in Intercultural Communication and minor in Business from Washington State University
Fun fact: Leiann tries to collect rings from every place she travels to!
Hometown: Guilderland, New York
Study abroad experience: academic year in Florence, Italy and semester in Taormina, Sicily
Favorite travel location: Anywhere in Italy!!!
Education: Bachelors degree in English with a concentration in writing and minors in Italian, psychology, and global studies from Marist College
Fun fact: Emily loves fashion and relaxing in her hot tub!
Hometown: Carver, MN
Studied Abroad: Seville, Spain (with API!)
Favorite travel locations: Vienna, Austria & Portugal
Education: Marketing with Spanish and Organizational and Profession Communication minors from University of Wisconsin- La Crosse
Fun Fact: Hannah collects postcards from everywhere she travels. She also loves it when people send her postcards!
Hometown: St. Augustine, Florida
Study abroad experience: Havana, Cuba; Paris, France
Favorite travel location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies, Ph.D. in Latin American Literature
Fun fact: Joan enjoys spending time with her Jack Russell Terrier, Estela.
Hometown: Atlanta GA
Study Abroad Experience: Salamanca and Semester at Sea
Favorite Travel Location: Vietnam
Education: Communications major at Clemson University
Fun fact: Bridget makes soap in her spare time!
Hometown: Springfield, MA
Study abroad experience: Summer in Corrientes, Argentina; semester in Cuernavaca, Mexico; year in Granada Spain (with API!).
Favorite travel location: Jerusalem, Israel
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Fun fact: Ilene loves to sing karaoke!
Hometown: Victoria, TX
Study abroad experience: Au pair – Biarritz, France; ESL instructor – Pusan, South Korea
Favorite travel location:Anywhere in France
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Journalism (Texas State University), M.A. in Foreign Language Education (U.T.-Austin)
Fun fact: Julie learned backstop weaving in Guatemala, cooking in France, and surfing in Costa Rica and can’t wait for her next international learning experience!
Hometown: Mineral Point, WI (now based in Boston, MA)
Study abroad experience: Oaxaca, Mexico and Madrid, Spain
Favorite travel location: Cuba and Buenos Aires, Argentina
Education: Bachelor’s in English and Spanish (double major) from University of Wisconsin, Madison, Master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Fun fact: Amy was valedictorian of her high school class
Marketing
Hometown: Austin, TX
Study abroad experience: Salamanca, Spain (with API!)
Favorite travel location: Mt. Huangshan
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Texas State University, San Marcos.
Fun fact: Mark has never told a lie.
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
International experience: Jeramy has visited many of API’s locations during site familiarization and program development trips, including Barcelona (Spain), Berlin (Germany), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary), Doha (Qatar), Dublin (Ireland), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Galway (Ireland), Florence (Italy), Grenoble (France), Krakow (Poland), Leeds (England), Lisbon (Portugal), London (England), Rome (Italy), Reykjavik (Iceland), Sharjah (UAE), and Tuscania (Italy).
Favorite travel location: Dubrovnik, Croatia, Dubai, UAE, Reykjavik, Iceland
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Advertising from the University of Texas at Austin, Master’s degree in Media & Public Affairs from The George Washington University
Fun fact: Jeramy once served as Tim Duncan’s bodyguard (well, sort of…)
Hometown: Longmeadow, Massachusetts
Study abroad experience: Rome, Italy (with API!)
Favorite travel location: I probably haven’t visited my all time favorite yet, but for now it’s definitely Sorrento, Italy.
Education: Bachelor’s in Graphic Design and Digital Media from Champlain College
Fun fact: Alyssa loves all things children’s literature and likes to collect children’s books from or about the places she travels to.
Hometown: Maple Grove, MN
Study abroad experience: Stirling, Scotland (with API) and Quimper, France.
Favorite travel location: Lisbon, Portugal and Lucern, Switzerland
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies with minors in Management and French from Luther College
Fun fact: Rachel is working to become fluent in French!
Hometown: Houston, TX; Paris, France; Los Angeles, CA
Study abroad experience: Although Marc did not study abroad, he did spend six months working abroad on the Disneyland Paris Work Exchange Program.
Favorite travel location: Marc’s favorite travel experiences include: Living and working in Paris, France; hang gliding in Rio de Janiero, Brazil; sky diving in Kauai, Hawaii; surfing in Santander, Spain; diving in the great barrier reef, Australia
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Creative Advertising from the University of Texas at Austin.
Fun fact: Marc walked down the red carpet of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie premiere with fans yelling out “I love you Marc!” only to find out those kind words were meant for Mark Hoppus of the band Blink 182 who was walking behind him.
Information Technology
Hometown: Monterrey, Nuevo Léon, México
Favorite travel location: Colonial towns of Mexico, Donostia
Education: Ingeniería en sistemas de información, Universidad Regiomontana, A.C.
Fun fact: Fernando is a great cook, likes to experiment with new grill recipes, and has a vast knowledge of different beer varieties.
Hometown: Cienfuegos, Cuba
Favorite travel location: Cuba
Education: Ingeniería Informática, Universidad de Cienfuegos, Cuba
Fun fact: Omar is a great Cuban coffee maker.
Experiential Programs
Hometown: Malvern, Pennsylvania
Study abroad experience: Granada, Spain (with API!)
Favorite travel location: Tuscany
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies & Spanish from Grove City College.
Fun fact: Brittany tends to carry her water bottle closer to her than her cell phone!
Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Study Abroad Experience: Annecy, France; Bordeaux, France; Medellin/Manizales/Monteria/Bogota, Colombia
Favorite Travel Location: Amazon Rainforest, Leticia; Guatape, Colombia; Anywhere where there are rolling hills or mountains.
Education: BA in French and World Geography from Eastern Michigan University; MA in International Education from SIT Graduate Institute
Fun Fact: I used to teach weekly French lessons to a group of 84 to 92-year-olds in a retirement home. The best part about it was seeing their progress!
Hometown: Hopkins, South Carolina
Study abroad experience: 厦门市（Xiamen, Fujian Province, China) for one summer to study mathematics and Bangkok, Thailand for one summer to attend an ethnographic field school
Favorite travel location: She is torn between Sorrento, Italy and Chiang Mai, Thailand
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology with a minor in Asian Studies from the College of Charleston
Fun fact: Octavia is very passionate about continuing her studies in Mandarin Chinese, as the university she attended had a growing Chinese
Studies department with limited opportunities for advanced language study. She hopes to one day live and work abroad in China for an extended period of time.
Hometown: Hobart, Indiana
Study abroad experience: A year abroad at Justus Liebig Universitt in Giessen, Germany.
Favorite travel location: Barbara’s top travel experiences have been in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Japan.
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in German and Geography (Travel and Tourism) from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.
Fun fact: Barbara has traveled to over 25 countries so far and hopes to keep adding the list each year!
Regional Directors
Hometown: Buenos Aires
International experience: Ten years living in the U.S. – Five teaching Spanish at Yale and five working at American University in Washington DC.
Favorite travel location: Wherever I go with my family, but if I have to choose it would be the south of Italy, or Patagonia.
Education: Licenciada en Sociología – University of Buenos Aires (UBA)
Fun fact: Carmen collects trinkets from around the world (they have to be given as a gift though!). She already has objects from 138 countries and two continents!
Inmaculada (Inma) Borrego Ledesma serves as the Regional Director for Spain and France, as well as the Resident Director of the Academic Programs International programs in Salamanca. Inma is a native of Spain. She holds degrees from the University of Salamanca in both English and Spanish Philology and she went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Teaching Spanish as a Second Language at the same University. She published her master’s thesis focused on the topic of Learning Spanish. She worked as a teacher of Spanish Language in the International Courses of the University of Salamanca and in the University of Stockholm, where she lived for two years. Inma was also a former Erasmus scholar in England. Since she has lived in many different countries, she understands our students’ needs very well and she helps them to overcome any difficulty that may arise. She has developed a great ability to closely connect with American study abroad students.
Hometown: Marie was born in the north of Provence but never lived there; she mostly grew up in Paris.
International Experience: Marie did some language exchange while in high school in England, Ireland and New-York City. She lived for 3 years in Montreal, Canada, where she studied communications at the Université de Montreal. She also has traveled throughout the U.S., Canada, and other parts of the Americas.
Favorite Travel Location: Marie’s can’t narrow down just one, but has several items on her bucket list, including: seeing an Iceberg… spending a night in the wild Amazonian forest… hiking in the desert… or just rest in a country house on the French Brittany seashore!
Education: Bachelor’s degree in French History from the Sorbonne in Paris
Fun Fact: When she is retired Marie wants to buy a mobile home and visit all the students that she’s met all around the US and south American countries!
Federica, Resident Director in Florence, began working with the API Florence Program in 2002. She grew up in Terracina, south of Rome, and studied in Florence, where she graduated with a degree in Tourism. Federica’s hobbies include travel, music, cinema, and interior design.
Hometown: Vélez-Rubio, a small and beautiful town in Almería (province of Andalucía, Spain)
International experience: Pilar studied abroad in Bournemouth, London and Newcastle (England) while in college. She spent 3 wonderful and key years in Albuquerque, NM (USA).
Favorite Travel location: it changes as life does. Could not settle for one.
Education: BA in English Philology (University of Granada, Spain); MA in Spanish Literature and TESOL (University of New Mexico)
Fun Fact: Pilar wears fun ties and colorful socks. Her favorite tie is one with many white sheep and one black one.
Hometown: None really. Mona grew up in seven different towns in Oklahoma — Sooner born and Sooner bread!
International Experience: Mona lived abroad 7 years with the Peace Corps in Gabon, Burundi and Togo.
Favorite Travel Location: Colorado River, three weeks through 225 miles of the Grand Canyon. Mona has done this once in a lifetime rafting adventure twice!
Education: B.S. Political Science, Oklahoma City University and M.A. International Administration, SIT
Fun Fact: Mona loves playing her electric guitar and drum kit.
Hometown: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Study abroad experience: 6 months in Merida, Mexico and 6 months in Lisbon, Portugal. Also 4 months working in San Diego and 1 year working in Santiago, Chile.
Favorite travel location: Too many to list, but Machu Picchu and Ancient Mayan sites are up there in the top choices.
Education: University of Bristol – BA Hons Hispanic Studies with Disctinction in Spanish Language
Fun fact: I have always been obsessed with Spain and Latin American and as a child I used to wear a flamenco dress and black wig and pretend I didn’t speak English!