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[Video Interview] Cassie DePecol, Fastest (AND 1st!) Woman to Visit Every Country

Cassie DePecol: 1st & Fastest Woman to Visit All Countries on Earth

Samir Jaafar

Get to know the people behind Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad! Check out this GoAbroad Staff Interview with Samir Jaafar.

Samir Jaafar | Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad

Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad Staff Interview with Samir Jaafar

<h3>What inspired you to work for <a href=https://www.goabroad.com/providers/middlebury-c-v-starr rel="" target="_self" class="link">Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad</a>?</h3>
<p>Middlebury's vision for creating an inclusive top-tier educational program in Puerto Rico where all qualified students from US Colleges and Universities could travel to and learn about Puerto Rican culture and history, in a new environment and context, while improving their Spanish language skills through experiential and placed-based learning opportunities, internships, and via direct-enrollment in regular courses at the top universities of the Puerto Rican archipelago: Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, and Universidad de Puerto Rico in Mayagüez.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I was also inspired by Middlebury's commitment to language immersion and learning, as well as its focus on environmental and intercultural education.</p>
<div class="awesome-image right-aligned " ><img src="https://images.goabroad.com/image/upload/v1783576021/images2/interviews/A5al1ikanRG40WD2T0V2yUd3nu6k1w7KdZFsKtXV.jpg" alt="Woman smiles near driftwood under Puerto Rican flag."><div class="caption"><p>PR flag at beach</p></div></div>
<h3>What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?</h3>
<p>As a college student myself, I studied abroad for a semester in Salamanca, Spain. If I could, I would tell my pre-travel self that traveling abroad would be one of the most enriching and empowering experiences of her life.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I would also tell her to make friends with local students and volunteer or do an internship at a local Spanish organization so as to learn more about the day-to-day life and concerns of students and working people at the host city and university.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This, in addition to coursework, will greatly enhance their experience so that they may take full advantage of their time abroad and delve more deeply into what it means to live (not only study) in a different country. Traveling within the country, if possible, is also a must.</p>
<h3>Describe a typical day at work.</h3>
<p>My typical day at work includes many hours in contact with diverse university administrators, both local and from Middlebury, either in person or virtually, to ensure our current and future students have the best and most enriching educational experience available to them in Puerto Rico.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Daily tasks may include having lunch or coffee with a student, planning our next group excursion, chatting with an internship supervisor, or making sure our incoming students are well prepared for their future semester away.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Why do you do what you do?</h3>
<p>I do what I do because I love teaching and find joy and purpose in seeing students grow, learn, and take on exciting new challenges. I also love teaching others about Puerto Rico and having them learn and connect with the island's rich and diverse culture and history.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I'm so fortunate to be able to do this while living in Puerto Rico, and to have the support of wonderful coworkers and collaborators both in the US and inside the archipelago.</p>
<h3>What is your favorite part of your job?</h3>
<div class="awesome-image left-aligned " ><img src="https://images.goabroad.com/image/upload/v1783576022/images2/interviews/jkteqHETOOskVBsvigRA46rLLFVlOuVIO359Hwvv.jpg" alt="a woman taking a selfie with a black and white furred dog"><div class="caption"><p>With Wiski <3.</p></div></div>
<p>Exposing students to new experiences and opportunities. Supporting them as they choose their courses at their host universities, seeing them connect with locals and improve their Spanish language skills, and enjoying all the archipelago has to offer.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>How do you use your education and international background in your current role?</h3>
<p>My background and education have been pivotal in helping me navigate all that my current role demands. Being a native of Puerto Rico and growing up in Mayagüez (one of our host cities) gives me invaluable insight into Puerto Rico's life, history, language, and culture.&nbsp;</p>
<p>On the other hand, my experience as an undergraduate and graduate student in the US, at both Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, helps me understand our incoming students' universities' cultures and demands, academically, professionally, and emotionally.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Being a professor of Spanish, Literature, Cultural, and Gender Studies, for over 15 years, and Coordinator of the Minor in Women and Gender Studies for 4 years, at University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras (also one of our host universitites) provided me with the academic and administrative experience needed to be the first director of Middlebury's School in Puerto Rico and informs my academic and administrative work.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Finally, I believe my background in Psychology has also given me the necessary tools to engage with the different challenges a student nowadays faces, particularly when faced with a new context and with new challenges.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Why should someone choose Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad over competitors?</h3>
<p>Being a small program, all students get to receive one-to-one attention and support directly from me as director, from prior to arrival until their final day at the School, while internship opportunities are also specifically tailored to the student's needs and interests.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Students also get to learn from and enjoy the different excursions Middlebury designs for them during their time in Puerto Rico and benefit from Middlebury's Language Pledge, where all students are expected to speak in Spanish throughout the entire time away/abroad.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In addition to the four courses students must enroll at their host university (or three and a Middlebury-coordinated internship for credit), they are also enrolled in a .5 unit Middlebury course on Writing for Linguistic and Cultural Competency.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>What is Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?</h3>
<div class="awesome-image right-aligned " ><img src="https://images.goabroad.com/image/upload/v1783576023/images2/interviews/5WGIFrgQ0ndqDnUMLTG2upBi6RVjc0eWYlkbDFoC.jpg" alt="A person is photographing a tree in an orchard"><div class="caption"><p>At my first Apple Orchard visit, Vermont 2025.</p></div></div>
<p>Middlebury's C.V. Starr Schools Abroad mission reads: "Through guided independence, our students engage with their host society on a number of different levels, advance their academic and personal interests, and attain enhanced language proficiency, a solid grasp of the cultural, social, political, and historical conditions of their host country, and a deeper understanding of themselves and the world."&nbsp;</p>
<p>As part of our program, we incorporate all of these ideals and following intercultural goals, and provide students with the structural, academic and emotional support needed to achieve them. At MSiPR, we hope to continue this mission by providing significant learning opportunities and experiences.</p>
<h3>What do you hope participants take away from your programs?</h3>
<p>I hope participants leave the program feeling more empowered and with a more mature sense of self. I also hope they come to appreciate Puerto Rico's unique history of resistance, the richness of its culture, the beauty of its different landscapes, and the friendly disposition of its people.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I hope students will cherish their time in Puerto Rico as a unique learning and enriching educational and intercultural experience, which also helps them improve their Spanish language skills, while enhancing and informing their own academic and professional path and future.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I hope students leave with the desire to come back and share their new appreciation of Puerto Rico with family, friends, and loved ones.</p>
<h3>Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?</h3>
<p>Learning about other cultures through experiential learning opportunities allows people to gain much more insight about the world that surrounds them and about their own.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Living abroad, if only for a few months, promotes self-understanding and reflection, while fostering appreciation towards others, their cultures, and their well-being. This, in turn, creates a more empathetic world, rooted in principles of solidarity, love, and respect for that which is different and for that which unites us.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Visiting other countries while exposing ourselves to new experiences helps us expand our world-view, appreciate the world's natural and cultural diversity, and acquire new ways and perspectives on life , both at home and away.</p>
<div class="awesome-image centered " ><img src="https://images.goabroad.com/image/upload/v1783576024/images2/interviews/7qnK4usOevcJMtnCY5zfOlkHCAdH6VJ0f3jrnyCq.jpg" alt="5 adults taking a group selfie outdoor"><div class="caption"><p>With Midd Co-workers and Friends!</p></div></div>
<h3>What does meaningful travel mean to you?</h3>
<p>To me, meaningful travel means you get to learn about the world and about yourself by engaging with people from other cultures or backgrounds. By active listening, in-language dialogue, respectful engagement, and an open mind and attitude, a traveler may not only support local communities and organizations, as well as their visions for the future, but may also become part of a larger community built on mutual respect, work, friendship, and solidarity.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Meaningful travel includes, of course, doing things that are also meaningful to you, that add value to your life, and help you and your fellow travelers achieve their intentions for their trip. In other words, meaningful travel is potentially transformative.</p>

Teresa Peña-Jordán

Get to know the people behind Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad! Check out this GoAbroad Staff Interview with Teresa Peña-Jordán.

Teresa Peña-Jordán | Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad

Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad Staff Interview with Teresa Peña-Jordán

<h3>What inspired you to go abroad?</h3>
<p>I was inspired to gain experiences in new cultures and different perspectives. Despite this being a remote internship, it was an enlightening experience! I met with people from various backgrounds and learned a lot about working online.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The entire experience taught me a lot about myself, too, and honestly, I wouldn't have learned that any other way.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Why did you choose <a href=https://www.goabroad.com/providers/roots-interns rel="" target="_self" class="link">Roots Interns</a>?</h3>
<p>I was searching for any kind of internship related to online writing, and that's when I stumbled upon the <a href=https://www.goabroad.com/providers/roots-interns/programs/seo-writing-internship-with-roots-remote-or-in-person-185317 rel="" target="_self" class="link">Roots Intern SEO Content Writing Internship (Remote)</a>. I checked out their website and then decided to apply because the program looked good. I didn't think I'd get accepted, but I did, and I'm seriously grateful.&nbsp;</p>
<div class="awesome-image centered " ><img src="https://images.goabroad.com/image/upload/v1783567839/images2/interviews/0dq7MZmqvE4NGkOBRWZvdtsRGUlHCyEHm4BsXupc.jpg" alt="Roots Internships logo"><div class="caption"><p>Roots Internships</p></div></div>
<h3>What was your favorite part about your host country?</h3>
<p>Technically, my internship was fully remote, but nevertheless, I loved the hospitality of the entire team. From day one, I was welcomed, and everyone was really friendly and warm, which made me calm my nerves a lot! They were also really supportive, which was a given, really.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Overall, I loved the entire team setting throughout the remote internship the most!&nbsp;</p>
<h3>What made your experience abroad extraordinary?</h3>
<p>The team setting was definitely the first extraordinary experience.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In particular, since this was a remote internship, I had the freedom to prioritize my studies, exams, and internship tasks depending on how busy my week was. I enjoyed that liberty specifically, and the guidance I got from my supervisor was amazing too!&nbsp;</p>
<h3>How did local staff support you throughout your program?</h3>
<p>With all honesty, the Roots team was really encouraging and supportive. Throughout the internship experience, they had been nothing but helpful.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Most of the time, I coordinated with my supervisor, who provided excellent guidance on how the internship tasks should be done, provided feedback, and answered my doubts clearly.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The other members of the team also helped when I had questions about logging in and the application process.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?</h3>
<div class="awesome-image right-aligned " ><img src="https://images.goabroad.com/image/upload/v1783567840/images2/interviews/hXRcQQYMqAE36b69a0rGiF3pordFtbwL4WMR2Bco.jpg" alt="a photo of a laptop with hands typing"><div class="caption"><p>What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?</p></div></div>
<p>Sometimes, I missed a lot of internal team meetings because I had other extracurriculars and college on the side. So that's something I regret, but nevertheless, I also think I could have completed my tasks a bit sooner and managed my time better.&nbsp;</p>
<p>It would have been different if I didn't have any other things beside the internship but I did so there's no point thinking about it now. Overall, I loved most of it!&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.</h3>
<p>Since it's a remote internship, I only had to do the work when I actually chose to.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Usually, my tasks revolved around writing either an internship listing or a blog post. I would start with the general outline and go on to write the drafts before my supervisor edited them, and then I had to edit them.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Other than that, I worked on a university leaflet and two newsletters, which worked almost in the same way.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>What did you enjoy doing during your free time abroad?</h3>
<p>Compared to all other tasks, I loved writing the testimonial blogs.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Basically, I'll have some interview Q&amp;As from other interns in different internships, and I had to make a blog post conveying their journey as a story based on their answers. I loved that because it was really interesting to consider different ways to tell their story!&nbsp;</p>
<p>Particularly when I would have to first outline the entire post and then write it. So, testimonial blogs were definitely my favorite tasks! (Followed by normal SEO blog posts)&nbsp;</p>
<h3>What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?</h3>
<p>Well, I did a Remote SEO Content Writing Internship so I could work on the different tasks from the comfort of my own room.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The best thing about a remote internship is that you have the freedom to work on some days and skip others. If you feel like you're most active on weekends, then you have the liberty to work on weekends. (This sometimes would depend on the organization and the program that you choose)&nbsp;</p>
<h3>What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?</h3>
<p>Ask those questions you're hesitating about! At the beginning of my internship, I was literally so hesitant to ask questions. It delayed a lot of my work; only later did I realize that I was there to learn.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Even though I figured it out on my own later, it took me a lot of time. So, I'd definitely say "Ask more questions!"</p>
<h3>Would you recommend SEO Writing Internship to others? Why?</h3>
<p>I would definitely recommend this Remote SEO Content Writing Internship to anyone looking to gain professional experience in writing. This gives you a general idea, and you'll probably learn a lot about yourself as a person, too.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I would also recommend Roots Interns for the internships because they don't just casually give you the internship when you apply—they also take your learning goals in mind when they're setting the internship tasks, which I really loved!&nbsp;</p>
<div class="awesome-image right-aligned " ><img src="https://images.goabroad.com/image/upload/v1783567841/images2/interviews/DoR8pHSPbJhxmK490KNgH8iZCdj3sGwUmBkwCUt1.jpg" alt="a flat, minimalist green smiley face icon"><div class="caption"><p>Roots Internships</p></div></div>
<h3>What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?</h3>
<p>While I didn't particularly travel abroad because my internship was remote, I did love getting the experience. It comes with its own benefits: I met people from all around the world, gained diverse perspectives, and also gained professional experience without stepping out of my room.&nbsp;</p>
<p>That's a win, if you ask me, especially if you want to have experiences abroad without actually going there.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?</h3>
<p>I never really left my home, but I did learn a lot from my internship. Specifically, how to manage my time better when I have a lot of tasks and academic responsibilities.&nbsp;</p>
<p>During the start of my internship, I used to do small chunks every day to manage different things, but then I realized I did not know where I had left off the previous day. So I started working in big chunks and completing tasks on the same days. This is something that I follow even now.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>What does meaningful travel mean to you?</h3>
<p>Meaningful travel means personal growth and a shift in perspective. Anything that makes you go "Wow, I never saw it that way" is going to shape you one way or another. And I think it's important to know how amazing these experiences really are.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Even though my experience was remote, it gave me a lot of lessons and memories that I'll definitely carry a long way.&nbsp;</p>

Juwairiah Ishaq

Check out this GoAbroad Interview with Juwairiah Ishaq who participated in Roots Interns program.

Juwairiah Ishaq | Roots Interns Alumni Interview

Roots Interns Alumni Interview with Juwairiah Ishaq

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