What inspired you to work for World Class Programs?
I have always been interested in kinesthetic and visual learning during my time teaching in a traditional classroom. However, since I started working for World Class Programs, it took my interest in hands-on learning to the next level!
Instead of creating pseudo-scenarios through the use of textbooks and videos to show my students new skills and concepts, I am able to bring them into the cities where those skills can be practiced first-hand!
Why do you do what you do?
I do what I do because I think travel is an essential part of life, and I want to provide travel experiences to students so that they can have diverse experiences to enrich the rest of their lives.
My favorite part of my day is waking up and seeing a message from a student or family that expresses their interest in traveling to a place they are interested in! I love being the person to facilitate their dreams!
I love getting out in nature!
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
My education is something that has helped me understand how to educate students of all ages and levels. My international background has given me the tools to adapt to situations as they come up, which has really helped me thrive in the current role I have at World Class Programs.
Flexibility is key to my role in working with students and families that all come from different places to join our World Class community.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
Don't worry so much! Traveling for the first time can be intimidating, and scary at first. However, if I knew then what I know now, I never would have been nervous!
It is such an exciting and wonderful journey every time I get to experience a culture other than my own. I feel comfortable and at-ease now, and I want to extend that feeling to any and all first-time travelers so that they enjoy it from the very beginning!
Why should someone choose your organization over competitors?
Our organization is professional, but we also give a feeling of a community and family environment. When you take a trip with us, we are with you every step of the way.
World Class Programs treats each trip uniquely as each group of learners are unique—that is why there are compassionate and knowledgeable staff who are with you along each step of the process to answer any questions you have, whenever you have them.
From initial inquiries, to first arriving in the home cities, to your last day back home, we have your back!
I love to hike when I travel!
What hopes do you have for the future for your organization?
I hope to offer the gift of travel to all ages! Although we are a high school study abroad organization, we all have a deep love of travel, and want to share it with as many people as we can!
That is why we are hoping to open adult learning programs to adult learners in the future as well. This is something that I would be really excited to start!
What is your organization's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
The biggest factor in being a successful company all comes down to the community and environment that is created. If staff are not happy, then the students will not be happy.
The staff at World Class Programs all love what they do, and come from different backgrounds, so they all bring something unique and valued to the company. That is what makes me proud to come to work everyday—I don't consider it "work" in the slightest.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
My favorite story I've heard from a returning student was all centered around how their entire world-view had been shifted in a positive way after experiencing the program. They said that they not only started to view the world in a broader way, but they also began to understand themselves more.
This story stands out to me the most because of how powerful their words were when they expressed this to me. I hope that all participants take that self discovery and growth away from our programs.
I love seeing what every place has to offer when I travel!
How do you help support participants?
We support our students and their families through constant and direct communication during every part of the trip—the planning, the traveling, and the program itself. Our communication with families is important to us, just like our communication to our staff is important.
If a family has an issue, a unique circumstance, or even just a question, we are sure to communicate that to any of the necessary staff so that everyone is filled in and gives each family the support that they need!
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
It is not only important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures, it is crucial! Each year, we live in a smaller and smaller world, where communications from different countries are becoming more common.
In order to better understand cultures and how everyone in the world lives, people must try their best to experience other cultures whenever possible! Travel is the most efficient way of doing that!
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel is going outside of your comfort zone while you are experiencing another culture. If you travel somewhere that lives differently than you do, and you expect to live the exact way you do at home, then you will not gain much from your experience.
Meaningful travel is the ability to mindfully experience your surroundings by trying local foods and participating in local traditions. You gain a better understanding of cultures that way, but you also gain a better understanding of yourself as well.
