Which destination is most underrated? Conversely, which is most overrated?
Most underrated = Haiti. An absolutely fascinating country with stunning scenery, excellent cuisine (for those that like spicy food & mangos, at least), and some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet.
Most overrated = England. I mean, it's fun there, just not a big enough departure from life here in the USA (soccer obsessions and shepherd's pie aside).
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
In the modern day, I'd say that the biggest factor in ensuring a company's success is to have a unified marketing scheme that utilizes the best current technology and best brand-leveraging practices.
Intuitive web design, graphic design elements, flyer templates, email newsletters, and social media should all work in tandem, creating a robust and recognizable brand that clients naturally gravitate towards.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I've definitely become more cognizant of the strengths and weaknesses in the technology that is currently used in study abroad, and how to better integrate current industry standards into the field (to benefit both international educators and students alike).
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
One of my former students that studied on our program in Havana, Cuba once told me that during the course of her semester abroad, the bus that she and her student cohort were on ended up breaking down somewhere along the country's southern coast. It was extremely hot that day, so while the bus was being repaired, all of the students ended up going to a nearby beach to cool off in the Caribbean Sea.
Little did they know, that they were actually swimming in the Bay of Pigs, made famous by the CIA's failed invasion in 1961. The school's director had a good laugh about it, saying that they were likely the first Americans to take a swim there since the incident.