Staff Spotlight: Carissa Hoitenga

Carissa enjoys experiencing life in different locations, and as a result she has lived in 5 different states, Puerto Rico (a US territory), and spent a semester in Spain. She has worked in various roles in international education and currently works with universities and students in her role at EZC Study Abroad.

My favorite memory is dancing Sevillanas, a Spanish dance similar to Flamenco, that is done by the locals during the Feria de Abril (April Fair) in Seville, Spain. I had taken a dance class all semester, and I knew all four of the dances that make up Sevillanas. When I started dancing with another American student at the fair, the locals were surprised yet excited that we had learned this part of their culture, down to the exact steps, and they jumped in and danced with us.

Working with EZC provides me with the opportunity to seek out a variety of unique challenges and tackle them. I love that I can pull from all my past experiences in international education in order to help make EZC the best it can be. By working with a smaller but strong organization, I am able to work cross-culturally and communicate with overseas staff on a daily basis.

I would attend the Summer Internship in Cork, Ireland program. While Spain will always have my heart per my own study abroad, the city of Cork is good-sized city, where there are plenty of places to explore. Cork is currently attracting many startups, so the internship possibilities are excellent. Cork also has its own airport, so it's easy to discover the rest of Europe on the weekends while also getting to live like a local during the week!

EZC stands out for its focus on providing a warm welcome, its strong network of employers for internships, and its openness to feedback. On-site staff have years of experience in providing immersive, authentic experiences to students, and their goal is to ensure each student gets the most out of their international experience.

I think the biggest factor in being a successful company is knowing, listening to, and connecting with customers - in this case, students! We, as staff, have been where students are now. We know the challenges of deciding on and applying to a study abroad program and everything it involves, yet we realize that things are constantly changing and today's students' concerns are different than even a few years ago. As a result, we always welcome feedback from our students.