Staff Spotlight: Shannon Bernardo

Title:
Program Manager

Photos

What is your favorite travel memory?

One of my favorite travel memories occurred very recently. I was in Cuba in January 2017, visiting our program there, and had one of the best conversations I've ever had in my life.

I was at a restaurant around the corner from our student residence, planning to get some dinner to go. As I was waiting, a patron and a staff member were having a friendly debate about flowers and asked me to weigh in. After giving my opinion in Spanish, the patron invited me to his table to speak with him and his friend.

I ended up spending about two hours talking to these two gentlemen about everything from geopolitics, to classic literature, and whether love exists. It was a great discussion, tested my Spanish abilities, and I was able to connect with local Habaneros in a personal, meaningful way.

This is the kind of opportunity that we hope our students engage in during their time in Cuba, and we know those experiences are, literally, just around the corner.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

In a discussion with one of my former Cuba semester students, she outlined the ways in which her experience challenged her. She told me that while she would sometimes get frustrated, run out of patience, or get upset. She recognized that studying abroad was a growth opportunity, and these were merely growing pains.

She turned her challenges into learning opportunities and the positive mindset she was able to create helped her reflect on her experience. Her marked maturity in her statement has stuck with me.

What makes your institution unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

I believe that our strongest asset is our dedication to student support. Arcadia has been facilitating study abroad for nearly 70 years, and our experience has taught us that our constant student support is what sets us apart from other organizations.

From the point of inquiry through returning back home, we are here to help our students find the best program for their needs and be a guiding presence during their experience.

I've heard more than one student say that our dedication to student support is why they chose an Arcadia program.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful institution?

An organization is only as good as the people who work for it. The character and passion of the team here at Arcadia is a big contributor to our success in study abroad.

We have a great group of people who work hard for the benefit of the students, and share in the belief that we are engaged in work that in some way contributes positively to the world around us.