What is your favorite travel memory?
My favorite travel memory has to be meeting up with one of my best friends from high school when we were both teaching abroad in Europe. She was teaching in Italy and I was teaching in Spain and we hadn't seen each other in years. We had a lovely trip to Sevilla and the southern region of Portugal- it was an amazing summer vacation!
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I think that I have become more flexible and open minded than ever before during my time in this position. Helping people to get TEFL certified and teach English abroad takes a lot of planning and realizing that everyone has different concerns and needs when it comes to making the life decision to invest in an opportunity like this. It's my job to make sure that people are successful in their endeavors and so my recommendations and actions need to be customized to the needs of each person.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
I think the best story that I have heard from a CIEE TEFL alumni is about the joy that they have had in serving their students and the doors that TEFL has opened for them. She was a recent grad who decided to get TEFL certified and teach abroad for fun but now is working towards furthering her education to be able to teach more students around the world. She never thought that teaching was going to be her chosen career path but after getting TEFL certified and teaching abroad her perspective totally changed and is now excited and looking forward to what the future has in store.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
This is a funny question because I am an alumni of the CIEE Teach Abroad program in Madrid. My experience on that program had a huge influence on me and is one of the reasons I was so interested in working for CIEE. However, if I could choose another program to go on, I would have to say the CIEE TEFL Job Placement Assistance in Budapest, Hungary! This placement option sounds amazing and Budapest is a place I've always wanted to visit. Plus, it would mean that I would need to get TEFL certified, which is something that I wish I had done before I taught abroad in Madrid.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
I think CIEE is unique because of the level of support that we provide to those looking to teach abroad. For us, we genuinely want people to be happy with their decision to teach abroad (wherever that may be, whether it's with CIEE or not) and to have an experience that makes a lasting impact on their lives. I was particularly proud of my team when we were awarded a 5-year accreditation from ACCET for our TEFL courses- that is a huge accomplishment for a TEFL provider and shows how dedicated we are to delivering a quality TEFL program to our CIEE TEFL students.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
I think the most important factor in being a successful company is being open to change. As a company that operates globally, change is inevitable and it's essential to always be flexible in order to best serve those who are choosing us to help them get TEFL certified and teach abroad. We put in the work to stay up to date with all the details so our participants can enjoy the ride.