What is your favorite travel memory?
My favorite travel memory is probably seeing the Northern Lights with my students in Iceland. We were staying at a hotel located in a remote area near Akureyri, Iceland. It was late at night and I had settled into my hotel room. The students were hanging out in the hot tub or around the hotel. All of a sudden we hear all the students chattering and running down the hallways and outside. We all go out into the parking lot, and we can see the Northern Lights perfectly clear. The hotel shut off all the lights outside and we all sat out there watching the lights dance across the sky for hours. Perfectly serene.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
My confidence has grown infinitely since leading my first program with EF. The first time you do this, getting up in front of a large group of students or on a microphone on a bus can be intimidating. I’ve learned to overcome this and be myself. I have my own unique ways of leading programs and bonding with my students, just as I’m sure all other support staff do.
So as you sign up for a program, know that your staff can sometimes be stepping out of their
comfort zones right along with you! We’re all in this together!
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
The best stories I hear from past students are about the lasting friendships that are formed on our programs. While our programs bring you to some of the most amazing places in the world, it is the friendships that are formed that stand out even more to students returning home. Once you go on a program, you have truly formed an EF Gap Year family.
I have students who are still in relationships with people that they met on their Gap program or students who have found their lifelong best friend. I often see photos of them flying across the country to meet up and reunite with their Gap Family members.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
How to pick just one?
When I was finishing High School or early in college I think I would’ve chosen the Pathfinder semester program. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life when I left high school, and the Pathfinder’s focus on exploring a wide range of industries and career paths, all while visiting 7 countries in 10 weeks, was an experience that I wish I knew about at the time!
Now, having a few more years under my belt and knowing a bit more about my future, I would love to do our Changemaker semester program. The opportunity to complete service projects across Latin America while working to improve my Spanish Language skills would be such an amazing experience and I’d be able to build some valuable career skills.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
EF’s huge support network is what makes us truly unique. With over 50,000 EF staff around the globe, there is truly always someone looking out for you and there to support you while traveling. Before working at EF, I didn’t really understand the true scale of the company, but now I’ll be out on a program walking down a street in Budapest and stumble across an EF office there. EF really is Everywhere!
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
The people.
I have had the privilege to work with the most amazing people at EF, both on-the-ground on program and in the EF office. EF Gap Year students have a huge support network behind them while traveling, including a US based Gap Year Advisor, an on-the-ground Student Life Coordinator (me!) and a local Tour Director. I’ve gotten to work with many advisors, TDs, and other SLCs, all of whom are incredibly passionate about their jobs and working to make sure our students are having the best experiences possible. I truly believe that “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” and you can see that thinking behind many of the amazing staff at EF Gap Year.