What position do you hold at Summer Study? What has been your career path so far?
I have been co-owner and Director of Programs and Operations since 1993. In addition to handling most of the logistics for all our programs, I manage all IT for the organization and spend every summer with about 700 students and 50 staff at Penn State University.
I was a sleep-away camp counselor beginning when I was 16 and although I was a Business Management major (and Psychology minor) in college, I always wanted to work with kids. I hated my first job after college in which I was a Credit Analyst for a finance company and left to begin an MBA program at The University of Chicago. That, however, was derailed when after leading a group of 42 teens on a 7-week cross-country summer “teen tour”, I was offered a full-time job with the company. Combining my management education with my passion for working with kids, I had found my niche! I spent 7 years, including 7 summers on cross-country trips, with the teen tour company and 3 years as Director of Special Events for a marketing and promotions company before joining Summer Study Programs.
Did YOU study abroad?
No, I did not and have always regretted it. During college, I was very active in my Fraternity and the Campus Entertainment Committee so I never wanted to miss anything. I did however go to Europe on my own for 6 weeks during my 3 years away from the student travel/study businesses. While I wasn’t quite as adventuresome and free-spirited as I might have been in college, it was still an amazing experience. I strongly encourage every high school and college student I meet to have a study abroad experience if they have the opportunity.
What does the future hold for Summer Study - any exciting new programs to share?
We have been successful because not only do kids love our programs but so do their parents…a critical element in the case of programs for high school students. To that end, we have always felt very strongly about doing what we do best and not to become a “Jack of all trades…master of none” just to tap into the latest fad of summer opportunities. To that end, we will add a new program location only when we are confident that it can support our successful program model and that we have the right program director in place.
What is new this year is our Summer Study in Buenos Aires program which is a 4-week Spanish language immersion opportunity combining college credit and enrichment classes, culture, sightseeing, recreation and weekend trips. Modeled after the success of our Summer Study in Paris programs and directed by Sam McKenzie who after living and teaching in Buenos Aires for 3 years, has joined us full time, SSBA is sure to be another great Summer Study program.
What about the future of the industry? How do you think study abroad and international education will change over the next 10 years?
With faster planes, faster internet connections and telephone/web access in the palm of everyone’s hand, the world is getting smaller and smaller. Surprisingly, at the same time, there seems to be growing instability and a lack of understanding of differences among the world’s people. The best way to reverse this trend is not only having an experience but sharing the experience with a diverse group of students. Last summer, we are proud of the fact that we had students from 43 US States and 27 foreign countries. There are already hundreds, if not thousands, of study abroad opportunities and I think that number will continue to grow. Over the next 10 years, I think we will see many more “combination” programs of study/community service, study/travel and study/adventure as well as programs in more remote locations. While these may sound exciting and/or exotic, they may not always be good. Prospective students need to be very selective in choosing a program.
Which study abroad destination is most underrated? Conversely, which is most overrated?
Buenos Aires is, without a doubt, the most underrated and anywhere other than Buenos Aires (and Paris) is by far the most overrated. :-)
