CEA Directory

What’s my favorite travel memory? That’s easy – the first time I saw Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Having learned about it in high school, I remember marveling at the architecture first-hand and thinking that its first impression did not disappoint!

When I was a student at the University of Arizona (go Wildcats!), I studied abroad in Alcalá de Henares, Spain near Madrid. I’ve also visited Portugal, Italy, Ireland, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Canada. While it’s hard to choose a favorite location, I consider Spain my second home.

As a CEA Admissions Counselor, I help students choose the study abroad program that is the best fit for them, and use my own passion for study abroad to assist them throughout the entire enrollment process. Outside of work, I love spending time with my husband, family, and friends, hiking, backpacking, playing tennis, reading, baking, and when given the chance, traveling!

Did you know? I was a colorguard member on the Pride of Arizona Marching Band for three years in college and performed at pre-game and half-time shows in front of thousands of football fans!

I was born and raised in a very small border town in Mexico. As a young kid, I nurtured an inquisitive curiosity for unfamiliar places and diverse cultures. I always dreamed about traveling around the world, so I set myself the goal to make this dream come true by studying abroad; however, living in a town with low economical resources, opportunities to study abroad were not accessible to students. Back then, my goals to go abroad seemed almost impossible to achieve.

After graduating High School, I had the fortune to move to the United States with my family. I applied to Arizona State University and was admitted into their Fine Arts program in 2006. It was while attending college that I discovered the wonderful opportunity to study abroad to earn credits towards my major in France.

I enrolled in a summer program to study Plein Air Painting and French language at the Institut Catholique de Paris. It’s every artist’s dream to study painting in one of the most artistic cities in the world, a place that has given birth to some of the most influential artists in history. I recall vividly the incredible joy I felt when I wandered the streets of Montmartre, carrying my paint and brushes and scouting for the best location to paint a landscape. I also remember my daily excursions to Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre seeking for inspiration from the impressionistic work of Claude Monet and the expressive Paul Cezanne. To this day, I still hold a painting of Notre Dame cathedral I executed “alla prima!” The opportunity to develop my academic skills in Paris changed my life, and it has greatly influenced my professional work in a way that sets me apart.

After graduating college, I ventured on my own to see the world and have traveled to some of the most beautiful and popular destinations in Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Southern Mexico, and Ireland.

As an Admissions Counselor at CEA, I strive in helping students achieve their own dreams to see the world! I provide comprehensive counseling to assist my students find the best program that fits their career goals and I am always available to support them in all the different steps they take in their journey!

Did you know? I am trained in different dance forms from diverse cultural spectrums! My training ranges from Mexican Folklore, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Latin American styles, Flamenco, Middle Eastern, Angolan (Kizomba), and Bollywood!

Ever since I was little, I’ve loved to travel. I would read about a faraway place and hope to go there someday. Growing up in Texas, my family only traveled short distances, but these trips solidified my love of travel. In college, I was lucky enough to study abroad in Paris for a semester, and it definitely changed my life. I made lifelong friends, immersed myself in the culture, practiced my French, and became more independent. I plan to go back there someday! It was my study abroad experience that led me to the position of Admissions Counselor at CEA.

I am grateful to have been able to travel to Spain, England, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, Mexico, Belize, Canada, and Honduras. And this list is just the beginning, I hope to travel to many more places!

As an admissions counselor, I help students discover the world of study abroad. I enjoy assisting students with finding the program and destination that fits their academic and personal goals. It was a dream of mine to study abroad and I love helping other students achieve the same dream. Outside of CEA, I enjoy reading, dancing, watching movies, spending time with friends, and exploring new places!

Did you know? During a museum trip in Paris, the actor Hugh Jackman was standing two feet in front of me, and I didn’t realize for the longest time. When I finally did, I told my friend “Look it’s Wolverine.”

As a Phoenix, Arizona native who has always dreamed of sliving outside of Arizona to experience what else this big world has to offer, I have always had a passion for design and travel. I fused the two to make my dream a reality.

After graduating from high school in Phoenix, I relocated to San Diego, California and settled in Los Angeles, where I attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and earned an Associate of Arts degree in Visual Communication. Next, I left California to pursue my lifelong dream of moving to the beautiful Island of Oahu to attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, where I began working towards my Bachelor’s Degree in Ethnic Studies. While at Manoa, I studied abroad in London, England, exploring multicultural relations and having the time of my life!

After my time in England, I returned home to Phoenix and began working at CEA to help others achieve their study abroad goals while also continuing to pursue my degree at U Hawaii Manoa.

I grew up in a small town in Minnesota and braved harsh winters for 18 years, before moving east to Wisconsin, where I put up with 4 more snowy winters. Finally, I moved to Arizona to embrace the sunshine! Living in a rural community, I always felt like I was missing a huge part of the world and knew that when I went to college, I wanted to study abroad. Being a college athlete, I was limited in choices and resources for going abroad. But, thankfully, I had a great support system and ended up spending a whole summer away while still pursuing my athletic career.

My time abroad was based in Edinburgh, Scotland. I listened to bagpipes, dipped my face in the fairy pools, and learned to ceilidh dance. During my program, I checked out 12 other countries and became an expert on packing for budget airlines, running through airports, and figuring out public transportation. One of my most memorable experiences was getting to meet one of the direwolf “puppies” in Northern Ireland that were used in the first season of Game of Thrones! The travel bug bit me pretty hard during my time abroad, and I loved having so many memorable adventures. I cannot wait to cross the pond again!

When I’m not at CEA, I love going to movies, exploring my new home, playing with my foster kittens, and planning my next big adventure!

Did you know? I hold a basketball scoring record at my University.

My passion for travel and education started from a young age. When I was thirteen years old, I went on a mission trip to Agua Prieta, Mexico to teach English at an orphanage/school. That summer before high school sparked my interest in volunteer work, which I ended up continuing throughout high school with organizations such as the International Rescue Committee, Andre House, and others around my community in Phoenix, Arizona.

Once I reached college, I studied abroad in Kolkata, India, where I volunteered at one of Mother Theresa’s orphanage/schools while taking courses on Indian Language and Culture. When I returned to Scottsdale Community College, I was ready to apply to the College of Education at Northern Arizona University, where I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, specializing in English.

After graduation, I had the opportunity to teach abroad at a high school and college in Himeji, Japan, where I also obtained a Master’s Degree in Human Relations. I was able to travel to Nepal and throughout Japan. Even though I was terrified to travel and work in a foreign country, I fell in love with Japanese culture and food and met the most amazing, friendly people. Upon returning from Japan, I completed a second Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership.

Studying and being abroad is something that has been so influential for me. There is so much beauty in other cultures and countries, so I love helping others to reach their goals of going abroad! When I’m not helping students, I am usually with family, hiking, biking, exploring locally, or really just doing anything that gets me outside!

Outside of work, you can probably find me outside. I’m an avid rock climber, hiker, camper, sleep-under-the-stars kind of a gal. My parents are total environmentalists who helped foster my love of the outdoors and adventure early on in life. I am an Arizona native and can never seem to get enough of what the state has to offer, but I like to keep a good balance of being here and being away. I’ve been lucky enough to do a lot of in country travel, hitting about 50% of the states, and some out of country travel as well.

In college, I spent summers and spring breaks in Mexico and parts of ski season in Canada. My junior year, I traveled to Ireland with a group of my sorority sisters and had the time of my life! We romped around castles, kissed the Blarney Stone, held tons of baby sheep, and dressed head to toe in green for St. Patrick’s Day. I even won a contest to see who had the best Irish accent. As a speech and hearing sciences major, I had a bit of a leg up on the competition. My favorite memory was towards the end of our trip while on an excursion to the Aran Islands. These islands have very few beaches and mostly meet the ocean by way of towering cliffs. In true form, I decided that I needed to hang off the cliffs for a photo op. This horrified my sisters, but the picture was well worth it! My trip to Ireland brought me closer to the friends I went with, but I also left with new friends from around the U.S., Ireland, and a few other countries as well.

I believe there is a sort of raw vulnerability that experiencing the world brings out in people. It allows us to tap into a part of who we are that we may have never found otherwise. As an Admissions Counselor at CEA, I'm the first point of contact for students who are interested in studying abroad. I provide instruction and advice to assist students in choosing the perfect program for them based on their wants and needs. And of course, I’m here to answer any questions my students may have!

Fun Fact: I earned my Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Arizona State University (Go Devils!), and I am current pursuing my Master of Business Administration at Grand Canyon University!

The world is an amazing and wonderful place. Traveling exposes you to new cultures, customs, and opportunities. Family vacations as a child to Cancun, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and various U.S. locations set the stage for my zest to take in different environments, explore, and evolve my perspective on who I am and where my life could go.

After growing up in Connecticut, I traveled to both Ohio and Arizona. I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Human Development & Family Studies from Bowling Green State University (Ohio) and a Master’s of Social Work Degree from Arizona State University.

Not only do I feel a strong connection to different places, but also I share this same passion for people. I am inspired by learning about others, and I love to use this inspiration to create positive and transformative experiences for them. I have spent my professional life working in youth sports, child welfare, and higher education. For CEA, my goal is to engage with students in order to ensure the facilitation of a meaningful and high-quality study abroad experience.

I was born and raised on my family farm in a small Ohio town. Staying close to home, I went to college 45 minutes away, where I obtained my Bachelor’s in Organizational Communication and a minor in Psychology from Ohio University in Athens. Go Bobcats! After graduating, I was the Manager of the Athens Country Club for two years. With an unshakeable urge to see more of the world, I packed up my bags, drove what fit in my car across the country, and here I am in Phoenix, Arizona.

I started as an intern here at CEA, helping the Enrollment team make various types of contact with new students. In two short weeks, I heard there was an Admissions Counselor position available and applied for it immediately. In this new role, I have the pleasure of advising students through the study abroad process and matching them with a program that is best for their personal and academic goals!

When I am not at CEA, I enjoy various activities with my Boston terrier, Penelope, hiking with friends, finding new breweries, and attending local concerts. Traveling is slowly becoming one of my leading passions in life, and my goal is to visit every country in South America (for starters)!

Did you know? My first vacation and plane ride were to Costa Rica in 2016 to visit my girlfriends who were studying abroad!