CEA Directory
admissions counselors Team
Tristin Collins
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!
Jessica Walker
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.”
Corey Swafford
Corey’s first brush with international travel took her to Germany the summer after high school graduation, and after falling in love with German culture, she knew travel would forever be a big part of her life.
At Virginia Tech, Corey studied International Politics and the German language. Because of her German major, she studied abroad for one year in Munich, Germany and traveled throughout Europe. In total, she visited 26 countries. Upon graduation, she was selected to be an English Teaching Assistant in Madrid, Spain, where she lived for two years. This teaching experience inspired her to complete a master’s degree in International Education at the Universidad de Alcala. From flamenco shows and tapas to Oktoberfest and hiking in the Alps, Spain and Germany will always have a special place in Corey’s heart.
As an Admissions Counselor, she helps students decide which study abroad program is the best fit for them. In this role, She is able to work with students every day, as well as share her experiences abroad with them.
Outside of CEA, Corey enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, and exploring her new home city, Phoenix!
Cristi Pontius
I am an Arizona native and deeply in love with the scenic views Arizona has to offer. I grew up as the oldest of three, who always wanted to leave Phoenix behind. When I was growing up, my family spent their summers traveling the country and exploring all that the US and Canada have to offer. As a result, by the ripe age of 16, I had visited 49 out of 50 states! As a high school student in Peoria, I got the opportunity to study abroad in Paris. I spent part of a summer living with a family and exploring.
I went to Arizona State University to pursue a Bachelors of Arts in History. I took a small break during my undergraduate program to try living outside of Arizona. I spent three great years living in Seattle, Washington. I gained my independence and saw what there was outside of Arizona. I ultimately came back to finish my degree. After earning my BA, I spent 5 ½ years, gaining experience in program coordination and volunteer management. During that time, I returned to ASU to earn a Master’s in Sustainability Leadership, where I learned how to motivate companies to create a culture of change.
I was drawn to CEA because of my love to travel and encouraging others to try new experiences! As an Admissions Counselor, I am able to work with students and help them make plans to achieve their goals. The world is so large and has so much to offer. It is a lot of fun to work in a position that allows me foster other’s sense of expl
Iliana Gonzalez
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!
Kasee Hurt
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.
Roxanne Anthony
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!
Tyler Fixel
Tyler was born in Dearborn, Michigan and moved to Georgia when he was 5, but he calls South Carolina, where he lived from age 9 to 17, home. He graduated from Arizona State University with a major in Global Studies and International Affairs and has a passion for everything internationally focused, including politics, trade, economics, and travel.
Tyler can speak Japanese at an intermediate level and loves Japanese culture. He studied abroad in the summer of 2017 in Hiroshima, Japan. This once-in-a-lifetime experience helped him nurture his love of the unknown and travel, and he wants everyone to be able to experience something as wonderful. He plans to go back to Japan on a yearly basis because he felt at home within their culture and overall lifestyle.
He enjoys a wide range of sports and started playing both baseball and lacrosse at a young age. He has also coached both little league flag football and baseball for his younger cousins who live in Arizona. When he’s not engaged in athletics, Tyler loves to read and is a huge fan of both Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings. He’s excited to make a difference at CEA.