CEA Directory

I was born and raised in small town Ohio. Staying close to home, I went to college 45 minutes away at Ohio University in Athens. Go Bobcats! I obtained my Bachelor’s in Organizational Communication and a minor in Psychology. After graduation I had an unshakeable urge to see more of the world. So 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 with CEA helping the Enrollment department make various types of contact to incoming students. In two short weeks I heard there was an Admissions Counselor position open, so I applied for it immediately. In this role, I have the pleasure of advising students through the study abroad process, and matching them with a program that is the best for their personal and academic goals! Now. as the Admissions Counselor Team Lead, I take on additional responsibilities to help CEA grow including helping train our new staff members.

When I am not working, I love to get outside. I enjoy hiking with friends and my Boston Terrier, Penelope. I try to find new breweries and camping spots to explore too! Traveling is slowly becoming one of my leading passions in life. Next on my list is Iceland!

Did you know? My first plane ride (and vacation) was to Costa Rica in 2016 to visit my two girlfriends who were interning abroad!

My mom always taught me that the world wasn’t a place to be scared of. She always taught us that there was always good out there, and that you can always discover amazing things. Being in a military family, a lot of the times in my childhood it was just her and my brothers moving every couple of months. By the time I was ten I had lived in just as many places and had visited exponentially more. Traveling has always been a part of my life. My mom was always dragging us to historic sites, museums, and various places that I knew my feet would hurt from walking around by the end. For my second grade birthday, all I wanted was my own suitcase. Travelling to learn has always been a keystone in my education.

After moving 600 miles from home, I attended college at Coastal Carolina University. There, I received a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies concentrating in Intercultural and International education. I also completed a minor in Global Studies. My love for study abroad blossomed after being able to spend a summer studying abroad in Tuscany Italy. Once I returned, I was able to work as an intern in our Global Engagement department being a student advisor. Being able to combine my love with traveling with my love for education was the best decision I have ever made.

When I am not at CEA (or travelling!) I love spending time involving music, art, and theater in my life. I have played and sung in various community orchestras and choirs. I also love visiting art museums or creating a new project I freshly pinned to my Pinterest board.

Growing up I spent a lot of time traveling, one of my earliest memories is getting into the car to drive nine hours to Oklahoma to see my grandparents. The long car rides turned into long plane rides as I got older and my love for traveling grew. I’ve traveled to at least 12 different countries and 20 states. My goal is to visit every region of the world and all 50 states.

Growing up in a small town in southeast Texas, I surprised everyone when I decided to attend college in a different state at a school nine hours away. After graduating high school, I packed my things and moved to Oklahoma to pursue my Bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma. There, I had two majors: International Studies and German. Also, I completed a minor in European Studies. During my time at OU, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Heidelberg, Germany, for a semester to develop my German skills. Long story short, I fell in love with it and worked towards making a career out of it. When I returned to OU, I spent two semesters as an intern at their Education Abroad Office. After completing my degree, I returned to Texas and taught in middle school and high school as a guest teacher. After a year, I decided to pursue a graduate degree at Texas A&M University in Master of International Affairs. While I pursuing my degree, I worked at the Education Abroad Office on campus. Living and studying in Germany was the best decision I’ve ever made and fueled my desire to pursue a career in the international realm whether it was in national security or international education.

When I am not working, I love to read, garden, bake, and do a lot of crafts. During quarantine, I spent a lot of time getting into new hobbies. Now, I know how to make soap, candles, and embroider. I love to try new coffee shops or restaurants and wander around bookstores for hours. Moreover, I enjoy spending time with my two nieces and the rest of my family. Most of all, I love lounging around watching Hitchcock movies with my 21-year-old cat, Princess.

I was born and raised on the Gulf Coast in Alabama, but I also have northern roots with most of my family being from Michigan. My love for international education began with my first study abroad program in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. There I studied the Spanish language and culture for six weeks during the summer of 2018. My experience was so transformative, I applied to work as an intern within the University of South Alabama's Office of International Education and Study Abroad the following semester.  

After an amazing and successful year as an International Education Ambassador, I decided to take the big leap once again and make my way over to Moscow, Russia to study language and culture for an intensive nine-week summer program. Though there were many more challenges my second time around, my passion to share these experiences with other people only grew. Since studying abroad in Spain, I've continued traveling domestically and internationally for academic and professional opportunities, but mostly because it's fun! Now that I'm a part of the CEA enrollment team, I'm looking forward to working with students to help them discover all the joys and rewards of getting an education abroad.  

When I'm not working or studying, I love discovering new science fiction series, hiking, traveling with my closest friends, making new Spotify playlists, sampling menus of new restaurants, and learning foreign languages