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CET Academic Programs

Study abroad programs for college and gap students

CET Staff

LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTIONAL
RELATIONS
PROGRAM
MANAGEMENT
STUDENT
SERVICES
MARKETING

LEADERSHIP

INSTITUTIONAL
RELATIONS

PROGRAM
MANAGEMENT

STUDENT
SERVICES

MARKETING

Learn more about our Overseas Staff

Leadership

Mark Lenhart

Mark Lenhart

Executive Director, CET
Senior Vice President, ATA
202.349.7320
[email protected]

Mark has worked for CET since 1990, when he began as Resident Director of CET’s Harbin Chinese Language Program. After nearly five years studying and working in China, he became CET’s Director in 1995, and he oversaw CET’s expansion from a small provider of two Chinese language programs to today’s much larger organization. Mark is a founding board member of the Fund for Education Abroad, and he continues to play leadership roles on FEA’s Board of Trustees. He frequently speaks at national conferences on topics related to study abroad safety, underrepresentation, CET’s local roommates, and the LGBTQ student experience. As a student, Mark focused on Asian Studies, Chinese language, and photography, and he has degrees from Bowdoin (BA), Harvard (MA), and the University of Maryland (MBA).

Randall Salisbury

Vice President, CET Programs
202.349.0679
[email protected]

Randall is a Washington, DC native who grew up abroad. He caught the travel bug early growing up in Finland, Holland, and India and has been passionate about exposing others to international experiences ever since. Spending his junior year abroad in Bologna, Italy was transformative and led him to pursue a career in international education. After graduating from Dickinson College with degrees in Political Science and International Studies, Randall returned to Italy to work as the Resident Director for an American study abroad program. Two years later, he returned to DC and began working for CET as a Campus Relations Manager on the Institutional Relations team. Shortly thereafter, Randall moved over to the Program Management team as the Italy Programs Manager, and has held various roles on this team since 2008. As the Senior Director of Programs, he oversees the CET Programs team in the US and abroad. In his spare time, Randall can be found playing bocce or tennis, drinking iced coffee, and planning his next overseas adventure.  

Shelley Jessee

Shelley Jessee

Vice President, Enrollment & Engagement
202.349.7350
[email protected]

Growing up in East Tennessee, Shelley always wanted to travel abroad but never had the opportunity. Since her first international experience in China during her sophomore year at Radford University (BA in English and International Studies), she has been passionate about sending US students abroad. She earned an MA in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University in 2009 and an MBA from Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 2021. Prior to working at CET, she worked as Study Abroad Advisor in The George Washington University’s Office for Study Abroad and at IIE on the Fulbright Specialists Program.

Janelle Bloss

Director, Institutional Relations
202.415.4743
[email protected]

Janelle spent part of her high school years in East Asia, living with her family first in Kobe, Japan and later in Hanoi, Vietnam. She was so inspired by her early experiences that she returned to Japan to live with a host family and study in Kyoto while getting her BA in East Asian Studies from Smith College. After Smith, Janelle began studying Chinese and participated in the CET Intensive Chinese Language in Harbin program before going on to study at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. Janelle joined the CET Institutional Relations team in 2010.

Meet with Janelle

Héctor M. Cruz-Feliciano, Ph.D

Director, Latin America Programs
202.349.7348
[email protected]

Originally from Puerto Rico, Héctor has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has taught at the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, Universidad Metropolitana (Puerto Rico), Universidad Thomas More (Nicaragua), and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. From 2003 to 2013 he served as Resident Director for CIEE in Nicaragua and Chile.  With Andrea Rizzotti, Héctor is co-editor of Voices from the South: Decolonial Perspectives in International Education (Forum on Education Abroad, 2022).  He has traveled extensively in Latin America and speaks Spanish and Portuguese. Hector is in charge of the design, implementation and execution of the CET programs in Latin America.

Michelle Jenkins

Director, Student Services
202.349.7346
[email protected]

Michelle was fortunate enough to go abroad with her school at a young age, sparking an interest in travel and other cultures. She has worked in Australia, New Zealand, and eventually Barcelona—where her position as an English teacher inspired her career in international education. With degrees in Philosophy (BA, Emory University) and Intercultural Relations (MA, Lesley University), she has worked as an advisor, overseas administrator, and an institutional relations manager at Babson College and The School for Field Studies. One of her career highlights was serving as an on-site coordinator for a multi-destination program abroad, where she worked first-hand with students studying in Russia, China, and India.

Adam Jones, Ed.D.

Director, China Programs and Special Initiatives
202.349.7344
[email protected]

Adam first became interested in China during a summer study abroad trip in university, since then he has spent more than a decade living, working, and studying there. From 2004 to 2008, Adam served as the CET Beijing Resident Director and Beijing Programs Manager for CET in Beijing. He then returned to the CET Washington, DC office to serve as China Programs Manager, then Asia Programs Director, and now Director of China Programs and Special Initiatives. He also led the CET consulting project for the Schwarzman Scholars Program at Tsinghua University from 2015 to 2016 in Beijing. Prior to joining CET, Adam served as the Program Director for the Brethren Colleges Abroad Study Center at Dalian University of Foreign Languages. Adam received a BA in Economics and Business Administration from Ouachita University in Arkansas, an MA in East Asian Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management at Drexel University.

Allegra O'Donoghue

Allegra O'Donoghue

Director, Europe and Middle East Programs
202.349.0676
[email protected]

Allegra graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2008 with a major in Middle East Studies and minor in Music. In 2006-2007, she studied abroad at the American University in Cairo. After graduating, she continued her Arabic studies as a Flagship Fellow at Damascus University 2009-2010, and CASA Fellow at the American University in Cairo 2011-2012. She has managed CET’s Middle East portfolio since early 2013. For fun, Allegra loves cooking, traveling, taking pictures, and getting outside.

Rebecca Pisano, Ph.D.

Director, Academic Affairs
202.315.0211
[email protected]

Rebecca’s love of all things international began in high school while a member of the student exchange club. Her first overseas travel experience at age 18 as well as a semester study abroad in Spain and a year teaching English in Poland inspired her pursuit of a career in international education. Since 2001 she has worked at six universities on both U.S. coasts and in Ecuador, receiving a Fulbright International Education Administrators award to Japan in 2011. Following a stint in the Office of Global Educational Programs at the U.S. Department of State, she joined CET as the Director of Academic Affairs in 2022. In her free time, she moonlights as an adjunct professor in community-based education and enjoys reading, yoga, and horseback riding whenever possible. She holds a BA in International Studies and Spanish from Miami University, a MA in International Development Studies from George Washington University, and a Ph.D. in Comparative/International Studies in Education from UCLA.

Vanessa Sterling

Vanessa Sterling

Director, Health & Safety
202.760.1385
[email protected]

Vanessa’s career in international education began in 1995, during her time as a graduate student at CET Beijing. After several more years in China conducting research, she returned stateside and transitioned to working in education abroad. At the University of Pittsburgh, Vanessa built semester programs, advised students, and was the faculty director of Pitt in China in Shanghai for two years. Prior to joining CET, she served as the Associate Director of Pitt Global Experiences, where she developed and executed the university’s health, safety, and security strategy and training. Vanessa is an active member of Pulse: International Safety and Security Professionals in Higher Education, OSAC’s Academia Sector Committee, and several cross-provider working groups. When not working, you can find Vanessa leading a theological reading group or indulging in some Bravo TV. In addition to an MA in History from Pitt, she also holds a BA in East Asian Studies from NYU.

Institutional Relations

Janelle Bloss

Director, Institutional Relations
202.415.4743
[email protected]

Janelle spent part of her high school years in East Asia, living with her family first in Kobe, Japan and later in Hanoi, Vietnam. She was so inspired by her early experiences that she returned to Japan to live with a host family and study in Kyoto while getting her BA in East Asian Studies from Smith College. After Smith, Janelle began studying Chinese and participated in the CET Intensive Chinese Language in Harbin program before going on to study at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center. Janelle joined the CET Institutional Relations team in 2010.

Meet with Janelle
Tim Baird

Tim Baird

Senior Institutional Relations Manager for the MidAtlantic
Serving students in: CT, DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, and WV
202.440.0690
[email protected]

Tim’s love of international travel began with his study abroad experience in college. He attended University of Richmond (BA, 2007) with a double major in International Studies & Spanish and a double minor in Leadership Studies & History. His semester-long study abroad experience in Valencia, Spain sparked his interest in the field of international education and upon graduation, he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a year to volunteer, travel, and perfect his Spanish language skills. Tim interned for CET before earning his MEd in International Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago (2015). He returned to CET in 2015 as member of the Institutional Relations Team.

Meet with Tim
Torey Moore

Torey Moore

Senior Institutional Relations Manager for the Midwest
Serving students in: AK, AR, AZ, CO, HI, ID, IL, IA, KS, MN, MT, MO, NE, ND, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, and WY
202.731.7219
[email protected]

Torey grew up in the Chicagoland area of Illinois and received his BA in International Affairs with a concentration in European Studies from Murray State University. While at Murray State, he took full advantage of the international opportunities offered. He studied in Regensburg (Germany) for a semester, in Beijing (China) for a summer session, in Gwangju (South Korea) for a winter term, and served as Education Abroad Office Intern. His passion for everything international has led him to choose a career path that combines travel, cross-cultural communication, and education. In his spare time, Torey enjoys playing volleyball, rowing, and traveling.

Meet with Torey

Tony Nelson

Senior Institutional Relations Manager
Serving students in: IN, OH, MI
202.843.2725
[email protected]

Tony studied abroad in China, Costa Rica, and Mexico while getting his undergraduate degree at Grand Valley State University. After graduation, Tony spent the next years doing community organizing, teaching high school students for the GVSU Upward Bound program, and serving as the assistant director for a prison education program in Muskegon, Michigan. After going back to school to earn his Master’s degree in Communication and Rhetorical Studies from Syracuse University, he spent the next seven years as the director of the AUSM Mexico study abroad program that focuses on social movements fighting for indigenous, campesino, and housing rights. Before joining CET’s IR team, Tony served as the Assistant Director of Student Engagement at Kalamazoo College’s CIP for six years. 

Meet with Tony
Cyntoya

Cyntoya McCall

Institutional Relations Engagement Specialist
202.923.9081
[email protected]

Cyntoya, from Niles, MI, graduated from Michigan State University where she studied Spanish (Secondary Education) and Sociology (BA, 2012). She has since been active in education, teaching Spanish, mentoring students, and eventually moving to Colombia as a two-time recipient of the Fulbright ETA scholarship (2014, 2015). Cyntoya has lived and worked with Black communities in the U.S., Colombia, and Ecuador. From 2019 to 2022, she was the Resident Director for CET’s program in Cali, Colombia, then joined the Institutional Relations team in July 2022. Over the years, she has developed a passion for connecting people from diverse communities of the African diaspora through language education, arts and music, and promoting awareness of African descendants in the U.S. and Latin America.

Meet with Cyntoya

Sean McGlynn

Institutional Relations Manager for the Northeast
Serving students in: MA, ME, NH, RI, and VT
202.843.2817
[email protected]

Sean first studied abroad at the age of 9 in Cork, Ireland for his mom’s career. He received his BA from Plymouth State University in Tourism Management, and spent a semester studying Spanish in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After graduation Sean spent two years working for CISabroad, followed by six years for Wake Forest University’s Center for Global Programs & Studies. While at Wake Forest Sean received his MA in Sustainability. In 2023 Sean joined CET Academic Programs as a member of the Institutional Relations team. During his spare time he enjoys being outside, playing a wide variety of sports and games, and enjoying the company of his two cats.

Meet with Sean

Malika Watson

Institutional Relations Manager for the Southeast
Serving students in: AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, CA, and international students
202.961.8295
[email protected]

Malika is a Texan who grew up all over the place—Texas, India, Spain, Pennsylvania, and Germany. Finding her passion for language, education, and cultural studies at an early age, it’s no surprise her career path led to International Education. Malika studied Cognitive Psychology and Japanese at Vanderbilt University, and studied abroad with CET Japan in the Spring of 2012. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in 2013, Malika worked in student support at CIEE in Maine and then joined CET as Student Services Coordinator for Asia Programs from 2015 to 2017. From 2018 to 2021 Malika served as Resident Director for CET’s programs in Osaka, Japan, then joined the Institutional Relations team in September 2021. In her spare time, Malika enjoys reading, eating, knitting, and hiking. 

Meet with Malika

Program Management

Randall Salisbury

Vice President, CET Programs
202.349.0679
[email protected]

Randall is a Washington, DC native who grew up abroad. He caught the travel bug early growing up in Finland, Holland, and India and has been passionate about exposing others to international experiences ever since. Spending his junior year abroad in Bologna, Italy was transformative and led him to pursue a career in international education. After graduating from Dickinson College with degrees in Political Science and International Studies, Randall returned to Italy to work as the Resident Director for an American study abroad program. Two years later, he returned to DC and began working for CET as a Campus Relations Manager on the Institutional Relations team. Shortly thereafter, Randall moved over to the Program Management team as the Italy Programs Manager, and has held various roles on this team since 2008. As the Senior Director of Programs, he oversees the CET Programs team in the US and abroad. In his spare time, Randall can be found playing bocce or tennis, drinking iced coffee, and planning his next overseas adventure.  

Vanessa Sterling

Vanessa Sterling

Director, Health & Safety
202.760.1385
[email protected]

Vanessa’s career in international education began in 1995, during her time as a graduate student at CET Beijing. After several more years in China conducting research, she returned stateside and transitioned to working in education abroad. At the University of Pittsburgh, Vanessa built semester programs, advised students, and was the faculty director of Pitt in China in Shanghai for two years. Prior to joining CET, she served as the Associate Director of Pitt Global Experiences, where she developed and executed the university’s health, safety, and security strategy and training. Vanessa is an active member of Pulse: International Safety and Security Professionals in Higher Education, OSAC’s Academia Sector Committee, and several cross-provider working groups. When not working, you can find Vanessa leading a theological reading group or indulging in some Bravo TV. In addition to an MA in History from Pitt, she also holds a BA in East Asian Studies from NYU.

Kate Maruyama

Kate Maruyama

Assistant Director, Program Projects & Initiatives
202.349.7352
[email protected]

Kate joined CET in 2009, after completing three years teaching English on the JET Program. Her experiences studying abroad in Bangladesh and Japan, working in Osaka, traveling across Asia, and organizing a Europe Day event with Concordia Language Villages solidified her desire to facilitate cross-cultural exchanges. She graduated summa cum laude from Macalester College with a double major in Japanese and Religious Studies. Outside work, she is a voracious reader who loves spending time outside and planning elaborate themed meals.

Academic Affairs

Rebecca Pisano, Ph.D.

Director, Academic Affairs
202.315.0211
[email protected]

Rebecca’s love of all things international began in high school while a member of the student exchange club. Her first overseas travel experience at age 18 as well as a semester study abroad in Spain and a year teaching English in Poland inspired her pursuit of a career in international education. Since 2001 she has worked at six universities on both U.S. coasts and in Ecuador, receiving a Fulbright International Education Administrators award to Japan in 2011. Following a stint in the Office of Global Educational Programs at the U.S. Department of State, she joined CET as the Director of Academic Affairs in 2022. In her free time, she moonlights as an adjunct professor in community-based education and enjoys reading, yoga, and horseback riding whenever possible. She holds a BA in International Studies and Spanish from Miami University, a MA in International Development Studies from George Washington University, and a Ph.D. in Comparative/International Studies in Education from UCLA.

Hilary Wilson

Academic Coordinator
202.349.0214
[email protected]

Hilary’s first study abroad experience abroad in Florence, Italy as an undergraduate sparked her love for travel and learning. A two-time graduate of Boston College with a BA in Art History (2004) and an MA in Higher Education Administration (2006), Hilary has worked in international education for 15 years. She has lived abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland and most recently in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she was the Academic Counselor & Registrar at DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia. Hilary also worked in US study abroad offices at Simmons University, University of Maryland, College Park, and The George Washington University, and was a Fulbright Scholar to South Korea in 2015. She also has her own art business and tries to ride the bike she brought back from Copenhagen whenever she can.

CUSTOM PROGRAMS

Lauren Kardos

Lauren Kardos

Assistant Director, Custom Programs
202.349.7334
[email protected]

Lauren has earned two degrees from the George Washington University–a BA (2012) with a double major in International Affairs and Middle East Studies and MA (2017) in International Education. As an undergraduate, she studied Arabic in Egypt and Jordan. Lauren has worked for AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Middle East and North Africa, and for the Institute of International Education. In the latter role, she served as Program Officer for Project GO programs and Evaluation Officer on the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning team. In her spare time, Lauren is a yoga teacher, avid reader, and podcast enthusiast.

Brian Wiehr

Brian Wiehr

Custom Programs Manager
202.349.0687
[email protected]

Brian has worked in international education for 15 years, in roles focused on program development, strategic partnerships, marketing, and admissions. He earned a BA in International Studies and Political Science at St. Norbert College and an Ed.M. in International Education Policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. A first-generation college student and overseas traveler, Brian credits his interest in cultural exchange to his high school years, when he hosted an exchange student and participated in a sister-school program to Germany. He later studied abroad in Austria as an undergraduate and taught in Japan through the JET Program. Passionate about expanding access to international experiences, Brian enjoys volunteering with the Fund for Education Abroad. Brian joined CET in 2019 and began working on the Custom Programs team in 2022.

Meet with Brian

Caitlin Monan

Custom Programs Coordinator
202.349.0773
[email protected]

Originally from Buffalo, NY, Caitlin Monan earned a BS of International Studies from SUNY Fredonia and a Master’s of International Education from New York University.  During her undergraduate and graduate studies, Caitlin studied abroad in Chile, Vietnam and Ghana.  When Caitlin is not planning her next international trip, she enjoys working out, long walks with her dog, and seeing live stand up comedy. 

Europe & Middle East

Allegra O'Donoghue

Allegra O'Donoghue

Director, Europe and Middle East Programs
202.349.0676
[email protected]

Allegra graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2008 with a major in Middle East Studies and minor in Music. In 2006-2007, she studied abroad at the American University in Cairo. After graduating, she continued her Arabic studies as a Flagship Fellow at Damascus University 2009-2010, and CASA Fellow at the American University in Cairo 2011-2012. She has managed CET’s Middle East portfolio since early 2013. For fun, Allegra loves cooking, traveling, taking pictures, and getting outside.

Emily McGhee

Assistant Director, Europe Programs
202.349.7320 x7392
[email protected]

Emily was born and raised in Paris by an American mother and Czech father. She has a BA in Comparative Literature from Wellesley College (2008) and studied abroad in Prague with CET Jewish Studies and in Senegal and Morocco with other programs. After graduation, she lived and worked in Prague for two years where she held positions at an educational training company and a non-profit humanitarian organization. She earned an MA in African Studies and an MS in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2012) where she also studied Swahili as a FLAS fellow. She is fluent in French and Czech, and proficient in Swahili and Spanish. She has traveled to over 30 countries and hopes to increase that number! She enjoys learning new languages, is an avid reader and writer, and collects masks from around the world.

Jon Stern

Jon Stern

Senior Programs Manager, Italy
202.846.7654
[email protected]

Jon is a native of Washington, DC. An interest in his family roots inspired him to study Italian language and culture as an undergraduate student at the University of Richmond (BA, 2007), and that led him to study abroad for summer and semester terms in Italy. After working in the medical field for several years, Jon decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Italian Studies at Georgetown University (MA, 2015). His thesis project focused on the identity of Italian Americans in the DC area. Jon simply loves all things Italy, and as the CET Italy Programs Manager, is very excited to help students experience their own adventures in Il Bel Paese.

Greater China

Adam Jones, Ed.D.

Director, China Programs and Special Initiatives
202.349.7344
[email protected]

Adam first became interested in China during a summer study abroad trip in university, since then he has spent more than a decade living, working, and studying there. From 2004 to 2008, Adam served as the CET Beijing Resident Director and Beijing Programs Manager for CET in Beijing. He then returned to the CET Washington, DC office to serve as China Programs Manager, then Asia Programs Director, and now Director of China Programs and Special Initiatives. He also led the CET consulting project for the Schwarzman Scholars Program at Tsinghua University from 2015 to 2016 in Beijing. Prior to joining CET, Adam served as the Program Director for the Brethren Colleges Abroad Study Center at Dalian University of Foreign Languages. Adam received a BA in Economics and Business Administration from Ouachita University in Arkansas, an MA in East Asian Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management at Drexel University.

Ben Pollok

Ben Pollok

Assistant Director, Greater China Programs
202.349.7342 x7342
[email protected]

As an undergraduate at Colgate University (BA, 2011), Ben studied abroad in both Shanghai, China and Geneva, Switzerland. The two very different experiences ignited his interest in both education abroad and education as an international development issue. In 2011, Ben returned to China to work as an Admissions Officer for Peking University, and later served as a Campus Relations Coordinator for CET in New England. He later pursued a Master of Arts in International Economics (2017) at Johns Hopkins SAIS, focusing on social development in East and Southeast Asian countries. While at SAIS, Ben worked at USAID and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He returned to CET in 2017 as Vietnam and China Programs Manager.

Tara Sun Vanacore

Senior Programs Manager, China
202.785.2006
[email protected]

Tara joined the Programs team in 2016 after working as a Writer and Communications Specialist for CET. Tara manages intensive language programs in Mainland China and is a CET Beijing and Middlebury in China: Hangzhou alumna. Previously, Tara worked at the Global Fund for Children, the US-China Strong Foundation, the Shady Hill School, and the Mandarin Immersion Program in Portland Public Schools. She has directed summer programs in China for Putney Student Travel. Tara earned an MA in Ethics, Peace, and Global Affairs from American University’s School of International Service in 2013 and a BA in Chinese Language and Literature from Middlebury College in 2006. Tara lives in Washington, DC.

Latin America

Héctor M. Cruz-Feliciano, Ph.D

Director, Latin America Programs
202.349.7348
[email protected]

Originally from Puerto Rico, Héctor has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has taught at the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, Universidad Metropolitana (Puerto Rico), Universidad Thomas More (Nicaragua), and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. From 2003 to 2013 he served as Resident Director for CIEE in Nicaragua and Chile.  With Andrea Rizzotti, Héctor is co-editor of Voices from the South: Decolonial Perspectives in International Education (Forum on Education Abroad, 2022).  He has traveled extensively in Latin America and speaks Spanish and Portuguese. Hector is in charge of the design, implementation and execution of the CET programs in Latin America.

Student Services

Michelle Jenkins

Director, Student Services
202.349.7346
[email protected]

Michelle was fortunate enough to go abroad with her school at a young age, sparking an interest in travel and other cultures. She has worked in Australia, New Zealand, and eventually Barcelona—where her position as an English teacher inspired her career in international education. With degrees in Philosophy (BA, Emory University) and Intercultural Relations (MA, Lesley University), she has worked as an advisor, overseas administrator, and an institutional relations manager at Babson College and The School for Field Studies. One of her career highlights was serving as an on-site coordinator for a multi-destination program abroad, where she worked first-hand with students studying in Russia, China, and India.

Kate Bohan

Manager, Finance & Scholarships
202.846.7663
[email protected]

A southern California native, Kate has worked in international education for almost 10 years, in roles ranging from PDSO to Finance Manager. After receiving a Masters in Education from the University of San Francisco, Kate moved to Chiba, Japan to teach English as part of the JET Programme. She returned stateside with an appreciation for the impact of a study abroad experience. Since then, Kate has made travel a regular part of her life. When she’s not exploring a new corner of the globe, Kate enjoys exploring the DC art scene, jogging & cooking with friends.

Meet with Kate

Melanie MacKenzie

Manager, Student Services
Advises on programs in Jordan & Latin America
202.846.7662
[email protected]

Melanie’s first international experience was a high school semester in Spain. Her positive experience immersing in the language and culture led her to American University, where she spent a semester in Brazil and conducted research in Northern Ireland. After graduating, (B.A., International Studies, 2018), she was a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Brazil before joining CET in 2019. In her free time, you can find Melanie seeking out the best running routes and ice cream shops—both in D.C. and abroad.
Meet with Melanie
photo of lucy

Lucy Gough

Student Services Coordinator
Advises on programs in Shanghai and Taiwan 
202.349.7322
[email protected]

Lucy’s first experience living abroad was during her gap year when she volunteered in Madagascar participating in marine conservation and teaching English. Later, she studied abroad in San Sebastián, Spain in an intensive language program which further cemented her love of seeking experiences in new and different cultures. After graduating with a BA in Psychology and an Education minor, she worked with UMass Amherst’s first year program in London as a program assistant before joining CET in 2024. In her free time, you can find Lucy exploring the outdoors, reading/listening to books, or dreaming up her next adventure. 

Meet with Lucy

Karen "K" Olivas

Student Services Coordinator
Advises on programs in Italy
202.349.7321
[email protected]

Karen, or as she goes by, “K” is a proud West Coast Chicana who graduated from Oregon State University in 2020 with a BA in Psychology and Minor in Japanese. She studied abroad in Tokyo in 2019 which sparked her enthusiasm for topics in education abroad. Her master’s studies at the George Washington University (’23) focus on Administration of Higher Education with a concentration in International Education and an interest in issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In her free time, you can find her geeking out to Anime and food culture, listening to crime podcasts, exploring her sense of fashion, and lovingly harassing her housemate’s cat. (Tambien habla Español!)

Meet with K
woman smiling at camera

Tara Strauch

Student Services Coordinator
Advises on programs in Beijing, Harbin, and Japan
202.349.7325
[email protected]

Tara’s first experience living abroad was living in Belgium with a host family as part of an exchange program for a year after high school. This positive experience cemented her interest in living and learning abroad, resulting in a semester of student teaching in Copenhagen. After graduating (B.A., Anthropology and Elementary Education, 2021), she taught English in Japan as part of the JET Program. In her free time, you can find Tara visiting art museums, teaching herself a new craft, and planning her next trip.

Meet with Tara

Celine Okome

Student Services Coordinator
Advises on programs in Prague 
202.349.0216
[email protected]

Celine’s first time living abroad was in 2018, during a summer program in the Czech Republic. This experience inspired her to continue travelling, and she spent two semesters living in France and Australia while completing her bachelor’s degree. After graduating, Celine was an Assistant English Teacher in France(with the TAPIF Program) and in Japan(with the JET Program). In her free time, you can find her listening to music, practicing photography, or finding her new favorite restaurant. 

Meet with Celine

Marketing

Shelley Jessee

Shelley Jessee

Vice President, Enrollment & Engagement
202.349.7350
[email protected]

Growing up in East Tennessee, Shelley always wanted to travel abroad but never had the opportunity. Since her first international experience in China during her sophomore year at Radford University (BA in English and International Studies), she has been passionate about sending US students abroad. She earned an MA in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University in 2009 and an MBA from Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 2021. Prior to working at CET, she worked as Study Abroad Advisor in The George Washington University’s Office for Study Abroad and at IIE on the Fulbright Specialists Program.

Megan Mancenido

Marketing Manager
202.349.0688
[email protected]

Megan grew up in Texas with free flight privileges that shaped her love of international travel. She later graduated from UT Austin in 2013 with degrees in International Relations & Global Studies and Chinese Language & Culture. During her junior year she did the CET Chinese Studies & Internship in Shanghai program and left determined to return to China for work. After graduation, Megan did a service year with AmeriCorps and then moved to Shenzhen, China to help manage the international programs and media at Peking University. Four years later, she returned to the US to join CET and encourage others to have their own experiences abroad.

Julie Kim

Social Media Coordinator
202.349.0674
[email protected]

Julie graduated from Temple University with a major in Communication Studies, a minor in Content Creation, and a certificate in Spanish. As an undergraduate, she studied abroad in Rome, Italy. She was a part of the first cohort in Spring 2021 to study abroad after the pandemic at Temple University Rome. In Italy, Julie wrote weekly blogs as a Fund for Education Abroad scholar and worked for Romeing Magazine as an intern. She continued to help students interested in studying abroad at the Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses office as a Peer Advisor and joined the CET Marketing team in 2022.

woman smiling at camera

Kyra Winslow

Graphic Design and Marketing Coordinator
202.349.7329
[email protected]

Kyra graduated from Elon University with degrees in Communication Design and Media Analytics and a minor in Psychology. In January of 2023, she had the opportunity to study in Hawai’i. While this technically wasn’t “abroad,” Kyra loved the hands-on experiences the program provided and learning the history, language, and culture of the Hawaiian Islands. Passionate about design and traveling abroad, Kyra joined the CET Marketing team in 2023 and hopes to positively impact student experiences through her design work.

CET Jordan: Academic Consultation Board

Over the years, we’ve built a strong network of locally-based faculty that we’re proud to call our peers. These faculty make up our Academic Consultation Board—a select group of local voices and thought leaders that help advise and shape components of the CET Jordan program. 

Board members support the program in many ways, including but not limited to:

  • Leveraging topical expertise to help develop courses, including field-based components.
  • Teaching courses or guest lectures for CET Jordan and custom programs
  • Recommending and providing academic resources for research

Academic Consultation Board Members

  • Dr. Bader Al Madi | American University of Madaba, PhD, Sociology, Political Science
  • Dr. Amani El Serhan | University of Jordan, PhD, Women's Studies
  • Dr. Amani Qashmar | University of Jordan, PhD, Education
  • Dr. Areej Alawzi | University of Jordan, PhD, English Literature/Translation
  • Dr. Ahmad Al Khrisha | World Islamic Sciences & Education University, PhD, Arabic Language & Literature

Learn more about studying abroad with CET

Learn more about studying abroad with CET