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PROGRAM LEADERS AND FIELD STAFF 2011
Superior leadership is critical to the success of our programs. Therefore, a great deal of time and care goes into assembling a superb team of leaders in the field. In addition to being warm, bright, compassionate, energetic, creative and competent, each leader also has extensive experience working with high school students. Global Routes leaders must be at least 24 years of age, certified in CPR and First Aid, have far-reaching travel experience and complete Global Routes' intensive training program. Our highest priority is sustaining excellence in leadership. It is with great pleasure that we offer you our 2010 leaders.
We are also very excited to introduce our 2011 field staff. They hail from all over the world and are an essential part of developing, managing, and improving our programs. On the ground, they bring tremendous excitement, dedication, and support to Global Routes programs as cultural contacts, community liaisons, language teachers, translators, logistical wizards, transportation providers, and project managers. They also bring a wealth of life experiences gained from commitment in their personal lives to farming, cattle-raising, guiding treks and safaris, teaching, studying, providing food and transportation services, founding and directing NGOs, spearheading environmental and social initiatives, and leading their communities. We are fortunate to work with such an outstanding group of individuals.
Luke Johnson MPPA/MBA Candidate, UMASS Amherst; B.A., Psychology, Columbia University. Wilderness First Responder. Former wilderness guide and program counselor for at-risk teenagers. Worked and travelled throughout Central America as a guide and program coordinator. Speaks Spanish. Avid climber, cyclist and backpacker. Competed in rodeos in Costa Rica with his horse Augustus. Two seasons with Global Routes.
Daniela Lewy M.P.H., Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Delta Omega Scholar; B.A. Earth and Environmental Science, Wesleyan University. Faculty member in International Health Department at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Center for Refugee and Disaster Response. Certified teacher and mountaineering instructor. Worked as a study abroad director and trip leader, currently developing an international school in India for youth from resource-poor communities in the United States. Worked, lived and traveled throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Fluent in Kiswahili and conversational in Spanish. Spends free time running, hiking, looking for ways to travel for free, and spending time with the cutest nephew in the world. Three seasons with Global Routes.
Pedro Cano coordinates and manages our service projects and homestays in the San Ignacio area. The rest of the year, he is the Director of several elementary schools and is very involved in education initiatives in the area. He has also been a professor of education at the University of Belize. 13 years with Global Routes.
Anna Seno M.S.W. candidate, Ohio University; B.A. Sociology, B.S. Outdoor Education, Ohio University. Wilderness First Aid and Vinyasa Yoga teacher certified. Worked, volunteered, and traveled through South America and southern Africa. Speaks Spanish. Spends free time mountain biking, boating, backpacking, and exploring. One season with Global Routes.
Chor Choch (aka "Joe") coordinates all our accommodations, transportation, meals, and much more. He is also a valuable connection to the Cambodian culture and language. Chor works full-time as a tour coordinator for a Siem Reap-based organization focusing on increased access to quality education. He also enjoys studying Cambodian history, English, and French. Chor takes great pride in sharing his country with visitors from around the world. One year with Global Routes.
Tola Khoun collaborates with the host community to coordinate and manage the homestays and service projects. At any given moment, he is either on the worksite or with the group, the families, or community leaders striving to create a positive experience for everyone. Tola works full-time at a Cambodian-run organization that focuses on sustainable development and conservation in rural communities. He likes working with Global Routes because he can create a learning experience for the students while at the same time helping the community. One year with Global Routes.
Eric Gordon B.A., International Affairs with an emphasis on Latin America, University of Colorado at Boulder, cum laude. Event and Project Manager for EG Management. Former Member of AmeriCorps National Preparedness and Response Corps for the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter. Studied, worked, volunteered and traveled throughout South America, Western Europe, the Middle East and Morocco. Fluent in Spanish. Spends free time cycling and playing the guitar and banjo. Has a serious affinity for vegetarian banh mi sandwiches.
Simone Levine M.A. International Education, New York University, B.A. Public Communication, DePaul University. NOLS Wilderness First Aid Certified. American Red Cross CPR Certified. Certified Yoga Instructor. International TEFL and TESOL Certified. Taught English in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Has also studied, worked, traveled, and volunteered through Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Bali, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Mexico, Israel, and Ghana. On any given day you can find her biking, taking photos of just about anything, winding herself up in yoga, volunteering, playing volleyball, practicing her Spanish with anyone she can, cooking exotic meals to remind her of her travels, and dreaming about her next destination.
Luis Padilla arranges our service projects and homestays in the San Isidro area. He is a jack-of-all-trades who helps groups with whatever they need. He is also a real-life cowboy who lives and works on the cattle ranch he owns outside of San Isidro. Luis loves collaborating with the host communities and seeing the progress the groups help to facilitate in the many villages Global Routes has visited over the years. 20 years with Global Routes.
Dan Shafto B.A. Spanish, Northeastern University. Freelance writer and editor. Wrote encyclopedia volume about Carnival holiday throughout the world. Taught EFL in Mexico and Spain, taught Spanish in U.S. Traveled to Europe, West Africa, Latin America, Caribbean. Participated in Sea Education Association's SEA Semester. Worked on commercial and charter fishing vessels. Loves writing, reading, hiking, music, and the ocean. Fluent in Spanish.
Corry Banton M.A., Service, Leadership and Management, School for International Training; B.A., Education, Antioch College. Certified K-9 Teacher. Wilderness First Responder. Founding member of Boston Interpreters Collective. Volunteer for the Mexico Solidarity Network. Studied, worked and volunteered in Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, Brazil and New Zealand. Speaks Spanish and sings in Portuguese. Loves mangoes and her bicycle. Six seasons with Global Routes.
Olmedo Valdez Cuevas arranges our service projects and homestays in the Jarabacoa region. When not working with Global Routes, he is the project coordinator at an organization committed to social services and community development. He believes that the relationship he has with Global Routes is yet another wonderful way that his organization can meet its mission of improving the lives of Dominicans. Seven years with Global Routes.
Breezy Salmonsen B.S. in Recreation Management and Resources and Minor in Spanish, University of Vermont. Former AmeriCorp VISTA Volunteer and ESL and Spanish Teacher at the Teton Literacy Center in Jackson, WY. Wilderness First Responder and Avalanche 1 Education Course. Lived, worked and traveled in Vermont, Washington, Wyoming, Peru, Argentina, Costa Rica, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, San Juan Islands, and Spain. Speaks Spanish. Spends free time hiking and mountain biking Teton Pass, snowboarding, drinking coffee and watching my Boston Celtics!
Nick Petschek B.A. Philosophy, Education and Spanish Minors, University of Massachusetts. Current dual masters candidate at The Fletcher School and Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, both at Tufts University. CPR and First Aid certified. TEFL certification. Studied, worked, and traveled throughout Europe, Latin America and India. Fluent in Spanish. Spends free time dancing, rock climbing, and making music.
Jenny Grabelsky B.A. in Psychology, Wesleyan University. Lived, worked, and traveled in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Patagonia, Bolivia, and Peru. Participated in a Global Routes high school trip to Ecuador and then went to Costa Rica for three months on a Global Routes Teaching Internship Program. Has taught elementary school students, run bi-lingual health and vocational workshops for New York’s underserved populations and led canoe trips for teens and families. Worked in the Peruvian Amazon as a Spanish and American Sign Language interpreter. Speaks Spanish. Spends free time hiking, playing volleyball, traveling, and watching movies.
Raul Cabrera coordinates our service projects and homestays in the San Luis de Pambil area. When not working with Global Routes, he is very committed to the organization he and his brother Carlos founded and now run, which focuses on reforestation and “green progress” or sustainable community development in over 200 communities. Raul is also an Ashoka social entrepreneur and is excited about projects that improve quality of life without damaging the surrounding environment. Raul likes working with Global Routes because the groups bring a lot of energy and support to important community projects. 16 years with Global Routes.
Carlos Cabrera manages certain program logistics in Quito and provides community support when needed. In addition to all his work in the area of reforestation, he is widely recognized as an expert in organic production and rural sustainable development and has consulted with the Ecuadorian government on such matters. Carlos believes that the Global Routes groups help create positive relationships with villages that he and his organization can build upon the rest of the year. 16 years with Global Routes.
Washington Villamarin coordinates our orientation activities in and around Otavalo. He and his family love spending time with the group, and every year they are a real highlight of many of the group’s excursions. Washington is the director at an Otavalo-based Spanish language institute and is also dedicated to a project that he has initiated in the cloud forest where volunteers can spend time at several rural, under-resourced schools. 13 years with Global Routes.
Chau Tran MSW, Social Work, Columbia University; B.A., English, Minor, International Studies, University of California, Berkeley. Wilderness Emergency First Responder. High School Social Worker. Studied, worked, volunteered and traveled throughout Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia and some great National Parks in the United States. Spends free time practicing yoga and finding the best cupcake in New York City.
Daniel Grupper B.A. Prescott College, Psychology and Ecology. Yogi. Wilderness First Responder. Professional Forester. Completed 2 Americorps terms of service. Significant time spent living and working in the Colorado Backcountry. Fluent in Spanish. Spent time travelling, volunteering, and studying in Alaska, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Israel, Egypt, and Japan. Fond of storytellers, campfires, cooking vegetarian cuisine, dancing, bike riding, baked goods, and reading post-modern scholarly work.
Martha Jonah arranges our service projects and homestays in the Cape Coast area. She also lives in the host community with the group to help translate and communicate with community members. In addition to raising five children, she founded the Care Love Foundation, an NGO that focuses on women’s empowerment. She is currently working on obtaining her degree in management at the Cape Coast University. Martha enjoys meeting and working with different Global Routes program leaders and living in the host community with the students. Six years with Global Routes.
George Nana Aggrey-Fynn coordinates our transportation, accommodations, and many other important details for the group’s travel and service project. He is very familiar with the Cape Coast area and can help the group with anything and everything they might need. Nana likes working with Global Routes because it offers him the opportunity to interact with under-resourced villages and better understand their needs. Six years with Global Routes.
Michael Bentil-Arthur accompanies our groups to the Volta Region where he helps make every day arrangements and gives the students introductory Fanti language lessons. He also lives in the host community with the group and helps translate and manage the service project worksite. Michael is a municipal assembly member and is pursuing a diploma in commerce at Cape Coast University. He is also a football coach, the finance officer of a local foundation, and the leader of a community-based soccer team. Michael cherishes working with Global Routes because he gets to experience different cultural backgrounds first hand. Two years with Global Routes.
Kai Johnson B.A. Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Wilderness First Aid. Program Leader on gap year and experiential education programs in the United States and South Asia. Studied abroad in Fiji and India and has worked, volunteered and traveled in South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Advanced Hindi skills. Frequently seen on many kinds of wake/skate/snowboards and with a head buried in books.
Karen Rosenbloom B.S. Art Education, Northern Illinois University. Certified teacher and National Education Award winner. Wilderness First Aid certified. Program Leader for Carpe Diem Education, leading semesters in Central America, India and South Pacific and Africa. Subsitute Teacher and a Rock Climbing Instructor. Karen has studied, worked, volunteered and traveled throughout Southeast Asia, Israel, the Dominican Republic, and throughout the United States. Spends her free time rock climbing, backpacking, dancing and practicing yoga. One season with Global Routes.
K.S. Nanjappa coordinates the service project and liaises with the host communities in the Mysore area. He is the rural development coordinator for an Indian NGO whose mission is to empower local individuals to support the financial, mental, and physical health of their own families. He oversees a great number of projects such as financial self-help groups, health camps, and literacy and education initiatives. Two years with Global Routes.
Fabio deOliveira Coehlo B.A., Social Communications/Journalism, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil. Elementary School Bilingual Teaching Credential, San José State University. MA in Linguistics, San Jose State University. TOEFL certified. Former sea kayak guide and environmental science instructor. Traveled throughout Latin America and Europe. Elementary School Bilingual Teacher. Fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. Enjoys kayaking, biking, cooking, reading, swimming, and traveling abroad. Spends free time looking for places to travel and connect with people. Five seasons with Global Routes.
Laurel Barton M.A., Peace and Conflict Studies, United Nations University for Peace, Costa Rica; B.A., Humanities, Fort Lewis College, cum laude. Educator in pottery, film, farming, works with public and private schools in Colorado and California, loves to work with high school age students. River guide, kayak instructor and ski instructor. Studied and worked throughout Central and North America in the fields of outdoor education, art education and conflict resolution. Loves to travel on foot, bike, boat, and when necessary, on planes. Loves to write stories, act out plays and make independent films. Fourth season with Global Routes.
Geno Calvo Rey Grew up in Madrid Spain and moved to the US with her family. She is an experienced teacher who has taught Spanish for the past 15 years in various schools throughout Massachusetts. Geno’s love for teaching comes from her enthusiasm of wanting to share her own culture and cultural experiences with her students. She has led student groups abroad throughout Spain, Morocco, Mexico, Canada and the United States. Geno has also traveled throughout Europe, Africa, the Philippines and Australia. In her travels, she collaborated with non-profit humanitarian organizations in Africa and Mexico. Currently she is living in Paris, France where she is pursuing her long time dream of learning French. She enjoys exploring in new cities, designing and making jewelry as well as sitting at a café with a great book.
Peter Mathenge coordinates our accommodations, safaris, and certain transportation. He works for a Kkenyan-owned expedition company, and has been guiding safaris and treks for over ten years. He has been trained by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and is a wilderness first responder. He loves meeting all the leaders and students in the Global Routes programs and learning more about the cultural differences between the U.S. and East Africa. Five years with Global Routes.
Jeremiah Karungani coordinates and manages our service projects and homestays in the Kakamega area. He also plays an important role as the group’s translator and liaison to the host families and community members. He owns both a restaurant in Kakamega and a transport company that provides some of the transportation for our groups. He likes working with Global Routes because it gives him the opportunity to meet new and different people from the U.S. and the host communities. Ten years with Global Routes.
Kimberly Daglen M.A., Spanish Language and Literature, University of Nevada, Reno; B.A. Environmental Studies, University of Oregon. Certified Yoga instructor. Former primary school English teacher in Andalucia, Spain and former Peace Corps volunteer, Panama 2002-2004. Studied, worked, volunteered and traveled throughout Central America, Europe, India, Mexico, and Morocco. Fluent in Spanish. Spends free time practicing yoga, running, reading, playing frisbee, hiking, hula hooping, singing and snowboarding. Two seasons with Global Routes. 
James Bridge B.A. Mass Communication, Towson University, Cum Laude; Program leader for high school semesters abroad. Piano Instructor. Worked, volunteered and travelled throughout North America, Europe, South Africa, and South Asia. Fluent in Ladakhi and literate in Tibetan script. Conversational in Spanish and basic Hindi. Spends free time travelling and playing piano in jazz bands. One season with Global Routes.
Shankar Pathak organizes our accommodations, transportation, and all of the logistics for the Himalayan trek. He also arranges our service projects and homestays. He is the director and owner of an adventure travel company that focuses on responsible trekking, climbing, and rafting in the Kathmandu Valley. Shankar says he truly enjoys working with Global Routes leaders, students, and office staff to provide relief to the people in the local communities. Ten years with Global Routes.
Ratna Tamang is the guide for our Himalayan trek. He also lives in the host community with the group where he provides translation, a cultural connection, every day support on the worksite, and comic relief. When he is not making our students laugh or guiding them up a mountain, Ratna works as the lead guide for Shankar's trekking company (see above). He likes working with Global Routes because it gives him the chance to promote education and a higher standard of living in the host communities. Ten years with Global Routes.
Nicolás Butí First Certificate in English proficiency, Cambridge University College; Professor in English Language, National University of Tucumán, Wilderness First Aid certified, Coordinator of intercultural learning experiences. Studied, worked, volunteered and traveled in Europe, North, Central and South America, Native Spanish speaker, Fluent in English, Conversational in Portuguese, Spends free time working as a carpenter, artisan, playing soccer and traveling, strives to educate and empower the communities he visits through the implementation of ecologically sustainable practices.
Jessica Cudnik B.S. in Horticulture, University of Georgia, Presidential Scholar, Certificate in International Education. Wilderness First Aid, Yoga Teacher, Studied, worked, volunteered and traveled in Scotland, France, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Fluent in Spanish. Spends free time reading, mountain and road cycling, running, teaching yoga.
Karina Azcue coordinates our service projects and homestays in the Ollantaytambo area. In the summer, she can often be found in the host community liaising with community leaders, foreman, and host families. She, her husband Freddy, and their family live on ten acres of Incan terraces that they strive to farm in a way that is both productive and sustainable. Karina loves working with host communities to create a positive experience for both them and our groups. Four years with Global Routes.
Matt Fox M.A. Education with ESL endorsement, Lewis and Clark College; B.A., English and Teaching, University of Montana. High School Media Arts Teacher. Lacrosse coach and kayak instructor. Traveled, studied, worked and volunteered throughout Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, Spain and Western Europe. Enjoys racing bikes, rock climbing, mountaineering, kayaking, telemark skiing and most anything that gets him into the mountains or onto the water. Four seasons with Global Routes.
Ruth Williams M.A. Education, Pacific University; B.S., History, University of Oregon. Social Studies and English teacher. Soccer coach and ski instructor. Traveled extensively throughout western Europe and lived in the U.K. and Spain. Led camping trips throughout various national parks in the continental U.S. and Alaska. Enjoys skiing, hiking, running, camping and playing soccer. Three seasons with Global Routes.
Mohamed Idd Msechu coordinates and manages our service projects and homestays in the Arusha area. He also lives alongside our groups in the host communities where he participates as a cultural liaison and translator. When not spending time with the groups, “Mo” (as the students like to call him) is a cook for two different safari companies and also leads some of his own safaris. He enjoys working with Global Routes because he feels that the students help the people of Tanzania meet some of their many needs. Three years with Global Routes.
Hussein Omary coordinates our accommodations, transportation, and safaris. He works on the Tanzanian side of a safari company that Global Routes has partnered with for many years in Kenya. Hussein thinks the Global Routes leaders are great people and really likes working with them. He also believes that working with Global Routes has been a unique way for him to help the poor people in his country. Three years with Global Routes.
Sutthinee Jitmart (aka “O”) coordinates and manages our homestays and service projects. She also arranges most of our accommodations and transportation. When she is not doing amazing things for Global Routes, she works for a company that offers ecologically and culturally sensitive tours throughout Thailand and Southeast Asia. O enjoys spending time with the Global Routes students and leaders and says she is proud of the many wonderful relationships that she has helped facilitate over the years. Six years with Global Routes.