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By Sharon Rhode, Director of Educational Outreach
When I was a kid, I truly believed I would never leave my neighborhood. Somehow, along the way, I have traveled to a dozen countries on four continents, studied half-a-dozen languages, worked for half-a-dozen international exchange organizations and had done graduate work in Intercultural Management at the School for International Training (SIT) in Brattleboro, VT. Who knew?
It’s become my passion to share the delights of study abroad and language learning with others. One of the things I like best about AmeriSpan is that there’s something for everyone here…teens, families, college students, young professionals and adults of every age and stage…I just spoke with a 70-year-old who wants to go to Italy!
Here are some of my top international experiences: I worked as the Coordinadora de Programas Internacionales at the US/Uruguayan Bi-national Center in Montevideo, Uruguay for the better part of two years, and got to travel throughout the Southern Cone, from the amazing Iguazu Falls (if you’re anywhere near it you must go!) to –- almost –- the end of the earth, Punta Arenas, the southernmost city in the world. Highlight? The pinguinos en sus nidos (penguin babies in their nests)! Earlier, I spent a Summer Abroad in Florence, Italy, followed by four months of travel through Europe. Highlight? Visiting my exchange sister in Nancy, France. Also fun was running through my English and French and finally arriving at Spanish to ask directions in Israel –- from a soldier who had come from Argentina!
Choosing to work in international educational exchange and cross-cultural training allows me to encourage others to have their own international adventures. Because for me, best of all, is working with international students, scholars, exchange visitors, au pairs, business people, and everyday travelers arranging programs that take folks out of their neighborhoods and into the world!
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