MEET THE ITA STAFF

I’ve always been interested in cultures and languages. Growing up in Toronto, I was surrounded by so many different cuisines, accents, and festivities. I remember one day during Sesame Street’s French word of the day segment, I told my father that I wanted to learn French. I spent the next 8 years in a French Immersion school. When I moved to the US, I picked up Spanish and dabbled in Portuguese and Italian.

During my senior year of high school, I became involved with a wonderful non-profit organization, Amigos de las Americas, and spent the next 5 years promoting sustainable development, youth empowerment, and cultural exchange. These experiences definitely helped to shape me and my preferred travel style. Most times I’ll take the intimate connections in a rural village over being secluded in a resort. Although, bonus points if there’s a quiet beach or lake for those times when I need to “get away.”

I was born in Jamaica and grew up in Toronto. I graduated from Kent State University with a BBA in Marketing and a BA in International Relations.

Jamacia, Canada, USA, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Panama.

I spent my 4^th year of college in the US territory, Puerto Rico. Attending the University of Puerto Rico, my courses were all in Spanish, and English isn’t as widely used as some would believe. During this time, I also taught English as a Second Language in a private language school. I taught Business English, Beginner, and Intermediate in small group and private classes.

Backpacking through Brazil after college was a great adventure. From 23-hour bus rides to racing against time on the back of a motorcycle taxi, and everything in between – it was all a big lesson on trust: trusting myself, trusting others, trusting intuition, and trusting the process.

I was too young to remember the very first one, but the first time I traveled abroad without my parents was right after high school. I went to Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and lived with a host family. The process of getting there was terrifying – from the ride to the airport, to going through the gate, and leaving the familiar behind. As cheesy as it sounds, I felt at home as soon as I arrived. I was welcomed into the community and blessed to make some meaningful connections. This pattern has repeated itself throughout my travels both domestically and abroad. The nerves are often replaced by a sense of belonging.

Working at ITA gives me the opportunity to work with the brave. Every day, I witness the fears and insecurities associated with changing careers, getting on a plane for the first time, and stepping into the unfamiliar. I do what I can to ease these fears, but most importantly, I get to sit back and watch our graduates determine to move forward despite the uncertainty of what awaits them.