Craig’s leadership of Amerigo builds on more than a decade of experience driving growth and innovation in education. Prior to Amerigo, Craig was President & CEO of Deltak, a pioneering provider of online education services for leading American universities. In 2014, after leading the sale of Deltak to John Wiley & Sons, he became a Managing Director in Wiley’s Corporate Development group, identifying and executing acquisitions and strategic partnerships. Craig is passionate about building a dynamic and cohesive team culture that drives successful outcomes for Amerigo's students. He received a B.S. in Finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

David brings years of expertise in international education as President & COO. Prior to Amerigo, David was Head of Operations for North America at Nord Anglia Education, a leading K-12 operator of elite international schools, where he oversaw the American schools and managed the Global Enrollment Team. Previously, David was Senior Vice President of Operations at the Meritas International Family of Schools, where he managed seven schools in North America and held positions in corporate strategy, M&A, finance, and school operations. Earlier in his career, David was Director of International Development at Kaplan and a Vice President at Sterling Partners. David received an M.B.A. from Kellogg School of Management and a B.A. in Political Science from Williams College.

Mark brings over 20 years of finance, accounting, and strategy experience to Amerigo. Prior to Amerigo, Mark's experience includes roles at the Big Four accounting firms Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mark has also held roles as Head of Investment Accounting at AlpInvest Partners, CFO of Conversus Asset Management, Business/Financial Planning & Performance leader at grocery delivery pioneer Peapod, and most recently CFO of Vosges-Haut Chocolat. Mark earned his Bachelors and Masters in Accounting Science from the University of South Africa, and is a Certified Chartered Accountant.

Martin Salas brings over 25 years of experience in Human Resources practice, management and leadership to Amerigo. Martin held international Senior Human Resources Executive roles for global organizations including IBM, AIG and Teva Pharmaceuticals. Most recently Martin was Managing Director at Chronsult, an Organizational effectiveness consulting firm based in Miami. Martin brings a strong track record of culture building, performance management and leadership/talent development to Amerigo.  He hails from Peru where he received a BS in Industrial Engineering and a Masters in General Management from two Peruvian universities  He also received his MBA from the University of Chicago. 

Rob joins Amerigo with more than twenty years of business and private school management experience. A recognized leader of high-impact education initiatives, Rob was previously Co-Founder & Director of the Drexel Fund, CEO of the Accelerate Institute, and President & CEO of the Cristo Rey Network, where he oversaw the organization's national expansion. After beginning his career as a high school English teacher, Rob spent several years as a management consultant providing strategic guidance to higher education institutions. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Lubar School of Business and received a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Rob brings 20+ years of leadership and experience in education and technology to Amerigo. Rob joins Amerigo after spending the past two years as the Senior Associate Dean at the University of Chicago Graham School, where he was responsible for the development of new degree and certificate programs as well as offerings including summer programs for international students.  Previously, Rob was the Chief Learning Officer at Deltak/Wiley where he worked extensively with academic leadership and university faculty in the development and support of innovative, technology-enabled learning experiences.  Rob earned a Bachelor of Science in Radio, Television and Film as well as a Masters in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University. 

Jocelyn joins the Amerigo team as a seasoned global marketing professional with over two decades of proven leadership in dynamic, cross‐cultural environments. Prior to Amerigo, Jocelyn worked to strengthen global marketing efforts in over 70 countries worldwide while driving branding strategy and enhancing the corporate portfolio and brand image. She also managed the end‐to‐end go‐to‐market efforts across all customer segments for product launch planning, PR, marketing communications, marketing programs, and channel marketing within a variety of industries. Jocelyn received a Bachelor’s of the Arts in Mass Communications from Fu Jen Catholic University and also received an Executive MBA from National Cheng-Chi University. 

Scott joined Amerigo in 2016, building on more than a decade of work in international student recruitment at Navitas, an industry leader in pre-university and university pathway programs. Most recently, Scott served as Vice President of Marketing and Recruitment for Navitas’ university programs in North America. Prior to joining Navitas, Scott lived, studied, and worked in China, holding a position at the Australian Embassy in Beijing as well as founding one of the first foreign-owned media production companies in China. Scott holds a Bachelor's of International Business from Griffith University.

Jessid Agon was born in Colombia and has been living abroad for the last 15 years building an extensive network of business partners in both Latin America and Europe. Jessid joined the Amerigo team September 2017 and is responsible for leading the recruitment activities and strategy for LATAM and EMEA. Prior to Amerigo, Jessid served as the Regional Director for LATAM strategic business for Global University Systems. Jessid holds a Bachelors in International Business from Universidad de la Sabana in Bogota.

Bella joins Amerigo as the Admission Support Officer and supports the admissions function as it relates to students and business partners, admission process counseling and support, business partner communication, and international recruitment team support. Bella comes with five-year study abroad and life experience in US and UK, with a deep understanding of the US education system and the international students admission process. Bella received a postgraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh and a Bachelor of Arts in English Teaching at the University of New Hampshire. 

Rob brings with him 23 years of English language learning (ELL) experience from American primary and secondary schools, American universities, and international universities. Having worked with over 130 distinct linguistic cultures, Rob understands both the diverse needs of Amerigo’s students as well as the American cultural norms in Amerigo’s partner schools. Rob has researched, published, and presented internationally, including Spain, Lithuania, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the U.S. His research interests are in the fields of mobile learning technologies, teacher training, and differentiated instruction for ELL and bilingual education. Rob has four degrees in languages, including Spanish, Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TESL), Biblical Hebrew, and Greek.

Ali joined Amerigo in 2017 and supports all human capital efforts, specializing in recruitment and talent management. With experience in managing multi-million-dollar retail stores for Abercrombie & Fitch as well as creating brand new Corporate Talent Acquisition and Business Partner Teams at a leading global healthcare company, Ali brings an expertise in recruitment and hiring, training and development, operations and sales management, process development and improvement, account management, and business communications. Ali is passionate about people and building a sustainable culture of engagement while driving company strategy.

Carla joined the Amerigo team on September 2018 as the Recruitment and Marketing Manager for Latin America, based in Mexico City. She has worked for all of her career in international student recruitment. She served as a representative for Thompson Rivers University and for a Canadian School District. Carla holds a Bachelor in Psychology and a MBA with specialization in Marketing.

Sarah joins Amerigo as the Admissions Manager and supports the admissions function as it relates to student interviews, high school partner communication, and international recruitment team support. Sarah comes with experience in professional recruitment, admissions and is a former elementary classroom teacher. Prior to joining Amerigo, Sarah lead the admissions process for a Chicago-based non-profit school management organization. Sarah holds a Master of Education in Teaching, Learning & Assessment and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education at Purdue University.

Aline Cui is a digital specialist with more than 8 years’ experience in digital marketing and across multiple industries. Prior to Amerigo, Aline was the Digital Manager at Saic Maxus, a Chinese Auto brand. Her projects there included revamping and innovating the website, integrating the company's social platforms and creating a digital media strategy. Before joining Saic Maxus, Aline was with Avene China for 7 years as the Digital Manager. While there, she successfully created the company's digital platforms and built up the digital communication strategy for the Chinese market. Aline holds a Master Degree in Communication and Commerce from Blaise Pascal University in France.

After attending a US high school as an international student, Fred Daher is passionate about international education. Fred has more than 15 years of experience in recruitment, marketing and product management in the Education Industry. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism and a Master’s Degree in Marketing.

Jessie joined Amerigo in 2018 to support human capital efforts focusing on recruitment and talent management. His recruitment experience stems from managing multi-million-dollar retail stores for Abercrombie & Fitch, combined with third-party and corporate environments. He brings proven results in recruitment, hiring, training and development, operations, and account management. Jessie has first-hand experience as an ESL student, which fuels his passion in building and protecting people as a brand and culture with Amerigo.

Lisa joins Amerigo as the Admissions Officer. Before arriving at Amerigo, Lisa was working as a senior program coordinator for XploreAsia – a company that brings foreign teachers and volunteers to South East Asia. There she worked on creating, developing, and implementing TESOL courses in Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and South Korea. In addition, she worked closely in providing teacher support, admissions, marketing and developing volunteer programs.  She also comes with experience working in Geographic education and as a former ESL teacher. Lisa holds a Master of Art in Geography from Miami University and Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Michigan State University.

Carol brings years of experience in the fields of marketing and communications to her role as the Director of Marketing at Amerigo. Prior to Amerigo, Carol was a Senior Marketing Manager supporting the Global Enrollment team and three North American boarding schools at Nord Anglia Education, a leading K-12 operator of elite international schools. Carol was also the Marketing Manager for Global Enrollment at the Meritas International Family of Schools where she oversaw the development of the marketing and communications strategy for seven boarding schools in North America and Europe. Carol has experience in a variety of industries through her roles at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Siemens Industry, and Motorola. Carol received an M.B.A. from Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University and a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Yue has over 10 years of experience working in the international education field. After obtaining her Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from University of Georgia, she returned to China and started her teaching career at Sichuan International Studies University-Chengdu College. She later on transitioned to work in an educational consulting company that provides services to Chinese students who aspire to receive further education abroad, where her main responsibility was to develop and maintain relationships with American schools. In addition, Yue worked on several significant projects. She served as a translator for an NPR program reporting on Chengdu, which later shifted the focus to after-quake relief work after a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan. She also worked as the assistant to Communication and Reporting Officer of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in their post-disaster relief work in Sichuan. In 2008, she involved herself in Asian Games hosted in Guangzhou, working as the Housing Manager for Aramark’s catering project. Over the past a few years Yue has worked with international high school students helping them overcome challenges along their way of transitioning to their lives and study in America.

Linda joins the Amerigo team as Business Development Manager, bringing with her a demonstrated history of working in the overseas study recruitment and higher education industry. With a decade experience in the Education Industry driving from small to large international business development and international sales business units, Linda has shown her extraordinary skills in international student recruitment, institutional overseas project management and international business development in Asia Pacific regions. Linda holds her Bachelor’s of Economic Law from Shanghai University Law school and NUS. She also received her Master’s degree focused in Global MBA (Business management) from Australian School of Business.

Julia is the Marketing Coordinator at Amerigo, where she implements campaigns and coordinates with the global marketing team. Before joining Amerigo, Julia has held marketing and design internship roles at start-up companies based in Chicago. As a marketing intern for a tech-enabled law firm, she successfully spearheaded a complete redesign of the company website. Julia holds a B.A. in Visual Arts from the University of Chicago.

Svetlana comes to Amerigo after years of experience in sales and recruitment at a variety of education companies such as OHLA, Star Academy, and Star Travel. In her role at Amerigo, Svetlana is developing the recruitment network throughout Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and recruiting exceptional students to the Amerigo programs. Svetlana holds degrees from Samara State University of Economics and National Research University 'Higher School of Economics' in Russia.

Linda brings years of industry experience to the Amerigo team in her role as Recruitment Manager for Korea. Linda has 13 years of overseas study and work experience, and has a deep understanding of the student recruitment process and the needs of international student. Prior to Amerigo, Linda managed the Korean branch of an overseas student agency, and also worked at IDP as an Assistant Manager. She previously worked in Australia for Cambridge International College and EduCo Global. Linda holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business and Commerce from Monash University in Melbourne. 

Kyu Kim comes to Amerigo with a broad experience in international education working in Higher Education, ESL and High School sectors. He is the Regional Director for Recruitment & Marketing overseeing North & South East Asia. Prior to joining Amerigo, Kyu was the Regional Manager for Asia at EC and also worked at Navitas as a Marketing Manager for North America. Kyu was born in Brazil and lived in Portugal, Washington D.C., Peru, New York and France, and is now based in Korea. Kyu studied at Hongik University & HUFS University in Korea and completed his B.A. at CUNY Baruch College in New York and is now pursuing a Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership at Concordia University.

John is a member of Amerigo's school partnerships and business development team, and manages innovations and strategic initiatives for the leadership team. In his role, John supports the identification and management of the Amerigo High Schools partnerships and the Amerigo University Network while also working with the Amerigo Leadership Team to initiate, track and manage new product concepts, innovations, and strategic initiatives. Prior to joining Amerigo, John managed the strategy and operations for third party relationships at high-growth start up, Avant. John has over eight years of experience in partnerships, strategy, and operations in both the public and private sector, and a B.A. from Denison University. 

Paper is the recruitment manager of China and is responsible for the recruitment of students in south of China area. Paper has four years of experience recruiting for American high schools and is extremely knowledgeable about the most important factors parents consider when choosing the best fit high school for their students. In addition to student and family experience, Paper also has many interpersonal relationship with recruitment agency partners. Paper graduated from Coventry University in the UK and received a B.A. in Business Information Systems.

Patrick joined Amerigo in 2018 and provides support to finance and accounting activities. Previously, Patrick worked as an auditor with Crowe Horwath LLP specializing in financial institutions and with General Electric in a cost analysis role. He holds a Bachelor’s in Accounting with a minor in International Business from the University of Kentucky. Patrick is a Certified Public Accountant. 

Anish joined Amerigo in 2017 and supports the organization’s Finance and Accounting activities. Prior to Amerigo, Anish held positions across various functional areas, including taxation at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and financial reporting at Avatar Solutions. At PwC, in addition to client service, he lead the firm’s efforts in testing and implementing technology initiatives. Most recently, Anish consulted to clients across a number of industries in the areas of finance, operations, and taxation. He holds a Bachelors in Accounting and Finance from DePaul University, and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Anna joins Amerigo as the Recruitment and Marketing Manager covering Vietnam. She brings with her years of experience in marketing and international student recruitment from various education organizations. Most recently, Anna worked for BPP University (UK) where she has developed a strong network with agents, schools and universities in the country, and experience in student recruitment to the UK. Previously, she served as a Marketing Manager for Pearson in Vietnam where she oversaw all marketing and communications activities, helped the company develop a strong presence of image in the market. Anna holds a Master degree in Communications from the University of Queensland and received a Bachelor degree in International Economic Relations from the University of Economics and Law, Ho Chi Minh City.

Raj joins Amerigo as the Director of Admissions and works with students from all of Amerigo’s global partnerships. He brings years of experience within international student recruitment, admissions, operations and marketing while helping international students to achieve their academic and professional goals. Recently, Raj led the strategic, operational and financial functions of one of Chicago’s longstanding academic institutions, which educates more than 2,500 international students. Raj holds a Master of Arts, with Academic Distinction, in Public Relations and Advertising from DePaul University. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa.

Loan Pham is a Recruitment Support Officer at Amerigo, where she assists in the company's recruitment efforts and student applications. Loan has strong communication skills and a background in overseas banking, customer guidance and service. She graduated from Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and worked in ACB Bank as an International Settlement Specialist before she ventured into the tourism and hospitality industry. Prior to joining Amerigo, Loan worked as an Outbound Executive at Booking.com, and was previously a hotel manager in Ho Chi Minh City for 8 years. 

As the Social Media Manager, Dieu Anh oversees Amerigo's growing social platforms. 

Before joining Amerigo, Dieu Anh graduated with an M.A. in Global Management from Yonsei University, one of South Korea's oldest and most prestigious universities. Working and living in Seoul for six years, including two years of PR & recruitment strategies for international colleges, has equipped her with experiences working with multi-national teams, and exposed her to the latest trends in PR and marketing. 

Dieu Anh strongly believes in creativity and a can-do attitude at work. She's constantly amazed by the growth of digital engagement and is motivated to bring the best of global practices to her work as the Social Media Manager for Amerigo. 

Evelyn Shen joins Amerigo as the Recruitment Specialist of China and is responsible for the recruitment of students in the northern region. Evelyn has 6 years’ experience in the international education industry, including 2 years’ teaching experience at the Confucius Institutes of Australia and Thailand. Prior to Amerigo, Evelyn worked as the marketing manager for U.S university programs of Can-Achieve Education. During her three years there, she helped partners match Top 200 American universities for their students. Evelyn graduated from Capital Normal University with a Bachelor degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language.

Jessica joined Amerigo in 2018 and is responsible for the administration of payroll and benefits. In addition to previous Human Resources experience, Jessica comes with a background in Social Services. She has a passion for people and process improvements and utilizes her unique skill set to ensure the success of both Amerigo and its employees. Jessica holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Ohio State University.

Paula joins Amerigo as the Marketing Communications Manager and supports all facets of the global marketing team. Paula has five years of experience in marketing, with a strong background in content creation, digital platforms and social media. Prior to Amerigo, she worked for the marketing department at Allscripts Healthcare and, before that, was a journalist and editor in Chicago. Paula holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, American Studies and Media Studies from St. Olaf College. 

Camille is the Recruitment Support Officer at Amerigo, where she assists in the company’s international recruitment efforts. Before joining the team, she worked as an Education Consultant where she provided personalized assistance to students in China. She earned her Master’s Degree in Strategic Marketing and Consulting from the University of Birmingham, as well as an undergraduate degree in Business Management from Swansea University and International Business School Beijing Foreign Studies University

Nailya Suzhenova has extensive professional experience in the fields of education and corporate social responsibility. She has been working in international education for more than 16 years. She previously worked as Overseas Director and Executive Director at Kazakh-British Study Center M&K - one of the biggest agencies in Kazakhstan. Nailya has her MBA in Management from the University of International Business and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the Institute of Economics and Statistics. 

Nikita comes to Amerigo with over 7 years of experience in the international education industry. Prior to joining Amerigo, Nikita worked for Shorelight Education, NYIT and also has experience as an education agent, cultivating relationships with all key partners in the West China region and Shanghai.

Nikita has a bachelors degree from Worcester University and will be located in Chengdu. In her role, she develops and executes a student recruitment strategy across regions in West China targeted at international students seeking a U.S. high school.

Thuy joined Amerigo as Associate Director, Marketing and Recruitment, where she takes care of the Vietnam market and recruits Vietnamese students to the Amerigo program. Thuy has been working in Education industry for 12 years. Prior to Amerigo, she was a Corporate Training Manager for Language Link Vietnam - an English training center in Vietnam that then sent Vietnamese students and officers over sea to study short courses and academic courses. Most recently, Thuy worked as Country Manager for Cambridge Education Group (CEG) in the Vietnam market, recruiting students from Vietnam to CEG high schools and pathway programs. Thuy loves working in Education sector. She holds Bachelor Degrees in English Training and Foreign Trade in Vietnam.

Jacky is an admissions representative for Amerigo in China, where he brings 6 years of experience in the international education industry. Before joining Amerigo, Jacky worked for Shinyway Education and METEN Preparatory Academy, where he used his professional knowledge to help many students achieve their international education dreams. Now, through his position at Amerigo, Jacky will continue to provide professional, systematic, considerate services for students who want to pursue their academic goals in America. 

Jason graduated from the University of Warwick in the UK, where he received a B.A. in English Language, Translation and Cultural Studies, and a M.A. in Program and Project Management. Jason has six years of experience in the education industry, including three years experience recruiting for American high schools. Jason has helped more than 200 students succeed in getting recruited by American high schools, and has gained integrated experience to meet the demands of the students and their parents. Jason also has strong relationships with different agents. 

Jay Wang has served in senior leadership roles with several global companies, including WeWork, BI Worldwide, First Advantage and Accenture, he has led rapid business growth in China, APAC and the US for over 15 years. He inspired and led multi-discipline organizations with sustainable growth and success. Jay shares the passion of envisioning Amerigo as an organization that can potentially disrupt and transform the overseas education market that ties into the global affluent consumer uptrend. 

MQ joins Amerigo as the Admissions Support Officer and supports the admissions function as it relates to students and business partners, admission process counseling and support, business partner communication and international recruitment team support. MQ has several years of experience working with and being an international student. She has worked as a Foreign Language Teacher in the American K-12 school system and most recently worked as an International Student Consultant. MQ has a Masters of Science degree in TESOL from the University of Rochester. 

Stephen joined Amerigo as the Human Resource Manager, APAC region  Stephen has over 15 years of HR experience in the MNC. During his career, Stephen has strong HR management experience in all HR functions, such as C&B, Recruitment, Performance Management, Training and Talent development. Prior to Amerigo, Stephen was with Grifols as HR head of APAC for managed merger and acquisition for Novartis Diagnostic Bearu into Grifols. Stephen holds a Master Degree in EMBA and Law, from MCA London. 

Emily Zhang is the Recruitment Specialist of China, and is responsible for the recruitment of students in the south of China region. Emily has three years of experience recruiting for global universities, and is extremely knowledgeable about what parents consider most when sending their children to study abroad. In addition to student and family experience, Emily also has interpersonal relationships with recruitment agency partners. Emily graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada with a Bachelor's Degree in Management, with a focus on marketing and finance. 

With 5 years of teaching experience in higher education, Jonas joined Amerigo to share his dedication and passion for international education. Jonas manages Amerigo’s regional network of business partners in the U.S.A and Canada and develop key channel accounts and partnerships. Prior to Amerigo, Jonas was the U.S. program marketing manager at Navitas. As marketing manager for Navitas, he successfully built up a strong partnership network in China and helped hundreds of students find U.S. university programs that best fit their needs. Before joining Navitas, Jonas was a lecturer at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), where he taught applied linguistics and through which he was invited to teach in post-secondary institutions in Thailand, Poland and Italy for three years. Jonas holds a Master’s degree in linguistics from SISU. 

William “Willie” Cho is Amerigo's Regional Director of Campus Operations overseeing three Amerigo campuses on the East Coast. Willie comes to Amerigo with a wealth of experience in multi-site operations, business development and strategy. Prior to Amerigo, Willie was a Vice President of Operations at Sodexo and oversaw the operations of 13 locations throughout the United States. In this role, Willie was instrumental in the creation of the division’s five year strategic plan. His passion has always been to work with children and has been fortunate to engage in his passion through his work as a senior leader in organizations such as Kaplan, Knowledge Learning Corporation, KIPP, and Education Pioneers. Willie likes to learn to new languages and currently is a fluent speaker in four, and enjoys traveling and coaching volleyball. He received his BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management.    

Allan joined Amerigo as Director of Campus Operations and brings a wealth of knowledge. With more than 15 years in international education, he held a position with Language Stars as a Multi-Center Director, where he oversaw sales and operations in three centers. Prior to that, he successfully served a School Director at Kaplan International location at the Illinois Institute of Technology for four years. His center was awarded as the best-performing campus for student satisfaction in 2014. Allan also worked for the British Council for eight years where he held positions in Customer Service and Operations and played a role in business development and expansion in the Latin American region. He also is a seasoned foreign languages teacher with experience in over five countries.

Allan obtained his Bachelor's and Master's degree at Universidad Central de Venezuela in Modern Languages and Education Management. He also holds a Management Development Certification and a CELTA from University of Cambridge. 

Victoria is the English Language Learning Coordinator for the Boca Raton, campus. She has spent the past twenty years teaching English in private language institutes, bilingual K-12 schools, online programs, and university-based Intensive English programs in the United States and Mexico. While her native language is English, she is also a language learner and speaks fluent Spanish and intermediate German and Italian. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Florida and a M.Ed. in TESOL from the University of Tasmania. Always learning, Tory is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in instructional design at Florida State University to continue offering state-of-the-art language-learning opportunities to her students. When she’s not teaching, you can find her volunteering in support of her high-school-age daughters as a congressional debate judge and musical theater seamstress.   

Jason joined Amerigo in 2018 as Director of Campus Operations for the Chicago campus.  Prior to joining Amerigo, Jason was responsible for the operations of multiple campuses of one of the oldest private career colleges in the United States.  Over the course of his tenure there, Jason was able to improve the daily operations, student outcomes and student experience for thousands of students.  Prior to moving into roles in education, Jason spent time in the world of finance working with hedge fund managers and manufacturing working as an electrical engineer.  While now based in Chicago, Jason has spent time living in multiple states around the country as well as Mexico.  When not working to provide an exceptional experience for his students, Jason can be found enjoying the company of his wife and three children whom he serves as coach for both soccer and baseball.

Jason earned Bachelor’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering as well as a Master’s in Systems Engineering from Iowa State University.  He continued his education with a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Chicago and hopes to one day pursue a doctoral program focused on the use of technology to create customized learning solutions.

Laura Hawbaker has worked in English language education for 15 years, both domestically and abroad. A Chicago native, she is a Fulbright Scholar and has taught English in Prague, Thailand, Poland, Hawaii, and New Orleans. Prior to Amerigo, Laura was an ESL Coordinator in New Orleans, where she oversaw the language education of 130 Title I children from local immigrant and refugee families. She had previously served as a language instructor on the Big Island of Hawaii. She served as an on-site TOEFL proctor, dorm parent and activities coordinator, organizing field trips so her international students and their American peers could fully immerse themselves in Hawaiian culture. She holds a Masters in Linguistics/TESOL from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelors in Fiction Writing from Columbia College Chicago. She obtained her TEFL Certification at TEFL Worldwide Prague. She is a professional member of  Illinois TESOL-BE and the TESOL International Association.

Trent joined the Amerigo team in 2017 as Associate Director of Campus Operations for the Amerigo Lexington campus. Trent brings years of experience in developing and refining international student life, having served as International Residence Coordinator at Hampton Roads Academy (HRA) for the first four foundational years of the school’s international program. With a focus on creating environments suited toward academic achievement and social harmony, Trent guided the students within HRA’s international residence to a college acceptance rate of 100%, as well as pioneered activities and strategies to improve the student experience. Trent’s student engagement extended into the classroom and onto the court. He has four years’ experience as an ELL instructor and basketball coach. Trent holds deep passions for music and for experiencing and understanding different cultures, having spent time traveling in 11 different countries with more to come!

Trent earned his B.A. in English at the University of Virginia and is currently completing coursework towards his MBA at the College of William & Mary.

Lydia joined the Amerigo team in 2017 as the English Language Learning Coordinator in Lexington, Kentucky. She has worked in English language education for several years both in the US and abroad. She was an English Language Fellow with the US Department of State in Turkey, and she has also lived and worked in France and Bulgaria. She holds a master’s degree in applied linguistics and a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism. When she isn’t teaching, Lydia enjoys traveling and photographing the places she visits. 

Fernanda joins Amerigo with more than 10 years of experience in the education space that includes extensive work with international students, English language program management, campus-based site operations, and student services support. Prior to Amerigo, Fernanda worked as a Support Manager at organizations such as EF High School Exchange Year and Cambridge (CIIE) ensuring the well-being of hundreds of students and supporting them through cultural acclimation. More recently, Fernanda held a School Director position at Geos Languages Plus, Los Angeles. Fernanda brings a clear passion for creating environments focused on academic quality and rigor with high standards for student services and outcomes.

Fernanda obtained her Bachelor's degree at Universidade Tuiuti do Parana in Social Communication – Journalism. She also holds a Project Management Certificate from University of California, Los Angeles.

Sara has worked in the field of international education since 2006. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Linguistics at Wake Forest University, Sara started teaching English to adult immigrant students in Maryland. Sara then pursued a Master’s in Applied Linguistics/TESOL from the University of Alabama, where she also taught international students for three years, and later taught English and trained teachers in San Jose, Costa Rica. Prior to coming to Amerigo, Sara spent nearly 7 years as an academic coordinator in the International Education Programs at the University of California Riverside. Sara has a passion for teaching English and working with international students from around the world.

Di Brings years of experience in international education as the Director, Campus Operations of the Amerigo Napa Valley campus. Before joining Amerigo, Di co-founded and operated DrEducation, LLC, a higher education research and consulting firm. Di has also worked as the Director of International Operations and Institutional Relations at Global Volunteers, where she supervised a global team to manage international service programs in nine countries and led the training and management of over 500 participants annually. Di brings over a decade of experience as an intercultural trainer and coach from both higher education and international education exchange programs. Di holds a bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degrees in applied linguistics and international development and is a native Mandarin speaker.

Nathalie is passionate about languages and getting to know other languages and cultures through her students. She started her teaching career at an independent boarding school in Connecticut teaching Spanish and ESL. In addition to teaching there, shea also worked as a dorm parent, advisor, and coach. She then pursued a Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages at Teacher’s College in New York City, NY and did student teaching at the public schools in NYC. She then returned to the independent school to teach ELL classes and work as an ELL coordinator. She taught writing, speaking, and listening classes, and worked with students on reading comprehension strategies. She also worked with teachers to support English language learners in content classes and developed the ELL curriculum and program.

Nick joins the Amerigo team as the Director of Campus Operations in the Twin Cities, bringing with him over 10 years of experience developing individualized learning plans for students. After teaching at both the middle and high school levels, Nick joined Kaplan Test Prep where he spent 5 years helping students achieve the college entrance exam scores necessary to gain admission to some of the top universities in the country. More recently, as a Regional Manager for Sylvan Learning, Nick oversaw operations at several Sylvan locations ensuring a quality educational environment for students with a variety of learning needs. When he’s not involved with community activities, Nick enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the outdoors.

Nick obtained his Bachelor’s of Science in Education with an emphasis in Science from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

Samantha joins the Amerigo team as an English Language Learning Coordinator in the Twin Cities, bringing her with over a decade of English Language Learning teaching experience from a variety of ESL and EFL contexts, including high schools, universities, virtual language schools, and intensive languages programs. Her first experience abroad was when she was an exchange student studying in Osaka, Japan. Before joining Amerigo, she taught for four years as a English Language Lecturer in the English Language Institute at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba, Japan. While there, she also helped to spearhead and supervise the development a new academic residence hall that promotes English language education, skill development, and cultural studies outside of the classroom. 

Alyssa joined the Amerigo team in January 2018 as Associate Director of Campus Operations. She brings more than five years of leadership experience from various roles within the Boys & Girls Clubs. From these experiences, she brings extensive knowledge in adolescent behavior, staff recruitment and development, and programming. With a passion for and a focus on Social Emotional Health, Alyssa has created environments for positive social exchange between students and staff. She is inspired and driven by youth, sports and traveling. Her dog, Ramsey, who is named after the city her favorite band started in, is her life. She has traveled Europe, Mexico and Jamaica and is making her way around the U.S. Alyssa earned her B.A. in Organizational Communication and a Leadership Certificate at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. 

Liz joined Amerigo as an English Language Learning Coordinator and University Guidance Advisor f. She brings over eight years of teaching experience both in the United States and abroad. Liz received her B.S degree from Penn State University and her MA in TESOL from West Chester University. She believes in challenging her students while serving as a constant source of support. When Liz isn’t teaching in the classroom or helping students with the college application process, she loves traveling and watching American football. She has traveled to nine different countries and her favorite team is the Philadelphia Eagles!