OUR STAFF
2004 Programs
The quality of your trip comes down to the quality of your leaders.
As you read the biographical sketches of our staff you will see how they have woven community service with their language skills and with knowledge of a particular region. Your trip with these leaders will provide an unforgettable experience as they share with you their expertise, their love of teaching, travel, and community service.
These staff bios provide only a glimpse of the depth and quality of our staff. But we know you'll agree that these are outstanding individuals and trip leaders.
Garth Lewis
M.Ed, Colorado University, 1992, Multicultural Foundation of Education. Garth is a key figure in the field of High School service-learning. He designed and implemented the service learning program at Eagle Rock School, Honda Motor Corporation's residential high school in Colorado. Eagle Rock is an internationally known nontraditional, residential high school. This program has received state and national awards. Most recently, Eagle Rock received a national Service-Learning Leader School award, the school is used as a model for schools across the nation. Garth's experience also includes leading various youth groups on experiential education trips. He has led courses for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, taking groups of youth on 15 to 21 day wilderness trips. He has led wilderness trips for Eagle Rock School. He has also led high school groups on international service trips in Nepal and on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. In 1999 he designed and participated in an adult service project in Costa Rica.
Doug FrisbiePh.D., University of Minnesota, 1970, Political Science. Doug has an extensive and varied background in education, community service and business. He taught at the university level and was an instructor for outdoor education trips with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). He has worked with urban community groups in their efforts to reduce neighborhood crime. He is treasurer and an active member of the local school board. For the past eight years he has been actively involved in establishing and supporting Salud Family Health Center, a community health clinic for uninsured working families in Estes Park. He has worked both in the private and public sector and has started several successful businesses. In his spare time he hikes with his wife and watches his two daughters run track, play basketball and climb competitively.
John Rabenau
John’s love for the outdoors and desire to continuously learn from and teach people is obvious in his past job experiences. John is currently a Lead Guide for Serendipity Adventures and is a Field Instructor for Costa Rican Rainforest Outward Bound School (CRROBS). With CRROBS, he primarily works in the mountains leading backcountry camping excursions with students. His daily activities also might include teaching surfing, doing some river guiding or leading canyoning trips. John’s true passion lies in bicycle touring. He has organized and participated in multiple day and overnight trips. Last summer he led the Costa Rica Breakthroughs Abroad trip. Due to its success, he is going to return for another year.
John grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated with his Bachelors of Arts in Business from Miami University. He lived in the Florida Keys and worked in the eco-tourism business sailing catamarans, guiding snorkeling and kayaking tours for three years before moving to Costa Rica. John speaks Spanish and is a continuous student of environmentalism and the Central American ecology and culture. He considers his family the most important htmlect of his life and enjoys living in a place where these values are held with such high regard. John holds his Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification as well as his open water PADI dive certification. His hobbies include photography, bird watching, reading and traveling.
Molly Alden
With such a friendly smile and warm personality it is no wonder that Molly’s passion in life is teaching. Throughout her career she has worked with countless different types people in a myriad of settings. Molly currently is teaching 4th, 5th, and 6th graders math and science in a bilingual elementary school in Turrialba, Costa Rica. She has organized and runs a garden club for the students and teaches English to local community members.
Molly was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Miami University and her Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Boston College. In Boston, she taught within the Public School System, worked as a Program Educator for the New England Aquarium, and served as a ChildCare Counselor and Coordinator for children and adolescents with severe emotional and behavioral problems.
Molly has enjoyed participating in outdoor activities all of her life. She thoroughly enjoys mountain biking, hiking, camping and staying fit. Her favorite things about living in Costa Rica are the lifestyle of her Spanish-speaking community, and her appreciation of nature that exists around her everyday. Molly speaks Spanish wonderfully and is very interested in continuously learning about the Latino and indigenous cultures.
Katy ChandlerB.A. Stanford University, Latin American Studies, with honors. Katy has lived in Brazil for over a year and a half and has traveled in Latin America, Portugal and the United States. She is fluent in Portuguese and "can get by" in Spanish. Katy is a high school math teacher in Brattleboro, VT and has taught in a variety of schools and education programs across the country. She taught service learning, math, and career development with the San Francisco Conservation Corps, where she helped students create, organize, and complete over 50 service projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also taught math, music, and history at a residential alternative school in Colorado. The two highlights of her work there were a math class in which students constructed a picnic table roof at a local park and a bike trip around Colorado in which students learned the history of Colorado by interviewing local residents in the small towns they rode through. She loves to dance, sing, bike ride, rock climb, travel, and hang out with her family and friends.
Kyle Isacksen
BS Biology, Siena College, 1997. MA, Education, SUNY at Stony Brook, 2001. Kyle recently moved to Vermont and teaches science across the border in New Hampshire. His teaching experiences began at Eagle Rock School, an experiential high school serving at-risk youth with a focus on building community through service learning. From ERS in Colorado, his love of travel led him to teach in Denver, San Francisco and New Hampshire. While in San Francisco he worked with the SFPD’s Wilderness Program leading wilderness trips for urban teens. A certified Wilderness First Responder, Kyle has taken to exploring the nooks of New England by bike, trail and motorcycle. He is also a dedicated martial artist who studies Ju-Jitsu and Judo. His years of construction experience and rapport with young adults are perfectly matched for the building projects of the Fiji trip.
Stephanie LinakisBA University of Michigan 2001, International Development. Stephanie's experience in education includes the environmental workshops she taught at under-funded elementary schools in Michigan and her stint as a substitute teacher. Last summer, Stephanie lead a group of Native American elementary and middle school students from Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota on an educational camping trip. Accompanied by tribal elders, she and the group visited sites of historical and cultural significance for the Lakota people. Stephanie currently lives in Washington, DC where she works in the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch. In her free time, Stephanie likes to dance (especially modern and African), cook (and eat!), and be outdoors. Stephanie studied Spanish while in college and at a language institute in Mexico last summer. She is also conversational in French. India is where her love for travel and service first came to be. Stephanie spent a semester in India where she lived with a host family, studied international development, and worked with women's micro-credit groups in the rural North.
Marci KrassBA Colorado College, 1997 Latin American Studies. Marci's passion for Latin America travel began when she spent a semester studying in Ecuador. Since then she has traveled extensively through Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico and New Zealand. She has taught environmental education with the Appalachian Mountain Club, Holcomb Farm and the Teton Science School. Marci's interest in sustainable agriculture has led her to a work share at an organic farm in Idaho. This will be the third service-learning program that Marci has led. A resident in Jackson, Wyoming, Marci teaches ESL for the Teton Literacy Program on a volunteer basis. She is a ski instructor in Jackson and spends her spare time climbing, backcountry skiing and pursuing her love of photography. Marci is fluent in Spanish and is looking forward to returning to Ecuador to work with El Por Venir community. Marci's knowledge, enthusiasm and experience will make any trip with her a rewarding experience.
Russell RendonColorado State University 1996, B.A. History, Spanish Minor. Russell is a certified secondary and Latin American Studies teacher. He is a former bilingual Social Studies teacher at manual high School in Denver, CO. Russell has spent more than four years traveling and studying in Ecuador, Guatemala, Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. In Ecuador, Russell spent a year studying Spanish and Ecuadorian culture at the university while teaching English. Russell taught at Eagle Rock School, a residential year-round school in Estes Park which is focused on 8 themes, one of them being community service. Russell has also been an instructor for Breakthroughs Abroad’s Navajo Reservation trip in 2001. Russell bikes, hikes, loves to dance, draw, juggle, and cook. Russell combines his high standard for teaching with excitement and a wealth of knowledge gained through his travels. Students have often commented on Russell’s relaxed yet firm approach to leading, which helps students enjoy their travel, making the most of their time abroad.
Miranda Johnson
BA Dartmouth 1997 Government and Women's Studies, concentrating on international development. Miranda has worked and lived in Tanzania for almost two years. She originally went to Tanzania as a Fulbright Scholar identifying ways the West could support small-scale community initiatives. During this time Miranda has traveled extensively to villages, lived with local families and has become fluent in Swahili. She currently works with a local non-profit organization in Tanzania that promotes issues of gender and development. Miranda has experience working with young people as a teacher, peer counselor and trip leader. She taught civics, geography and history in hand-on learning environment. She has co-led student educational and service experiences in San Francisco, Washington D.C. and the Redwood forests of California. Miranda's other international travels include Europe, Kenya and China. Miranda has studied at the London School of Economics, was a recipient of the Truman scholarship and received from Dartmouth College both the Aronowitz Award and Colby Prize for commitment to social change and devotion to public service. Miranda is dedicated to continuous learning, living life 'outside the box' and making the world a better place. Travel with Miranda as she shares her love and knowledge of Tanzania and her dedication to service.
Josh BlomquistBS University of Colorado, 1995, Civil Engineering. Josh has a passion for service-learning. After college Josh spent a year and a half in service with Americorps. He spent another year at Eagle Rock School as a service-learning intern, building a community health clinic, and sharing his passion for service with Eagle Rock students. He served as a service teacher of an alternative high school outside of Bozeman. Josh has completed a year as a backcountry instructor in an alternative education program for adjudicated youth. Josh is an accomplished carpenter, a trade which provides him plenty of time to mountain bike, fly fish, hike and backcountry snowboard. Josh has traveled in Canada and Mexico and Nicaragua where he studied Spanish. Josh is certified as a Wilderness First Responder. You'll not only learn carpentry skill but become infected with Josh's enthusiasm for community service.
Jordana SmithM.A., Columbia, 1998, Anthropology. Jordana has long been a student of Nepal. As a child, reading National Geographic and atlases, she gravitated to Nepal. She has traveled to Nepal 8 times since 1986 spending over four years in the country. Jordana is fluent in Nepali and has a deep understanding of Nepal, its religion, and history. As part of her undergraduate degree, she explored its history, religion and language. She completed her BA working with a Nepalese sustainable agriculture institute. Jordana has produced a book based on her collection of Nepali oral history and folklore. This summer she leads her 4th student trip to Nepal. When Jordana is not in Nepal she studies languages, tutors Somali refugee women in English, and dances to reggae music. What an opportunity to experience Nepal with someone who cares so much and understands so well its people and culture.
Hogan MartinPh.D., Cornell University, 1993, Materials Science and Engineering. Hogan has done post-doctoral work at the University of Arizona and with IBM. He has taught and tutored mathematics, engineering and chemistry. He most recently taught science at an experiential, residential high school where he also served as a house parent. Hogan spent over three years in travel, including travel to Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and Alaska. He has crewed on sailboats, led an unsupported 1000-mile bike tour, and is an Ultimate Frisbee competitor, a rock climber and gymnast. Hogan includes among his skills carpentry and metalworking, automobile repair, software programming, and electronics. Join Hogan as he shares his knowledge of travel with practical skills.
Susan Strow
MA, School for International Training (2001), International Education. Candidate. Sue has been actively involved with experiential, hands-on education both internationally and domestically for 10 years. She spent 4 years living and working in Japan. She has a TESOL certification and has been actively involved in developing experiential training techniques for English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors. Her passion for travel and learning about different cultures was a natural fallout from her time spent in Asia and South East Asia, living, working, and traveling. She co-developed a service-learning program in Japan with a local high school. She has also lead environmental awareness trips in the U.S. for middle school student. Sue’s love for travel and new experiences has lead her to the training and leadership side of exchange programs. Sue has facilitated pre-departure training seminars for students embarking on cross-cultural experiences. Sue’s familiarity with international travel, service-learning and experiential learning is a positive force for helping students gain knowledge of their role and the role of community in today’s global village.
Sarah DavisWe will update our staff information page as changes occur and as staff are added.
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