Staff

Anca Coleman

France, Morocco, Switzerland & U.S. Hosting Coordinator

MA Geography, BA French & Geography

Having been an Erasmus scholar in Bordeaux, France, Anca highly values the experience of an immersion program and loves to contribute to the life changing experience of other students. She is thrilled to be part of ISE and work with educators in helping students broaden their perspective on the world. Anca has traveled extensively in Europe and she also speaks Italian and Romanian. Contact Anca: anca@isemn.org | Tel: 612.436.8264 or 1.800.892.0022 x 264.

Dan Olstad

Sales Advisor

BS Business Administration

Dan has witnessed the positive and powerful impact that language and cultural immersion provides through a family member who is a student of the world. He is passionate about identifying the importance and value of learning through intercultural experiences. Contact Dan: dan@isemn.org Tel: 612.436.8268 or 1.800.892.0022 x 268

Courtney Faragher

Programs Registrar

BA French

Courtney has a passion for international travel and learning about world cultures and is pleased to work for an organization that provides these opportunities for others. After spending time in France while pursuing her Bachelor’s degree, she understands the immeasurable value of being in the foreign country while learning a language. Contact Courtney: courtney@isemn.org | Tel: 612.436.8281 or 1.800.892.0022 x 281.

Debby Bluem

Air Coordinator

The Travel Career School of Minnesota

Debby has worked as a travel agent for over 25 years and has seen many changes in the travel industry. She loves being part of a team that makes it possible for students to expand their cultural horizons. While growing up, her family hosted an exchange student from Israel and she has replicated this experience for her children by hosting a French student for the past two summers. Contact Debby: debby@isemn.org | Tel: 612.436.8282 or 1.800.892.0022 x 282.

Erin McGillivray

Volunteer Engagement Specialist

BA Business Leadership

Erin’s passion for experiential education and language immersion began when she studied abroad in Nepal as an undergraduate, which inspired her to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya for 27 months. Learning Nepali and Swahili through home stays and immersion was the most valuable language learning process she has experienced. She will forever be an advocate for cross-cultural living and learning and looks forward to sharing these values with ISE volunteers, participants, and staff. Contact Erin: erin@gcn-ise.org | Tel: 612.436.8275 or 1.800.892.0022 x 275.

Gastón Pierri

Atlas Corps Fellow

Gastón worked as the Director of the Research Center in Law and Development in Dominican Republic, known as Center OMG (COMG). Gastón holdsdegrees in Law and Economics from the University of Buenos Aires and University of Alcala, and has more than eight years of experience in the nonprofit sector, where he has worked in technical and management positions for various development agencies and international organizations, including the UNDP, Red Cross, and USAID. Gastón has nearly a decade of experience working with development projects and consulting programs in Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Spain. He is also a founding member of Ceritoycruz.org, a youth education advocacy group in the Dominican Republic.

Jana Velo

MA German, BA German and Russian

Jana enjoys working with the wonderfully talented ISE staff. She is excited to play a role in building cross-cultural friendships, and to give students the opportunity to put their classroom preparation to use in the “real world”. Jana loves seeing the enthusiasm in students when they realize that they can be understood in another language. Contact Jana: jana@isemn.org | Tel: 612.436.8266 or 1.800.892.0022 x 266.

Jeffrey Bragg

Marketing & Communications Coordinator

BA Film/Video Studies

Jeffrey has the primary responsibility of managing and creating of all marketing and development tools, collaterals, special events, and internal/external communications. He has over 5 years experience in marketing and advertising in the area of non profits. Contact Jeffrey: jeffrey@gcn-ise.org | Tel: 612.436.8263 or 1.800.892.0022 x 263.

Jenn Gallup

Office Coordinator

Jenn has worked for five years in fundraising, building grassroots support, and the general administrative functions with the Fund For Public Interest Research. She helped build a groundswell of community grassroots support on behalf of various non-profits that focus environmental advocacy, consumer protection, and human rights (Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Human Rights Campaign, Amnesty International, the state PIRG's and USPIRG.) Most recently, she gained three years experience working in the field of wind power development as a GIS specialist and administrative assistant. Contact Jenn: jenn@gcn-ise.org | Tel: 612.436.8280 or 1.800.892.0022 x 280.

Jennifer Beattie-Cramer

Director of Program Development

BA International Relations and Economic Theory

Jennifer finds working for a nonprofit very rewarding because ISE has an important mission to fulfill. She knows first-hand that immersion abroad is a life-changing experience and she is thrilled to offer students the opportunity to grow through a language and cultural immersion program. Jennifer really enjoys working with teachers who believe in the ISE mission as well! Contact Jennifer: jennifer@isemn.org | Tel: 612.436.8261 or 1.800.892.0022 x 261.

Julia Babb

Enrollment & Billing Specialist

BA English Literature

Julia is pleased to be part of the ISE team, turning big dreams into reality for language students all over the world. She sees her work as the Enrollment Billing Specialist as a vital component of ensuring that participants, their families and host families have all the information they need, and all the details taken care of, in order to have great experiences abroad. Contact Julia: julia@isemn.org | Tel: 612.436.8283 or 1.800.892.0022 x 283.

Katharina Schirg

Director of Operations

BA German Studies

Katharina studied abroad in college and later returned to Berlin, Germany, as a Fulbright Scholar. She loves challenging students to not only use their language skills and immerse themselves in another culture, but also to become more inquisitive and engaged global citizens. She is inspired by the dedicated teachers, volunteers and colleagues she works with every day. Contact Katharina: katharina@isemn.org | Tel: 612.436.8292 or 1.800.892.0022x 292.

Kristi Pogatchnik

Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain & U.S. Hosting Coordinator

BA Journalism and Latin American Studies

Kristi’s favorite part about ISE is getting to work with others who share her passion for international experiences. She first realized the importance of cross-cultural understanding when she studied in Costa Rica as an undergraduate student and later when she volunteered and worked in Ecuador. Contact Kristi: kristi@isemn.org | Tel: 612.436.8260 or 1.800.892.0022 x 260.

Rachel Faynik Marbell

France Coordinator

BA French Studies

MA Comparative and International Development Education

Rachel is incredibly enthusiastic about helping youth develop their intercultural competence and set out on their path to becoming global citizens.  Her master’s degree specializes in international education and exchange and she fully believes in the life-changing power of cultural immersion.  She has spent a total of three years studying in France and working as a Coordinator for language immersion programs in Belgium.  Contact Rachel: rachel@isemn.org | Tel: 612.436.8265 or 1.800.892.0022 x 265.

Sophie Gardner

Coordinator, U.S. Hosting

BA French and Environmental Studies

Sophie is thrilled to expose students to life-changing experiences abroad with the dedicated ISE staff. Living with families in France, Guatemala, and Scandinavia gave Sophie a deep understanding of the value of immersion when learning a language and discovering a greater sense of place in the world. Sophie enjoys working with youth and is inspired by the transformation that happens when people have the opportunity to experience life past their own backyard. Contact Sophie: sophie@isemn.org  | Tel: 612.436.8267 or 1.800.892.0022 x 267.

Steve Struthers

Executive Director

MA, Sociology (Organizational Behavior)

BA, Political Science

Steve has focused his professional career on helping public and non-profit organizations deliver more value for those they serve, and he is excited to bring that passion and experience to his role as ISE's new executive director. He studied French in high school, capped off with a father-son trip to France his senior year. He has also learned a fair amount of Spanish as a result of his children's enrollment in a Spanish-immersion elementary school and his family's year-long service sabbatical in Costa Rica. He looks forward to helping others experience the benefits of language immersion. Contact Steve: steve@gcn-ise.org | Tel: 612.436.8291 or 1.800.892.0022 x 291.

Tanya Gajewski

Director of Education

MA Psychology
BA French and International Studies

Tanya believes that the mission, staff, teachers and volunteers of ISE make our programs the best out there.  Her own foreign study experiences in high school and college have convinced her that there is no substitute for going abroad to better understand a language and culture.  She is thrilled to work in an environment that promotes global understanding and foreign language development. Contact Tanya: tanya@isemn.org | Tel: 612.436.8295 or 1.800.892.0022 x 295.

Tracy Tomberlin

Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico & Mexico Coordinator

BA Spanish

Tracy loves working with educators who value expanding their classes beyond the physical walls of the classroom.  Tracy taught elementary school English in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico for five years prior to coordinating the Costa Rica & Mexico Programs at ISE.  She also enjoys volunteering at a local nonprofit where she teaches English to recent immigrants from all over the globe. Contact Tracy: tracy@isemn.org | Tel: 612.436.8262 or 1.800.892.0022 x 262.