GLOBAL LEARNING OFFICE

A proud Kentuckian, Whitney joined the office in June 2016 following the completion of her master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Policy at Northwestern. Whitney received her BA in Anthropology with a minor in Psychology from the University of Louisville. During her undergraduate years, Whitney studied abroad in Istanbul, Turkey and wrote her thesis on concepts of ethnicity and citizenship within Turkey. Prior to joining GLO, Whitney taught English at a university in southwestern Turkey as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA), worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at a community center in Louisville, Kentucky, and worked as a Graduate Assistant at IES Abroad, and Northwestern's Study Abroad Office and Buffett Institute for Global Studies. In her spare time, Whitney enjoys cycling everywhere, volunteering at an educational bike shop called the Recyclery Collective, and taking art classes.

Originally from New Jersey, Krista was a first-generation college student and the first in her family to study abroad. She received her B.A. in Linguistics and German Language & Literature from Haverford College, spent her junior year abroad in Freiburg, Germany, and completed her M.S.Ed. degree in Higher Education Administration & Policy at Northwestern. After working in banking and financial services for a number of years, Krista interned at IES Abroad in Chicago and joined Northwestern Study Abroad in 2007. As the Senior Assistant Director in the financial aid office, Krista is a member of both the Learning Abroad and Financial Aid/Financial Wellness teams.

Responsibilities:

• Manager, Study Abroad Financial Services: advise students and families on study abroad financial aid, scholarships, billing, and budgeting; manage and award study abroad financial aid and certify scholarship applications; liaise with programs regarding fees and invoices; help ensure access to study abroad, particularly for students with high financial need and first-generation students
• Senior Assistant Director, Undergraduate Financial Aid: oversee financial aid counseling, advise students and families on all aspects of financial aid, collaborate on financial wellness programming, campus financial aid mentor for Posse Scholars and Gates Scholars

Catrina has been in the field of international education for over 12 years and received her BA in International Relations, International Studies, and Italian from University of Wisconsin-Madison and her MS in Communication from Northwestern University. She studied abroad in France and Italy and has worked and traveled abroad in various locations throughout Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Before joining Northwestern, Catrina was the Associate Director of International Programs at Columbia College Chicago where she focused on centralizing and streamlining faculty-led programs and budgets running across six continents.

Catrina is a member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, The Forum on Education Abroad, the Global Leadership League, the Northwestern Education Abroad Crisis Management Council, and the Association of Northwestern Women. She also actively volunteers with professional organizations, currently serving as the NAFSA Region V Chair Elect (2019-2021) and previously serving as the NAFSA Region V Education Abroad Representative (2018-2019), and the International Educators of Illinois (IEI) Study Abroad Representative (2015-2017). When she isn’t busy exploring Chicago neighborhoods with her husband and dog, Catrina loves to travel, learn about different perspectives and cultures, and taste foods from around the world.

Jessica graduated with a MEd in Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago and a BS in International Business and Spanish from the University of Dayton. She has studied abroad twice, first as an undergraduate studying Spanish and business for a semester at the University of Deusto in San Sebastián, Spain and later as a graduate student studying International Education at Loyola’s campus in Rome. Before coming to Northwestern, she was the Training Director of the Urban Chicago Chapter of Amigos de las Américas, training students to lead community development projects in Latin America and worked as an adviser at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Study Abroad Office.

Jessica is a member of NAFSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, and the Global Leadership League. She sits on the Executive Committee of IFSA's National Advisory Board and works on their Inclusive Excellence Advisory Group, is a Mentor in the International Educators of Illinois (IEI) Mentorship Program, and will serve as a NAFSA Academy Coach for Academy Class 17 (2019 - 2020). In her spare time she likes cooking and exploring the city for activities to help her two young children burn energy and satisfy their curiosity.

Originally from Michigan, Karey graduated with a BA in Environmental Science from Northwestern and an MA in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University. Inspired by her study abroad experiences in Chile and Ecuador, while an undergraduate, Karey returned to Ecuador after graduation, where she worked for SIT Study Abroad for several years. She also worked at the Chazen Institute for International Business at Columbia Business School, Social Justice Initiatives at Columbia Law School, and the Cloud Institute of Sustainability Education before returning to Northwestern in 2010. Karey is a member of the Forum on Education Abroad and NAFSA, and has served on a number of committees including the Diversity Abroad Faculty Development Task Force, IES Abroad Annual Conference Program Planning Committee, Northwestern Education Abroad Crisis Management Council, and others. She loves scuba diving and volunteering at her community food pantry and animal shelter.

Additional responsibilities:

• Overseeing operations and evaluation of GLO's specially-designed, faculty-led, and exchange programs.

Mexican-American and a first-generation college student, Carmen received her BFA and a minor in Spanish Literature from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Carmen joined the office after completion of her second master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University. She also holds a master’s degree in Linguistics. As an undergraduate student, she studied abroad twice, the first time in Rome, Italy where she studied Italian film and art history and the second time in Santiago, Chile where she studied photography and Spanish Literature at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Before coming to Northwestern, Carmen worked as a Financial Aid Coordinator at Northeastern Illinois University, where she advised and promoted financial literacy. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, photography, cooking, wine-tastings, camping, and hiking.

A proud alumna of Northwestern, Sara studied abroad for a full year in Seville, Spain as an undergraduate and received her BA in Spanish. After completing her MA in Applied Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts Boston, she tutored Spanish and taught English as a second language (ESL) for several years before returning to Northwestern, this time as a staff member. Currently, she is part of the leadership team of International Educators of Illinois, where she co-coordinates the association's mentorship program. When not at work, she love spending time with her husband and kids, playing games, listening to live music, watching sports and reading.

A native of Illinois, Lauren joined Northwestern after living and working around the US and the world for a number of years. She completed her BA in Political Science at Colorado State University and a MS in Student Affairs in Higher Education at Miami University (Ohio). Before joining the staff, she was a study abroad adviser at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and worked closely with programs in Asia and Eastern Europe. She spent four years living in beautiful Fukushima, Japan and completed a one year round-the-world trip. Lauren loves the adventure of traveling to remote or non-traditional destinations like North Korea, Siberia, Antarctica and the West Bank.

Laura joined the office in September 2016. She received a BA in English with a minor in Art History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. During college Laura studied abroad at Oxford University. Before starting at ULA she worked at Barnes & Noble, the Evanston Public Library and Northwestern's Office of the Registrar. In her free time Laura enjoys reading, travel and trapeze class.

Responsibilities:

• Handling payment and financial records
• Managing student billing and registration
• Coordinating a variety of administrative processes including credit transfer, the office newsletter, and front desk scheduling and coverage

A proud Kentuckian, Whitney joined the office in June 2016 following the completion of her master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Policy at Northwestern. Whitney received her BA in Anthropology with a minor in Psychology from the University of Louisville. During her undergraduate years, Whitney studied abroad in Istanbul, Turkey and wrote her thesis on concepts of ethnicity and citizenship within Turkey. Prior to joining GLO, Whitney taught English at a university in southwestern Turkey as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA), worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at a community center in Louisville, Kentucky, and worked as a Graduate Assistant at IES Abroad, and Northwestern's Study Abroad Office and Buffett Institute for Global Studies. In her spare time, Whitney enjoys cycling everywhere, volunteering at an educational bike shop called the Recyclery Collective, and taking art classes.

Originally from New Jersey, Krista was a first-generation college student and the first in her family to study abroad. She received her B.A. in Linguistics and German Language & Literature from Haverford College, spent her junior year abroad in Freiburg, Germany, and completed her M.S.Ed. degree in Higher Education Administration & Policy at Northwestern. After working in banking and financial services for a number of years, Krista interned at IES Abroad in Chicago and joined Northwestern Study Abroad in 2007. As the Senior Assistant Director in the financial aid office, Krista is a member of both the Learning Abroad and Financial Aid/Financial Wellness teams.

Responsibilities:

• Manager, Study Abroad Financial Services: advise students and families on study abroad financial aid, scholarships, billing, and budgeting; manage and award study abroad financial aid and certify scholarship applications; liaise with programs regarding fees and invoices; help ensure access to study abroad, particularly for students with high financial need and first-generation students
• Senior Assistant Director, Undergraduate Financial Aid: oversee financial aid counseling, advise students and families on all aspects of financial aid, collaborate on financial wellness programming, campus financial aid mentor for Posse Scholars and Gates Scholars

Catrina has been in the field of international education for over 12 years and received her BA in International Relations, International Studies, and Italian from University of Wisconsin-Madison and her MS in Communication from Northwestern University. She studied abroad in France and Italy and has worked and traveled abroad in various locations throughout Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Before joining Northwestern, Catrina was the Associate Director of International Programs at Columbia College Chicago where she focused on centralizing and streamlining faculty-led programs and budgets running across six continents.

Catrina is a member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, The Forum on Education Abroad, the Global Leadership League, the Northwestern Education Abroad Crisis Management Council, and the Association of Northwestern Women. She also actively volunteers with professional organizations, currently serving as the NAFSA Region V Chair Elect (2019-2021) and previously serving as the NAFSA Region V Education Abroad Representative (2018-2019), and the International Educators of Illinois (IEI) Study Abroad Representative (2015-2017). When she isn’t busy exploring Chicago neighborhoods with her husband and dog, Catrina loves to travel, learn about different perspectives and cultures, and taste foods from around the world.

Jessica graduated with a MEd in Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago and a BS in International Business and Spanish from the University of Dayton. She has studied abroad twice, first as an undergraduate studying Spanish and business for a semester at the University of Deusto in San Sebastián, Spain and later as a graduate student studying International Education at Loyola’s campus in Rome. Before coming to Northwestern, she was the Training Director of the Urban Chicago Chapter of Amigos de las Américas, training students to lead community development projects in Latin America and worked as an adviser at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Study Abroad Office.

Jessica is a member of NAFSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, and the Global Leadership League. She sits on the Executive Committee of IFSA's National Advisory Board and works on their Inclusive Excellence Advisory Group, is a Mentor in the International Educators of Illinois (IEI) Mentorship Program, and will serve as a NAFSA Academy Coach for Academy Class 17 (2019 - 2020). In her spare time she likes cooking and exploring the city for activities to help her two young children burn energy and satisfy their curiosity.

Originally from Michigan, Karey graduated with a BA in Environmental Science from Northwestern and an MA in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University. Inspired by her study abroad experiences in Chile and Ecuador, while an undergraduate, Karey returned to Ecuador after graduation, where she worked for SIT Study Abroad for several years. She also worked at the Chazen Institute for International Business at Columbia Business School, Social Justice Initiatives at Columbia Law School, and the Cloud Institute of Sustainability Education before returning to Northwestern in 2010. Karey is a member of the Forum on Education Abroad and NAFSA, and has served on a number of committees including the Diversity Abroad Faculty Development Task Force, IES Abroad Annual Conference Program Planning Committee, Northwestern Education Abroad Crisis Management Council, and others. She loves scuba diving and volunteering at her community food pantry and animal shelter.

Additional responsibilities:

• Overseeing operations and evaluation of GLO's specially-designed, faculty-led, and exchange programs.

Mexican-American and a first-generation college student, Carmen received her BFA and a minor in Spanish Literature from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Carmen joined the office after completion of her second master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University. She also holds a master’s degree in Linguistics. As an undergraduate student, she studied abroad twice, the first time in Rome, Italy where she studied Italian film and art history and the second time in Santiago, Chile where she studied photography and Spanish Literature at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Before coming to Northwestern, Carmen worked as a Financial Aid Coordinator at Northeastern Illinois University, where she advised and promoted financial literacy. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, photography, cooking, wine-tastings, camping, and hiking.

A proud alumna of Northwestern, Sara studied abroad for a full year in Seville, Spain as an undergraduate and received her BA in Spanish. After completing her MA in Applied Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts Boston, she tutored Spanish and taught English as a second language (ESL) for several years before returning to Northwestern, this time as a staff member. Currently, she is part of the leadership team of International Educators of Illinois, where she co-coordinates the association's mentorship program. When not at work, she love spending time with her husband and kids, playing games, listening to live music, watching sports and reading.

Jessica joined Northwestern in 2015. She started undergrad at the Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Campus Queretaro, Mexico. She later transferred to Grand Valley State University to receive her BA in International Relations with a minor in Latin American Studies. Through Grand Valley, Jessica was a recipient of the Studies in Transatlantic International Relations (STAIR) scholarship, studying in Hungary and Poland. Post-graduation, Jessica worked in Bogota, Colombia. She speaks native English and Spanish, and very poor Polish. Jessica received her M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) from Northwestern in 2020.

Sara received her BS (Foreign Service) in History and Diplomacy and her MA in German and European Studies from Georgetown University. During this time, she spent two years studying at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich and the Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms University in Bonn and completed a year-long internship with the German parliament. Sara joined Northwestern in August 2017 after 18 years as Executive Director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Center for International Education and an early career as Program Officer for the US Department of Education’s Title VI grant programs. Sara is a member of AIEA, NAFSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, and the Global Leadership League, and has served as a consultant for US colleges, universities and government agencies seeking to strengthen international education programs.

Responsibilities:

• Overseeing the development and management of Northwestern’s overseas undergraduate curriculum and its alignment with Northwestern’s global strategy
• Expanding access to degree-relevant study abroad reflective of students’ needs and interests
• Strengthening learning abroad as an integral part of the undergraduate experience
• Engaging Northwestern faculty as partners, participants and advocates

A native of Illinois, Lauren joined Northwestern after living and working around the US and the world for a number of years. She completed her BA in Political Science at Colorado State University and a MS in Student Affairs in Higher Education at Miami University (Ohio). Before joining the staff, she was a study abroad adviser at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and worked closely with programs in Asia and Eastern Europe. She spent four years living in beautiful Fukushima, Japan and completed a one year round-the-world trip. Lauren loves the adventure of traveling to remote or non-traditional destinations like North Korea, Siberia, Antarctica and the West Bank.

Bella Wilkes, from New Lenox, Illinois, is a sophomore majoring in Journalism and minoring in Earth & Planetary Science and Environmental Policy & Culture. Although she has never traveled outside of the country, she hopes she will one day be able to visit countries that are most affected by the threats of climate change to study and report on social and political change as a result of degrading natural habitats. In her free time, Bella writes for Northwestern's online magazine In Our Nature.