KELSEY BURNS
Education: St. Lawrence University, B.A., cum laude, Spanish, minor in Creative Writing
While at St. Lawrence, Kelsey spent her junior year in Madrid, Spain, studying literature, art history, ecology, and theater at El Colegio Mayor Isabel de España. Back on campus, Kelsey worked as a peer tutor in the Spanish Writing Center, a teacher’s assistant for the Spanish department, and in the International Office for the Spain Study Abroad program. She was a member of the women’s lacrosse team and the Outing Club. 2012 is Kelsey’s eleventh summer with Putney Student Travel. She has led a Language Learning program in Spain, worked coordinating Putney’s Global Action programs at Yale University, and led Community Service programs in Ecuador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Ghana. Kelsey works full time at the Putney Student Travel office as an Associate Director. She is responsible for organizing Putney’s programs in the Dominican Republic and Ghana, and for coordinating our marketing efforts. When she isn’t traveling, Kelsey sings in her band, dances West African dance, hikes, bikes, skis, reads, and makes art.
ANDREW FERTIG
Education: Brown University, B.A., Latin American Studies
Raised in the Washington DC area, Andrew has always had a passion for outdoor experiences and wilderness exploration. He has hiked in Alaska, Peru, Patagonia, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and all over the continental United States. While at Brown, Andrew spent a semester studying coastal and marine ecology in Turks and Caicos before moving to Ecuador to work for the marine resources department of the Galápagos National Park. Recently, Andrew managed a field station for Drexel University and the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program in the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, Equatorial Guinea. There, Andrew facilitated various research projects and managed other conservation related operations. Working closely with local communities, government agencies, and international corporations, Andrew helped raise awareness for environmental issues through educational and advocacy programs island-wide. Andrew’s sustainability and conservation work with international NGOs in developing countries will take him to India this September for a fellowship through the American Indian Foundation. Andrew is fluent in Spanish.
DANIELLE LAMBERT
Education: Old Dominion University B.S. Occupational and Technical Studies, minor in Human Service Counseling, magna cum laude.
After graduating from college, Danielle spent a year and a half living in Costa Rica and working as an adventure photographer at a local nature park. Danielle is also a proud Americorps National Civilian Community Corps alumna. In Americorps Danielle combined her passion for travel with her interest in community service. Through this experience she was able to complete varied service projects across the country in locations including New Orleans, Baltimore, Rhode Island and New York. She currently works as an ESL tutor and ropes course facilitator in Richmond, VA. She is fluent in Spanish. Danielle has led the community service portion of Foundations Costa Rica.
JONATHAN MCCARTHY
University of Vermont, B.A., History, minor in Business Administration.
After graduating from the University of Vermont, Jonathan spent several years exploring his inner culinary artist and gaining restaurant management experience as Executive Sous Chef with Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurants in Delaware and New Jersey. While experiencing professional successes, his contemplative and inquisitive nature fueled a desire for international travel and continued personal growth that he could not help but satisfy. After renouncing his chefdom in August 2010, Jonathan spent the following eighteen months traveling Latin America and Israel. Jonathan worked in a supervisory role as a Restaurant Consultant and Chef in Leon, Nicaragua and Mancora, Peru. While in northern Peru, Jonathan worked to recruit and lead volunteers and raise funds for construction projects at the Mama Cocha Orphanage. In Israel, Jonathan volunteered with Sar-El and the Israeli Defense Forces to oversee the repair and maintenance of equipment and troubleshoot logistical issues. Jonathan’s infatuation with Latin American history and culture keep him coming back for more. If he’s not busy sesame crusting Tuna loins or pounding cobblestone streets abroad, you can find Jonathan exploring photography, creative writing, or playing Jenga. Jonathan is fluent in Spanish.
NICOLE SAFRANEK
Education: Barnard College, B.A.in Comparative Religion, CUNY Lehman, M.S.Ed. In Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Originally from California, Nicole has been a middle school teacher since graduating from Columbia University, where she studied comparative religion and traveled abroad to Bolivia. She taught ESL in the Bronx for the New York City Teaching Fellows before moving to Monteverde, Costa Rica to teach English and social studies in a bilingual Quaker school. Nicole loves languages, especially Spanish which she has studied since 8th grade. She finds all the regional variations of language particularly delightful and can be quite nerdy about comparing the Spanish she knows from California Mexicans, Bolivians, NYC Dominicans & Puerto Ricans, and Ticos! In her free time, Nicole enjoys yoga, gymnastics, and cooking. Nicole is fluent in Spanish.
TRISTAN SALVANERA
Education: Wake Forest University, B.S., Business & Enterprise Management, minors in International Studies and Global Trade & Commerce.
Raised in a bilingual household, Tristan has always had a passion for culture, language, and travel. His curiosity about the global community led him to study International Business at Wake Forest University. While at university, Tristan dedicated a summer to studying comparative literature in the U.K. and both international corruption and Italian in Venice, Italy. Tristan has also led community service trips in Honduras and Nicaragua, aiding at an orphanage and formulating coffee-bean marketing strategy, respectively. After a summer internship at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, Tristan’s interest in implementing effective diplomacy earned him a State Department Fellowship for graduate school at Duke University. Postponing his foray into becoming a Foreign Service Officer, Tristan recently taught English in an agronomic school in Argentina. After being accepted into the JET Programme, Tristan’s adventures will lead him to Japan to teach English, to explore the sights and sounds of the East Asian communities, and visit the beaches of his homeland in the Philippines. He is fluent in Tagalog with working knowledge of Spanish, Castellano, and Italian. Tristan has led Cultural Exploration Switzerland, Italy, France, and Holland.