About Us

Eva is a Southern California native but has spent many years living and working in Boston and Italy. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from Brandeis University and an M.A. in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University. After grad school, her time in Florence led to a career designing and directing academic and study abroad programs in both the U.S. and abroad. Her previous work at Harvard University, Sarah Lawrence, and various English for Speakers of Other Languages programs reflect her belief in the value of cross-cultural education, respecting diversity, and hands-on learning experiences. When not working, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with family.

A California native, Kevin is the Director of Admissions at Summer Springboard. Kevin has worked in the high school student education and travel industry for 15 years. He has worked with thousands of teens in international and university settings and is has a passion for experiential learning. Kevin holds a Bachelor's degree from Cal Poly Pomona in Political Science, and a Master's in Public Administration from the University of La Verne. His experience with educational programs for teens, a passion for personal development and a desire to help young people succeed led him to joining the Summer Springboard team.

Maria was born and raised in a small town in Toledo, Spain. Her passion for discovering new places brought her first to Madrid, where she earned a degree in chemical engineering. The allure of Madrid's big city vibe captured her attention and offered her the opportunity to volunteer which launched her passion for international travel and adventure. This love of travel sparked her to move to New York City to continue her studies. She since fell in love in the United States and moved to California. Maria completed her MBA at San Diego State University.

Anna grew up in San Diego, California. She attended San Diego Mesa Community College and took classes in multiple fields trying to find a career she enjoyed. Due to her love of numbers she followed her passion into the field of Accounting. She went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from the University of Lynchburg with a degree in Accounting. She wishes she had found a program such as Summer Springboard when she was in high school to have given her direction earlier in life. In her free time she enjoys traveling, the beach, soccer, Gaelic football, learning Spanish, and tutoring youth in mathematics.

Raised on the west coast, Layni went to college in the east coast and graduated with a major in Psychology from Bay Path University. She has spent the past eight years working with students in a variety of settings, ranging from leading student programs in Costa Rica to working in Admissions and Student Success while helping families plan for college abroad semesters. These experiences have solidified her passion for helping students identify their goals and next steps in education. Layni recently moved to Colorado, where she spends her time hiking, climbing and trying her hand at various arts and crafts.

Renae was born in Jamaica but lived half her life in Westchester County, NY. She received her B.S. in Criminal Justice and her MPA in nonprofit management from SUNY Brockport. After graduating, Renae worked in various roles in higher education, such as an Admissions Advisor, Instructor, and Residence Hall Director. She is passionate about helping students reach their full potential by creating a fun and educational environment while handling and facilitating leadership and personal development opportunities. Renae is the current Campus Director for the N.Y. and Georgetown program, a role she also held last summer.

A New England native, Ryan grew up in Avon, CT and earned his B.S. in Accounting with a concentration in Criminal Justice from Central Connecticut State University. After graduating, he worked in Student Affairs at various higher education institutions as a Residence Hall Director, supporting high-school seniors transition and adjust to campus living and college life as a whole. Ryan brings to Summer Springboard his valuable experience guiding students along their path to college. Outside of Summer Springboard, Ryan is an avid aviation enthusiast, recently earning his Private Pilot Certificate and working towards advancing his ratings further.

Claudine is a first-generation Latinx-American who was raised in Michigan and has spent most of her life in California (Bay Area and San Diego). She received her B.S. in Merchandising Management and Design from Michigan State University and received her Masters in Professional Accounting with honors from Colorado State University. With over 25 years of professional experience, Claudine has spent the last 9 years working with students while serving as a public school board member for a K-12 school district. One of Claudine's many passions is to find ways for students to be immersed in their interests in college and potential careers. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling the world with her husband and two kids, baking, running, sewing, and caring for her 13-year-old chihuahua, Radar.

Chiara was born in the United States and raised in Italy. She speaks Italian and English fluently and has a great passion for both travel and education. She visited more than 30 countries before the age of 30, began teaching at the age of 20 and has not left the academic world since. She dedicated the past twelve years to teaching overseas, whilst pursuing her B.S. in ESL and special needs instruction. She has supported students of all ages throughout their studies in multiple settings, including high school programs, organizing student group trips abroad, and directing ESL summer programs in multiple universities across the US and the UK. She is passionate about helping each student thrive and reach their personal goals, as well as find their most suitable academic path. When Chiara is not working she is volunteering, travelling with her family, and scuba diving.

Born and raised in Oregon, Diana graduated from Portland State University with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Sociology. She always dreamed of studying abroad in college but didn't know how to get started or who to go to for help. After exploring different options, Diana was able to study abroad in England and complete her senior capstone project in Spain. During her time abroad she was able to travel to seven countries and visit more than 25 cities. These experiences inspired Diana to help students pursue their goals. Since then, she's had the chance to connect with many students and families and has helped them figure out their next steps in higher education. In her free time, Diana enjoys reading, trying out new hobbies, and trying new foods.

Lexi finished her Bachelor of Science in Public Management and Policy with a minor in Adolescence, Community, and Education from the University of Arizona. As a college freshman her intention was to be a teacher, but after learning more about education policy, she was able to weave her interests of social justice and education together. She has experience working on different summer programs across the world. In the summer of 2017, she traveled to Prague as a camp aide for an English as a Second Language program. The following year she worked on staff at a teen summer program in Appalachian Mountains. Her hope as an admissions coordinator is to bring a diverse group of students together on all our campuses. When Lexi is not working on admissions she enjoys going to the gym, walking her dog, and watching college basketball.

Born and raised in southern California, Jorge attended the University of California Riverside where he graduated with a bachelors in political science. Initially wanting to work in the space of social justice, Jorge realized his passion for youth empowerment while working at a summer program in 2018 and has been working with youth and students since then. After working multiple summer programs and spending some time as a substitute teacher for Los Angeles Unified, Jorge is now a full time admissions coordinator for Summer Springboard. In his free time he enjoys making music, taking pictures, attending sports games throughout the Los Angeles area, and more often than not you can find him eating pupusas!

Marissa is deeply passionate about education and travel. Born in Detroit, raised in Colorado, and fond of cultural immersion she has lived in Costa Rica, Spain, and Mexico over the past 6 years. Marissa has a Doctorate in Communication, Culture, and Identity and boasts 12 years teaching with public and private universities. She loves the diversity of the college experience and has taught the full range of courses from first-year seminars, to senior capstones, to service-learning and internships. Marissa brings her knowledge and experience to SSB with the desire to help guide and support future undergrads to fully embrace and successfully navigate their college career and beyond. In her personal time, Marissa enjoys traveling with her family, skateboarding, and watching Detroit sports.

Julia attended Sweet Briar College where she majored in Psychology. She is originally from Dallas, Texas, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia. Before joining the team at Summer Springboard, she was an After School Care and Teen Director at the YMCA of Greater Richmond as well as a camp counselor and director at YMCA summer camps for several years. Through her years of working for the YMCA, Julia loved providing students the opportunity to learn how to become leaders within their community. In her free time she enjoys traveling, playing tennis, knitting, yoga, and reading.

Born and raised in Nigeria, Mercy earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Ibadan with honours. Fueled by the desire for personal development and to effect positive change in the society, she volunteered for societies such as Junior Chamber International where she worked with the Executive Vice President to organise training sessions and help coordinate national conventions. She also volunteered in Fame Initiative where she was a member of the Programs and Logistics Unit and taught high school students within the ages 13-17 about leadership and how to be the best versions of themselves for a period of 6-8 weeks per session. She later became an Administrative Assistant at Quantum Leap Consulting - an organisation that specializes in talk therapy for marriage and individual counselling sessions. She is currently the Support Specialist at Summer Springboard and intends to use her experience to ensure the programs are the right fit for the students.