Staff Photos & Bios
Program Staff
Local Director - Tiffany Stewart
Tiffany was born in the province of Limón, in the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. She graduated in Psychopedagogy and is mother of three children. She is committed to education and community work which she considers fundamental for social growth and children development. She loves nature, the ocean, languages, sports and working with teenagers. She is passionate about learning about different cultures. This will be her second year working with GLA and she is so excited to share the "Pura Vida" with students.
International Director - Noel Regalado
Noel was born in Mexico City, but moved to the USA when he was 10 years old. After graduating from West Virginia University with a degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Resources, Noel decided to move to the US Virgin Islands. While living in the US Virgin Islands for 7 years, he had many opportunities to pursue his passion for outdoor sports. Noel learned and ended up working as a tour guide doing different activities such as, zipline, kayak, snorkeling, scuba, hiking, jet ski, flyboard, sailing, windsurfing and even became a boat captain for a 98 foot sailboat. All of these experiences were amazing and allowed Noel to have time during his off season to travel to over 34 countries and learn about different cultures and help communities in need by volunteering in various youth programs. Noel's passion for traveling, nature and community service is something that he is thrilled to share with GLA students this summer.
Mentor - Caitlin Epstein
Caitlin is a nomad, educator, and podcast producer from Charlotte, North Carolina. She earned her B.A. in Global Studies from Long Island University while studying around the world in Costa Rica, Spain, Italy, China, and Australia. She also has an M.A. in Media Practice for Development and Social Change from the University of Sussex in Brighton, England that she puts to use editing podcasts for 4 clients. Caitlin also currently teaches multiple subjects part time for a study abroad program at sea, sailing around the Caribbean, Atlantic, and Europe. She has been to 63 countries, loves art, and is excited to return to Costa Rica with GLA students this summer.
Mentor - Tamara Dobson
Tamara was raised in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales in England. She attended the University of Leeds and received a BSc for Sustainability and Environmental Management. Following her graduation she moved to Spain where she has been working as an English teacher in both Public and Private facilities for over four years. In her free time, she loves to go hiking, do yoga or try new things. She is a firm believer that you don't need to be good at something to enjoy it. In her free time she has been lucky enough to travel in Europe, North America, and has even visited a few countries in Africa. She is so excited to have the opportunity to be in Costa Rica with the GLA students this summer.
GLA Staffing - Roles
GLA staff are native to the host country and international, usually from the US, Canada or Europe. All staff are highly qualified adults with college degrees. Most of our staff are educators and/or working professionals with higher degrees of education. All of our staff have extensive experience working with teenage students, international programs and/or a specific knowledge of the program country.
GLA staff consists of a local program director, someone from the host country with extensive experience working with international students and also an international program director, someone from the west with extensive global experience working with this age group, who together bridge any cultural differences. Mentors work with the students on a day to day basis. Staff ages usually range between 25 – 35 years old. In addition, we maintain a student to staff ratio of 6:1.
Local Director
Local Program Directors are responsible for co-managing the overall experience alongside International Program Directors. First and foremost, they protect the health and safety of students at all times, reinforcing standards of safety and community culture. The Local Program Director is also responsible for planning excursions, speakers, and community service projects
International Director
International Program Directors are responsible for co-managing the overall experience alongside Local Program Directors. Along with the Local Director, the International Program Director protects the health and safety of students at all times, reinforcing standards of safety and community culture. The International Program Director is also responsible for structuring a dynamic learning environment by developing curriculum, facilitating the implementation of GLA’s service-learning workshops through group-wide discussions
Mentor
Mentors are also responsible for structuring a dynamic learning environment by working as part of a team to implement GLA’s service-learning leadership curriculum; leading daily discussion, reflection or journaling sessions with small student groups; and helping Directors plan additional workshops and activities to engage students in their “free” time.
Program Administrator
Country Administrators are responsible for managing the overall experience of multiple programs in a certain country. Along with the Local Director, and International Program Directors, the Administrator protects the health and safety of students at all times, reinforcing standards of safety and community culture. The Country Administrator is also responsible for structuring a dynamic learning environment by developing curriculum, facilitating the implementation of GLA’s service-learning workshops through group-wide discussions.
In-Country Coordinator
Our In-Country Program Coordinators are people with close ties to the local community. Their connections are what allow our groups to be welcomed as friends into a community, and their knowledge of the challenges facing local people allow our work to be a meaningful and valued contribution.
Program Manager
Our Program Managers support the International and Local teams over the course of summer programming. The Program Managers have extensive training in risk management, cross cultural communication, student and group dynamics, mental health protocols, staff management and GLA policies and procedures. Program Managers posses and in-depth knowledge of each program site, partner, service activities, and excursion. The Program Managers communicate weekly with each team in the field and provide ongoing support during the summer to ensure safe and successful programs.