Staff Photos & Bios
Program Staff
International Director - Justin Nichols
Justin Nichols, born and raised in Florida, completed a B.A. in Ethics and the Social Economy at York University in Toronto. After which, Justin worked for three years as an Associate Faculty Member at Pickering College in Newmarket, Ontario. Justin has just completed his Law Degree at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, where he has resided for the past two years. A life long lover of learning and travel, Justin has visited cities all around the US and Canada, as well as Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. In his free time he likes to read novels, play guitar and make woodworking projects with his two dogs, Casper and Bear, at his home in Miami. Justin is excited to experience the wonders of Costa Rica with the GLA students this summer.
Local Director - Marbella Martín
Marbella is originally from Venezuela, but has lived in Costa Rica since 1976. She has dedicated a lot of her life to teaching Spanish to foreign students coming to Costa Rica and also has a passion for arts and music. She is the mom of two teenagers and loves nature and wildlife. Marbella was also a Spanish teacher for GLA interns in San Jose and it is her third year as Local Director and second year returning to The Initiative for Children.
Mentor - Katherine Wunderlich
Kate was raised in a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri and attended Elon University for undergraduate in North Carolina, where she received a B.A. in Anthropology with minors in French, Food Studies, and International Studies. While at Elon, Kate studied abroad in Paris, France for a semester where she studied the aesthetics of French pastries. Kate loves to run marathons and bake desserts. She is also a GLA alumna student. She went to Tanzania in high school in 2017. She can't wait to experience Costa Rica with GLA students this summer!
Mentor - Olivia Dulany
Olivia was raised in Bethesda, Maryland and attended Williams College in Massachusetts where she received a B.A. in Psychology and Africana Studies. Olivia then joined the Teach for America 2021 cohort and served on the island of Oahu in Hawaii for two years, where she taught high school English and Social Studies and also received a Masters's Degree in Instructional Leadership. She now teaches second grade at a private school in New York City. While she loves teaching younger students, she misses working with high schoolers and is excited to share Costa Rica with GLA students this summer.
Mentor - Christine Shaw
Christine was born in New York City and raised in New York and New Jersey. She graduated college with a B.A. in Secondary Education and a B.A in History. Christine currently lives in New Jersey where she teaches American History and Global Studies in a public high school.
With a love of nature and new experiences, she has enjoyed travels to many National Parks within the US and to cities abroad. She has been to over 35 countries across 6 continents and cannot wait to see the rest of the world. Christine is excited to spend the summer in Costa Rica with 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.