Access Partners


Are you a study abroad program provider, University, or scholarship provider? We invite you to partner and grow with FEA.

FEA Access Partners engage in the FEA mission through annual support towards co-branded or allocated scholarships and receive sponsorship recognition. Access Partners also serve as members of the Access Advisory Board (AAB), providing critical leadership-level feedback on the Access Partner Program. Membership is renewed annually, and begins at the date of pledge/gift.

The program has four goals:

  • Engage Access Partners in the FEA mission to provide scholarships and ongoing support to students who are underrepresented among the U.S. study abroad population.
  • Assist Access Partners in identifying high-need students of high potential they may struggle to identify through traditional recruitment.
  • Increase the number of scholarships FEA provides annually by hosting Access Partner allocated or co-branded scholarships.
  • Empower Access Partners to support high-performing, non-awarded students in the FEA pipeline with pre-determined incentives to further increase access.

Interested in learning more about our partnership levels and benefits?

Contact our Executive Director, Angela Schaffer, at [email protected].

Meet Our Access Advisory Board


  • Ainslie Moore

    Director International, University of Auckland

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    Ainslie Moore is the Director International for the University of Auckland. She has over twenty years’ experience in international education in universities, peak bodies and government in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. She holds degrees in public policy and public relations and is passionate about the benefits of international education for students and society.

  • Alyssa Nota

    President & CEO, University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC)

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    President & CEO

    University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC)

    Alyssa Nota, Ph.D, is the President/CEO of University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), a nonprofit organization established in 1982. USAC has grown to include 50+ study abroad programs across 27 countries worldwide. Alyssa has been involved with international education for over 25 years. Alyssa joined USAC in 2000 and was named President/CEO in 2017. She previously was the Resident Director of the USAC Torino, Italy program and developed three additional Italy programs. As Regional Resident Director, she was responsible for supporting 700+ students annually. She has been instrumental in the selection of program sites, developing curriculum, hiring and training staff, and managing host institution arrangements including programs in Asia, Europe and South America.

    She is currently involved in Fund for Education Abroad, Diversity Abroad, The Forum for Education Abroad, NAFSA, Association for International Education Administrators, and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Alyssa has her Ph.D. from Boston College, MA from University of Virginia, and BA from Florida State University. Her study abroad experiences in high school, university and graduate school were pivotal for her personal and professional future. She is a strong advocate of study abroad, language study, and supporting all students to have international opportunities.      

  • Brad Stepan

    Director of North American Operations, DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia

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    Brad Stepan is the Director of North American Operations for DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia. Founded in 1959, DIS is a Danish non-profit study abroad foundation with locations in Copenhagen and Stockholm. Brad has worked in International Education for over 20 years, and he has held various roles at DIS since 1996. Brad is the 2011 recipient of NAFSAโ€™s Lily von Klemperer Award. He sits on the DIS Executive Team and manages strategic oversight of DIS Enrollment, Institutional Relations, Outreach, and Administration at the North American Office based in Minneapolis. Prior to his time at DIS, Brad worked with international students on U.S. work exchange programs and in Human Resources. As a first-generation college student, Brad studied abroad in both Denmark and Mexico, and he worked abroad in London and Sydney. Brad received his B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Minnesota and his M.Ed. in Student Affairs & Higher Education Administration from the University of Wisconsin.

  • Cara Bonnington

    Associate Director of Global Mobility, The University of Sydney

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    Cara has worked in the higher education sector for thirteen years. Her passion for international education stems from her experiences studying abroad in London in her freshman year, and in Rome during her junior year. Since then, Cara has dedicated her career to enabling others to have meaningful international experiences.

    As Associate Director, Global Mobility Cara leads Sydney Global Mobility – the teams that manage inbound and outbound student mobility and international agreements. Cara and her teams work collaboratively with faculties, schools and partner universities to grow and develop opportunities for student mobility in line with the Universityโ€™s strategic 50% outbound student mobility target. Since moving to Australia, Cara has also been an active member of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), and is a co-founder of STAMP: Study Tour for Academics and Mobility Professionals.

    Prior to joining the University of Sydney in 2015, Cara worked at the University of Pennsylvania for six years, holding a number of roles within Penn Global. She has a Master’s degree in Intercultural Communication from the University of Pennsylvania and is a current PhD candidate in the Centre for Higher Education Internationalization at Universitร  Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

  • Christian Meyer

    Executive Vice President, EF Education First

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    Christian Meyer, an accomplished leader, boasts a diverse career spanning travel, game development, and education. With over 25 years of experience, he has exhibited exceptional leadership at renowned organizations, reflecting his warm, humble, and intellectually-driven style. Currently the Executive Vice President of Higher Education at EF Education First, Christian spearheads transformative study abroad programs for U.S. college students. His prior decade in the games industry offered a unique perspective on student engagement, fueling his passion for innovative education and non-traditional learning environments. With academic roots at Harvard and Kellogg, Christian shapes industries through strategic insight, leadership acumen, and commitment to positive change. As a father of four and Concord, Massachusetts native, he relishes engaging with students and envisioning higher educationโ€™s future chapters.

  • Danielle Basile

    Director of Financial Aid, Semester at Sea

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    Danielleย Basile is a Financial Aid Professional who currently serves as the Director of Financial Aid at the Institute for Shipboard Education. She has over 20 years of experience in the field and is committed to providing exceptional service to students.ย Danielleย possesses a strong technical knowledge of various student financial aid programs and has extensive experience working with gap students, undergraduate students, and postgraduate students to find ways to fund their study abroad program. She holds degrees in Business Administration and Sociology and is passionate about helping all students who want to study abroad.

  • Devin Foxall

    Director of Institutional Relations, The School for Field Studies

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    Devin Foxall is the Director of Institutional Relations with The School for Field Studies. He has worked in the international field since 2003, first as a freelance journalist covering post-conflict countries, then working for development agencies in Africa and Afghanistan, and now in international education since 2011.

    Devin has presented at regional and national conferences, served on The Forum on Education Abroadโ€™s Data Committee, and on the Forumโ€™s HBCUs Working Group. Devin received his Bachelorโ€™s in English from Dartmouth College and his Masterโ€™s in International Economics and Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

  • Dr. Julie Andreshak

    Chief Academic & Operations Officer, FIE

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    Dr. Julie Ann Andreshak has been involved in international education for twenty years, first as a student, and then as an administrator, researcher, and teacher. Her experience abroad includes study in France and teaching in Poland.  She served as a teacher-trainer in the US Peace Corps in Morocco prior to obtaining her PhD in Comparative and International Education at the University of Minnesota. Julieโ€™s BA degree is in International Relations and her MS in Curriculum & Instruction, ESL; both degrees are from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Julie is also a certified French and ESL teacher.

    As Chief Academic Officer, Julie oversees all aspects of Academics and Experiential Education in London, Dublin, and Amman.  Her remit includes quality assurance, academic policy and procedure, program and curriculum review and accreditation efforts as well as developing and maintaining academic partnerships within the UK, Europe and beyond.  Julie is a member of FIEโ€™s Senior Leadership Team.

    Julie is a 2010 graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, London, earning her Diplรดme de Cuisine. Julie teaches the Food, Society, and Culture in Britain course.  She also acts as a peer reviewer for educational oversight in the private higher education sector for the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).

    After relocating to London in 2001, Julie worked as a research fellow in widening participation and as a program director and instructor for other study abroad and internship programs. She has been with FIE since 2005.

  • Emily Merson

    Executive Director, AIFS Abroad

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    Emily is an experienced international educator, co-founding Global Experiences in 2001 and becoming CEO in 2013.  During her tenure as CEO, Emily championed strategic growth of the organization, innovative program development and leading a global team of 50 staff in 15 cities.  In her new role as Executive Director of AIFS Abroad she will be bringing together three programs, AIFS Custom Programs, AIFS Study abroad and Global Experiences Internships into a newly reimagined global organization, ready to serve the needs of students and universities in the 21st century.

    Emily has a BA in Political Science and Science & Technology from the University of New South Wales, and a Masters of Social Science and International Peace and Conflict Research from Uppsala University in Sweden. Prior to working in international education Emily spent time interning at UNESCO Indonesia and working at The Asia Australia Institute on regional cooperation. In 2015, Emily was awarded Enterprising Woman of the Year by Enterprising Womenโ€™s Magazine. Over the last five years, Emily has served on NAFSA sub-committees and as the Chairperson on an internships task force for the Forum on Education Abroad and most recently on the Forumโ€™s re-opening task force. Emily has presented at a variety of global conferences on Innovation in International Education.

  • Jennifer Acosta

    Senior Vice President & General Manager, WorldStrides

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    Jennifer oversees the WorldStrides Higher Education division, leading the teams at International Studies Abroad (ISA) and The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) in providing exceptional study abroad experiences for college students. Jennifer joined the ISA team in 1996 as the Director of Admissions and served as Senior Vice President of Enrollment Management for 10 years prior to her current role as General Manager. Jennifer has played a key role in ISAโ€™s development during her tenure and cites a particular passion for meeting students on their terms as the organization continues to evolve alongside institutions and the field of international education.

    Jennifer graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a Bachelorโ€™s Degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies, and from Southwest Texas State University with a Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish. Her international education includes a semester at the Universidad de Sevilla in Sevilla, Spain and a summer at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two daughters.

  • John Christian

    President & CEO, CAPA The Global Education Network

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    John has a longstanding history in the field of international education spanning more than 25 years. He has been an active and contributing member of the international education industry including NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, and Forum on Education Abroad.

    He began his international education career as a Foreign Student Advisor for the State University of New York at Oswego in the Office of International Education. He attended graduate school at the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies where he completed a masterโ€™s degree in Area studies: China. During this time, John was also the executive director of the SUNY Oswego London Center which led to the development of CAPAโ€™s first program center in London.

    As an entrepreneur and leader, John continues to evolve and support the field of international education. He strives for new and innovative ways to enhance the student experience in academics, personal and professional development and cultural exchange using state-of-the-art technology to create globally collaborative communities across the CAPA network of programs. His entrepreneurial approach to learning takes a diverse number of students to places they never knew they could go and prepares them to function and compete in an increasingly interdependent global landscape.

    Currently, John sits on the Fund for Education Abroadโ€™s Access Advisory Board, the Advisory Council for Diversity Abroad, and the Development Board of the California Innocence Project and the fundraising advisory board for Best Buddies International

  • Kayla Patterson

    Chief Operating Officer, GoAbroad.com

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    Kayla Patterson currently serves as the COO of GoAbroad.com, the leading search engine for meaningful international travel opportunities. Upon joining GoAbroad.com in 2011, Kayla spent several years directing GoMedia, a suite of online marketing solutions for international educators. Kayla worked with and consulted for dozens of international education organizations worldwide through GoMedia. She served as the NAFSA Technology MIG Chair from 2012-2015, and has presented on social media, marketing, and communications in several forums, including WYSTC, NAFSA, and TDU conferences.

    Throughout her time with GoAbroad.com, she has managed a variety of projects, from website development and marketing campaigns to strategic partnerships and events, which ultimately led her to playing an integral role in overseeing operations and strategy for the GoAbroad Groupโ€”a corporate umbrella that includes GoAbroad.com, FundMyTravel, GoAbroad HQ, and several other startups. Kayla has also organized and managed international internship programs for GoAbroad.com in both Ireland and the Philippines. On top of her multifaceted role on the business side of GoAbroad, Kayla has served on the advisory board for the GoAbroad Foundation since 2013, and is actively involved in organizing events and initiatives for the non-profit.

    Kayla received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Colorado State University, and is currently working on a Master’s in International Management from Colorado State Universityโ€”Global Campus. Sheโ€™s an avid traveler that is currently fulfilling her dream of living abroad in the Philippines.

  • Kendall Brostuen

    Vice President of Academic Affairs, EF Education First

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    As Vice President of Academic Affairs for EF Study Abroad, Kendall Brostuen manages academic and co-curricular content for quality assurance purposes and oversees the development of EF Study Abroad programs to ensure that they are grounded in academic and operational excellence.ย  He has over 30 years of experience managing education abroad programs, both from the sending and the receiving sides, having directed a center of study and taught at the University of Granada, Spain for nearly 10 years.ย 

    From 2004 to 2021 he directed the Office of International Programs and served as Associate Dean of the College at Brown University.ย  In this capacity, he was the founding director and chair, Board of Directors ofย The Consortium for Advanced Studies Abroad, a consortium of 13 leading world research universities and 4 highly selective U.S. baccalaureate colleges.ย  Kendall has articulated agreements with foreign universities in over a dozen countries, conducted numerous formal site reviews of college and university programs abroad, served as a member of The Forum on Education Abroad’s National Review Panel on quality improvement for the education abroad field, and presented papers at conferences sponsored by leading professional associations, including NAFSA, The American Council on Education, The Forum on Education Abroad, and the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). From 2014 to 2016, he served as chair of CIEE’s Academic Consortium Board.ย  He is a past member of the editorial board ofย Frontiers, The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad. ย 

  • Laurie Black

    Dean of Enrollment, Sea Education Association (SEA)

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    Laurieโ€™s career in international education spans 25+ years and has focused on strategic partnerships, marketing and enrollment, and program development. She is currently the dean of enrollment at Sea Education Association (SEA) and works with undergraduate, gap year, and high school programs. She has been active in issues of access and inclusion, collaborating with institutions and organizations that support underrepresented students, and has served on the Forum on Education Abroad Council. She earned her BA in Sociology at University of Virginia and her MA in International Education at SIT.

  • Lexie Kadlec

    Chief Operating Officer, The Intern Group

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    Lexie is the Director of Enrollments at The Intern Group, an international internship program provider. She has worked with numerous universities around the world to develop their international internship offerings. She has also led market research projects to understand both student demand for global experiences and employer demand for culturally aware recent graduates.

    Her research has been mainly dedicated to understanding the gap between students’ skills upon graduation and the skills graduate employers look for and how universities play a major role in both aspects. She loves to travel, meet new people, and learn about new cultures. She is currently based in Santiago, Chile where she once studied abroad and now calls home.

  • Maritheresa Frain

    Vice President for Academic Programs, Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA)

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    Dr. Maritheresa Frain is the Vice President for Academic Programs at the Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA) where she manages a portfolio of over 200 programs located in 17 countries.    She has over 25 yearsโ€™ experience in international educational exchanges.  Most recently, she served as the Director of Study Abroad at the George Washington University.  Throughout her career, Dr. Frain has developed innovative programming designed to break down barriers of cost, curriculum and culture to ensure all students have access to international learning experiences.   

    Dr. Frain returned to the US in 2014 after having lived and worked abroad for 25 years in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Russia and Switzerland.  Maritheresa has taught at St. Louis, George Washington and Syracuse Universities in Madrid, Universidad Lusรญada in Lisbon (Portugal), Moscow State University (Russian Federation) and Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Seville, Spain). Dr. Frain served as the Consular Agent of the United States Embassy in Seville, Spain. 

    Originally from Philadelphia, Maritheresa completed her undergraduate work in International Politics at The Pennsylvania State University and received her M.A. and Ph.D. in International Relations at Georgetown University. Maritheresa has published on political parties, transitions to democracy, NATO defense strategies in the Mediterranean, and the history/trends in international educational exchanges.  She is fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese with proficiency in French and Russian.  Dr. Frain worked for the International Monetary Fund in DC and was a visiting professor at Georgetown University.  

  • Mark Lenhart

    Executive Director, CET Academic Programs

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    Mark Lenhart is the Executive Director of CET Academic Programs, a study abroad provider based in Washington, DC. Mark has worked for CET since 1990, when he began as Resident Director of CETโ€™s Harbin Chinese Language Program. After nearly five years studying and working in China, he became CETโ€™s Director in 1995, and he oversaw CETโ€™s expansion from a small provider of two Chinese language programs to a much larger organization with dozens of programs worldwide. Mark frequently speaks at national conferences on topics related to study abroad risk, underrepresentation, and the LGBTQ student experience. Mark is the 2014 recipient of NAFSAโ€™s Lily von Klemperer Award. As a student, Mark focused on Asian Studies, Chinese language, and photography, and he has degrees from Bowdoin (BA), Harvard (MA), and the University of Maryland (MBA).

  • Martha Johnson

    Executive Vice President, CAPA and CEA

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    Martha Johnson is the Executive Vice President and Provost for CAPA: The Global Education Network and CEA Study Abroad combined organization. She has worked in education abroad since 1991. From 2009-2022, Martha served as the Assistant Dean for Learning Abroad at the University of Minnesota. Martha holds a PhD in American Studies from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. She has presented and chaired numerous sessions and workshops at national and international conferences. She has held leadership positions for NAFSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, Diversity Abroad, the Global Leadership League, and the Fund for Education Abroad. She is currently serving a term on the Board of Directors for the Forum.

  • Mory H. Pagel

    Executive Director of Institutional Relations and Strategic Partnerships, SIT Study Abroad

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    Mory joined SIT Study Abroad as university relations manager in 2008 and became director of university relations in 2016 and executive director of institutional relations and strategic partnerships in 2018.  In his current role, Mory supports the university relations, custom programs, and graduate programs outreach teams.  He is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Mory has two decades of experience working in international education and exchange programs. Prior to joining SIT Study Abroad, Mory completed his graduate studies at American University’s School of International Service in Washington, DC, and he holds an MA in international communication.

    Moryโ€™s entry point into international education was through a high school exchange year in Germany on the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program.  He then went on to work in youth exchange at Youth For Understanding USA where he helped promote international exchange to high schoolers and their parents.   Mory has worked with the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV) as a graduate assistant, helping with their ongoing advocacy efforts for the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and at American University where he assisted with communications. 

    Moryโ€™s specific interests include increasing access to study abroad for underrepresented populations and promoting study abroad in non-traditional locations.  He has been an active presenter at conferences hosted by NAFSA, Forum on Education Abroad, HACU and the Diversity Abroad.  As a student, he also participated in study abroad programs to England, Australia, and Italy. Originally from northeast Iowa, Mory holds a bachelor’s degree from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, in international business and German.

  • Sara Dart

    Senior Vice President, Education in Ireland

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    As Senior Vice President for Education in Ireland, Sara supports the Irish higher education institutions in their partnership, outreach, and recruitment efforts in the US. Prior to joining Education in Ireland, she served as Associate Vice President for University Partnerships at International Studies Abroad and Education Abroad Coordinator at Boise State University. Sara holds a BA in History and an MA in Higher Education Administration from Boston College. She has also served as the Co-Chair of the New England Lessons From Abroad Conference and the Communications Representative on the NAFSA Region XI Team, and authored the chapter on student advising in the most recent edition of the NAFSA Guide to Education Abroad. Her professional areas of interest include Generation Z, the intersection of education abroad and career services, and international experiences as a tool for developing resilience.

  • Sarah Shalash

    Manager of U.S. Student Recruitment, The American University in Cairo

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    Sarah Shalash currently serves as the U.S student recruiter for study abroad programs at The American University in Cairo (AUC). Sarah is a study abroad alumna of AUC, having spent a semester at the University while completing her BA in International Affairs at The George Washington University.

    After completing her undergraduate degree, Sarah relocated to Cairo, where she began a career in international education and institutional advancement, first teaching high school social studies at Nefertari American International School, then holding positions in AUCโ€™s Office of Advancement supporting scholarships, and establishing an advancement office at Cairo American College, Egyptโ€™s premier K-12 international school.

    Sarah received her MA in International and Comparative Education at AUC. Prior to returning to AUC in this recruitment capacity, Sarah served as development manager for Global Nomads Group, a New York-based nonprofit that facilitates virtual exchange for middle- and high school-age youth in the U.S. and Middle East-North Africa region.