If you have ever been on a GLA program or are currently getting ready for your first foray, odds are you’ve spoken to one of our Travel Coordinators. According to annual surveys, over 90% of families say that they found their Travel Coordinator (or “TC” for short) to have been a key part of feeling prepared to embark upon their adventure. With former travel agents, Masters degree holders, teachers, and study abroad aficionados in the ranks, the TC team is as knowledgeable and diverse as they come.
Read on to get to know the women who can answer any question thrown their way, from “Where is my waiver?” to “Are these shorts too short?” to “How will this service project impact the community in the future?”
Ros Galati – Travel Coordinator & Admissions Officer
Years with GLA: 5
Based in: GLA San Diego HQ office
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Fun facts: Ros has traveled to over 50 countries and is a bona fide travel agent in her free time.
GLA programs visited or staffed: Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa, Guatemala, various Costa Rica, and Bali
Educational background: A jack of all trades, Ros holds a Bachelor of Arts in both Linguistics & Italian, as well as Post Graduate studies in Health & Human Movement and Construction Management.
Q. What’s the best part of your job?
A. I love hearing how the students’ experience traveling has affected them. Primarily, the reason why I work in travel is to encourage others to go out and see the world, step outside of their comfort zone and work their way back to it as they become familiar with the unfamiliar.
Brittany Raab – Senior Travel Coordinator
Years with GLA: 4
Based in: Washington State
Hometown: Sammamish, Washington
Fun Fact: Brittany and her now-husband (and former GLA Travel Coordinator) were part the first cohort of EGI interns in Costa Rica in 2016.
GLA programs visited or staffed: Costa Rica: Beachside Service Adventure, Peru: Foundations of Global Health, various Dominican Republic sites, and GLA Belize (no longer offered in 2020)
Educational background: Britt has a Bachelors degree in Managerial & Organizational Communication (aka leadership) from Point Loma Nazarene University; while there, she took the opportunity to study abroad in Thailand for four months.
Q. If you were in high school, which GLA program would you be DYING to visit and why?
A. High School Brittany was fascinated by leadership and culture. I would have loved to visit the Morocco: Cultural Kaleidoscope program to explore Northern Africa, ride camels, shop through the incredible markets and take in a culture so completely different from my own.
Heather Hargas – Travel Coordinator
Years with GLA: 2
Based in: GLA Costa Rica office
Hometown: San Diego, California
Fun Fact: Heather LOVES the ocean–so much so that she lived on a 33-foot sailboat for two years.
GLA programs visited or staffed: Spain: Spanish In The Land Of Don Quixote, Costa Rica: Beachside Service Adventure, Sea Turtle Initiative, The Initiative For Children.
Educational background: Heather earned a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education at Northern Arizona University, where she also minored in Spanish. She also studied abroad, falling in love with Costa Rica & completing her TEFL certification and then completing a Masters of Education in TESOL. Prior to joining GLA, Heather taught at the English Language Institute at UC San Diego.
Q. Outside of work, where are we most likely to find you?
A. Surfing is my favorite hobby–I’ve traveled all over the world to surf (Indonesia, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, South Africa, Portugal, and Hawaii, just to name a few!) The best thing about surfing is that no matter where you are in the world, or where you are from, surfing connects you to an ocean-minded community.
Rachel Bistodeau – Travel Coordinator
Years with GLA: 2
Based in: GLA Costa Rica office
Hometown: Wickenburg, Arizona
Fun fact: Rachel worked at summer camps for multiple summers and in 2011 she was the cabin counselor for Malia Obama!
GLA programs visited or staffed: Costa Rica: Beachside Service Adventure, Sea Turtle Initiative, Surf & Ocean Stewardship, Guadeloupe: French Caribbean Adventure
Educational background: Rachel holds three degrees: An Associates of Arts from from Cottey College, a Bachelors of Arts from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a Masters in International Education from Instituto Franklin in Alcala de Henares, Spain.
Q. When you were in high school, what did you want to be when you grew up & why?
A. When I was growing up I wanted to be a teacher or high school counselor. I got pretty close as I worked as an English teacher and now I’m a Coordinator for high schoolers! So it makes sense that if I could go to ANY program I would probably want to go to Ghana or Tanzania (These are teaching programs). I have traveled so much but have not explored Africa enough.
Lauren Jaffe-O’Malley – Travel Coordinator
Years with GLA: 2
Based in: GLA Costa Rica office
Hometown: Oakland, California
Fun Fact: She’s had a Netflix account since Netflix meant renting DVDs through the mail.
GLA programs visited or staffed: Costa Rica: Beachside Service Adventure & Dominican Republic: Global Health Initiative
Educational background: Always a lover of languages, Lauren majored in Language Studies, earning a Bachelors of Arts at UC Santa Cruz in 2015. During her time there she studied Spanish, French, and Yiddish. She also spent two years living with international students at her campus’ International Living Center. Lauren also spent her junior year abroad in Granada, Spain.
Q. What do you like best about working with GLA families?
A. I love when I get to talk to a student during the welcome call and hearing why they’ve chosen their program. I love getting to hear what clubs or organizations they are a part of at home, and what aspects of their programs they are most looking forward to.
Jenny Hamilton – Travel Coordinator
Years with GLA: 3
Based in: GLA Costa Rica office
Hometown: Grand Haven, Michigan
Fun Fact: She has gone “volcano boarding” down an active volcano–not for the faint of heart!
GLA programs visited or staffed: GLA Brazil, GLA Belize (no longer offered in 2020)
Educational background: Jenny majored in Spanish Language & Literature and minored in Latin American Studies & International Business at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. As a lover of travel, she took the opportunity to study abroad in Spain, Costa Rica and Brazil.
If you were in high school, which GLA program would you be DYING to visit and why?
I would have been dying to go on Spain: Spanish In The Land Of Don Quixote. In high school I had never traveled abroad before and really wanted to go to Spain to practice my Spanish and see the variety of cultures Spain has to offer! This program offers many highlights and you get to see a variety of Spanish cities and try so many delicious regional foods.
