Staff
Headquarters Staff
Helen Claire Sievers, Executive Director
Helen Claire Sievers, who served as Executive Director from 2001 to 2008, returned to head the organization in 2009 after time in Bangladesh as the Academic Dean of the Access Academy of the Asian University for Women. Helen Claire first joined WorldTeach after spending 18 years living in the Marshall Islands. During her time in the Pacific, she was actively involved in the community, spending time as a high school principal, a hospital administrator, a community court judge, and the director of a handicraft co-op. Previously, Helen Claire taught astronomy at Wellesley and Bentley Colleges, and was Executive Director of the Thyroid Foundation of America. She is a graduate of Wellesley College with a degree in Astronomy and has an MS in Physics from Brigham Young University. She is a recipient of the "Patriotic Civilian Service Award" from the United States Army for the work she did in improving US-Marshallese relations.
Lisa Tobias, Finance Director
Lisa, a second generation WorldTeach alumnus, served in Ecuador immediately after graduating from Harvard College, carrying on the WorldTeach tradition in her family! While in Ecuador, Lisa fell in love with the country's music, people, and food, and discovered while teaching at a university there that she also loved adult education. Upon returning to the US, she worked as an ESL teacher for students across all language and economic backgrounds, and also managed the GEOS Language Institute, an English language school for international students, for two years. Most recently, Lisa has been at Boston University earning her MBA in Public and Nonprofit Management, and is now a member of the US staff at WorldTeach as Finance Director, making her WorldTeach experience complete!
Maggie Tabach, Director of Programs
After finishing an MSc in Development Management at the London School of Economics in 2009, Maggie joined the WorldTeach home office after several years in the field. Before heading to London, she was the WorldTeach Namibia Field Director for two years, and before this served as WorldTeach volunteer in Namibia for two years. As a volunteer, Maggie worked for a USAID-funded pilot project which sought to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) in schools, and subsequently, worked for the Ministry of Education on their new implementation plan for ICT in all schools. Maggie holds a BSBA in International Business with a second major in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis. She assumes the Program Manager duties for the Bangladesh, Ecuador and Namibia programs. Maggie adores traveling, learning from others, good food and laughing.
Thanh Nguyen, Director of Outreach and Administration
During her time in college, Thanh became interested in international education after serving with the Boston Refugee Youth Enrichment program and the Crimson Summer Exchange program, through which she taught English in Shanghai and Hong Kong. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in Economics, Thanh explored a career in retail project management and custodial banking, but soon returned to where she felt her true passion lies - international education. She then participated in WorldTeach's American Samoa Year program as a high-school math teacher. Her experience there confirmed her desire to stay closely connected to the field of international education, and led her to enroll in the International Education Administration and Policy Analysis program at Stanford University. Now marrying the lessons learned as a WorldTeach volunteer with her knowledge of international education that is grounded in theory and methodology, Thanh hopes to contribute to WorldTeach in a way that is based on experience as well as scholarship.
Shawn Pate, Program Manager
After studying Modern Chinese Government and World Politics for four years at the University of Michigan, Shawn decided it was time to live in the world he had studied for so long. Leaving a research position in science curriculum development, he enrolled in WorldTeach's Hunan Year program. His year at Yueyang County Number 1 was exciting and fulfulling, leaving him with a passion for improving WorldTeach as an organization, as well as an interest international education in general. In WorldTeach's home office, he pursues those passions as the Program Manager for the China, Marshall Islands, and Thailand programs.
Becky Davis, Program Manager
Becky joined WorldTeach after spending a summer volunteer teaching in Tanzania. She earned her BA in Economics from University of Michigan and has a Master's degree in Public Policy with a concentration on International Development from George Washington University. Becky has strong interests in international non-profit management, government-NGO relations, and foreign aid effectiveness. During graduate school, she spent a semester at the US Embassy in Paris in the Economic Bureau and then worked at Millennium Challenge Corporation in the Department of Congressional and Public Affairs.
Cara Abel, Program Manager
Cara grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Arts in Culture and Communication. To escape the cold, she studied abroad in Australia where the travel bug bit her. Since then she has traveled to New Zealand, Ecuador, Costa Rica as a WorldTeach volunteer in 2008, Nicaragua, Panama, and Mexico. Since volunteering she taught English at a private university in Costa Rica, before taking the role of Field Director for almost two years. In the fall of 2011, she ventured back to the cold climate of Boston to continue her work with WorldTeach as a Program Manager. Cara is passionate about cooking, culture, reading, good food, and dancing salsa and merengue.
Katrina Deutsch, Director of Education
Katrina first realized her passion for international development during her summers in college, traveling and making documentaries with the organization Students of the World in Southern Africa, Cambodia, and Ethiopia. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a double major in English Language and Literature and Communication Studies, Katrina joined the Peace Corps, moving to Nicaragua to become a member of the first Peace Corps TEFL program in Latin America. After nearly three years in the Peace Corps Katrina returned to the U.S. to receive her Master's in Education in International Education Policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. During her time at Harvard Katrina interned as a Curriculum Developer for WorldTeach, and now works for WorldTeach full time as the Director of Education.
Naushard Cader, Senior Advisor
Naushard Cader is a professionally trained Chartered (Public) Accountant at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Sri Lanka with a merit prize. Naushard Cader has worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in AsiaPacific, EMEA and Americas offices for several years with clients including major energy conglomerates and international financial services firms. Naushard Cader’s professional career span in audit/assurance, risk/regulatory and advisory/consulting practices of the firm; At PwC, he also worked on a globally significant internal project to improve (reduce risk and increase efficiency) the firm’s audit methodology and practices. Naushard Cader won the PwC Chairman’s award in New York Office. Naushard Cader is a co-founder of two non-profit organizations. Naushard loves travelling, scuba diving, sailing and skiing. Naushard Cader holds a Masters degree from Harvard University, Cambridge Massachusetts.
Regina Papa
Dr. B. Regina Papa, an academic and social activist, works in Tamil Nadu, India. Dr. Papa founded the first graduate program in Women’s Studies in India, at Alagappa University, in Karaikudi, TN, and was the first woman Registrar in the country for a General University, which position she held three times. Dr. Papa has done ground-breaking work in aligning academic work in Women’s Studies and field work through the Centre for Women’s Studies at Alagappa. After retirement Dr. Papa worked as Executive Director for the Asian University for Women, in Chittagong, Bangladesh; she sits on their International Board of Advisors. Dr. Papa has recently been active in politics, running for Lok Saba and heading the Women’s Wing of her political party. In January 2009 Dr. Papa was named as one of “10 People Who Could Change the World” by the UK’s “New Statesman.”
Field Staff
Drew Ross, American Samoa Field Director
After falling in love with the island life, Drew became the Field Director for American Samoa after a year as a volunteer teacher at Leone High School where he taught English. Years before going abroad, Drew graduated with honors from New York University where he studied Drama with a concentration in Directing. Before volunteering with WorldTeach, Drew worked in the entertainment industry in New York City with various Theater Companies and Talent Agencies casting actors in a variety of projects. After years of working with Artists, Drew realized his need and desire to assist children of the World in providing them with a better education. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Drew’s new passion for education has fueled his desire to gain a Masters in International Education which he hopes to complete in the next two years. During his year in American Samoa, he was able to travel to Australia, New Zealand and Independent Samoa. Malo!
Christie Barchenger, Bangladesh Field Director
After completing a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and French Studies at the University of Illinois, Christie moved to the land of cotton and the blues: the Mississippi Delta. She taught amazing 8th grade science students for two years in Clarksdale, Mississippi as part of the Teach For America program. Leaving the role of classroom instructor, she became a Program Director on Teach For America's staff, providing professional development and support to new teachers in northern Mississippi. Passion for the value of education and cultural exchange has always been a driving force in Christie's life, one that now leads from the floodplains of Mississippi to the busy city of Chittagong, Bangladesh. She is excited to serve as WorldTeach's Bangladesh Field Director, working with volunteers and the Asian University for Women to provide young women from many countries with the opportunity for an excellent university education.
Heather Tang, Chile Field Director
Heather has had the travel bug since her parents took her back to visit their native Hong Kong at the ripe old age of two. Hailing from a small town in Massachusetts, she majored in Psychology at Boston University and studied abroad in New Zealand. After graduating in 2007, she taught English in Japan for a year and a half, falling in love with the country and discovering her enthusiasm for education. When it was time to move on to new adventures, Heather joined WorldTeach as a volunteer in Chile in 2010, teaching 600 elementary students in a town near Valparaiso. Her insatiable curiosity for cultures and people has taken her to six continents and given her at least a basic to intermediate knowledge of four foreign languages, with a particular affinity for Spanish. She is thrilled to continue her service with WorldTeach as the Chile Field Director in 2011 and can’t wait to help the new volunteers learn about the beso, the Cueca, and the completo.
Teresa Lin, China Field Director
Due to her unceasing and unrelenting curiosity about people and places, traveling the world has become a necessity in Teresa’s life. Her travel adventures began with childhood family trips to Taiwan and Canada, then expanded to Kenya, China, Thailand, and a spattering of countries across Europe in high school and college. Yet, Teresa finds herself most often returning to Asia due to her lifelong fascination with Chinese culture. In addition to her constant quest for cultural understanding, Teresa also enjoys working in the field of education. She has taught various ages of students in Chicago, China, and Taiwan, and she has also worked in graduate admissions, which has sent her wandering around college towns across the nation. Teresa was born and raised in the D.C. metropolitan area. After graduating with a BA in education from Wheaton College, IL, she resided in the great city of Chicago for several years. She is pleased to be a part of WorldTeach in Changsha, China.
Michaela Anastasio, China Assistant Field Director
When Michaela first set off for China in 2009 as a WT volunteer, she knew absolutely nothing about the country. After a year she knew a little more, but her curiosity was still not sated, so she decided to stay another year and focus on learning the language. Before China Michaela studied International Studies at the University of the South and spent a semester living in France. A true Florida girl, Michaela is right at home in Changsha's scorching summer heat. She is excited to be part of the WorldTeach China program again, this time as the assistant field director.
Kim West, Colombia Field Director
Kim has spent most of her career managing higher and adult education programs in New York City. She worked in student affairs, facilities operations, and conference planning at her alma mater, Fordham University. She also spent one year as a full-time volunteer in Houston through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Just before starting her life overseas she managed an education program that assisted the downsized employees of a major financial services firm in their career searches. While working, Kim always managed to make travel a priority! She backpacked in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Russia and Europe so it was no surprise when she decided to take her experience and education abroad to fulfill her lifelong dream of overseas volunteerism. She found WorldTeach and it felt like the perfect fit! Kim spent a year teaching English to female secondary students and adults in northern Rwanda and was so taken with international education that she remained for another year to manage the operations of post-secondary school in Kigali, Rwanda. Kim is absolutely thrilled to make the move to Colombia, a position that combines her enthusiasm for WorldTeach and her love of Latin America. Kim holds a master's degree in Adult Education and Human Resource Development from Fordham University.
Lauren Doll, Colombia Assistant Field Director
Lauren grew up outside Philadelphia and graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in international relations and international development. After slowly working her way south, she joined WorldTeach Colombia in January 2010, working at Pies Descalzos, a school focusing on the internally displaced population in La Playa, outside Barranquilla. She taught 4th and 5th grades and absolutely loved the experience so much, that she stayed in Colombia a second year, working independently at a private English institute. When the opportunity arose to rejoin WorldTeach Colombia as Assistant Field Director, she couldn't resist. Although she misses the changing seasons and hot water showers, she is very excited to continue to call the Colombian coast home and share this amazing country with a whole group of new volunteers! When she is not working, Lauren loves exploring, trying new foods, and dancing (terribly).
Erin Murray, Costa Rica Field Director
Erin is a Philadelphia native who is happy to be away from the harsh winters of the northeast. She graduated from Lafayette College with a double major in Biology and English and taught English to adults after graduation. She originally decided to come to Costa Rica with WorldTeach as a volunteer in 2010, where she was captivated by the lifestyle, culture, and climate (among other things) of the country. She subsequently continued her work as Orientation Assistant, then Summer Program Coordinator, and currently as Field Director for the Costa Rica program. Erin first fell in love with travel when she spent a semester abroad in Barcelona (studying Spanish and traveling through Europe), and has since studied architecture in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, and visited New Zealand twice.
Kate Kurnick, Ecuador Field Director
Kate is originally from the Los Angeles area. She was a WorldTeach volunteer in Cuenca, Ecuador from 1999 until 2001. Kate spent a total of four years living in Ecuador before moving with her Ecuadorian husband to Santiago, Chile, where her daughter was born. Kate was an ESL teacher in South America, and moved back to Los Angeles with her family to obtain her teaching credentials in both English and Spanish. After working for two years in California public schools, Kate and her Ecua-American family are thrilled to be back in Ecuador again.
Lee Papworth, Ecuador Assistant Field Director
An Australian Sign Language Interpreter, Spanish to English translator and ESL teacher, Lee has lived and worked in Japan and Argentina, and travelled Latin America coordinating educational programs. She is currently studying for her Master of International and Community Development with Deakin University, Australia. Lee is passionate about literacy and language and the incredible learning offered by cultural exchange.
Lorine Ghabranious, Guyana Field Director
Lorine grew up just outside of Wa
shington, DC in the MD suburbs. Lorine caught the travel bug after visiting Europe in high school. Since graduating from the University of Maryland with a BA in History, Lorine moved to the UK to work and later received her MA in Human Values and Contemporary Global Ethics from Kings College, London. After working in international education for a few years in the US, Lorine joined the Peace Corps in Guyana where she taught health education to primary and secondary students. After a year working in international development in DC, Lorine learned that the Guyanese saying was true- eating Labba and drinking the black water of Guyana really did mean a return to the country. She is now delighted to be back in Guyana as part of the WorldTeach family!
Todd Mulroy, Marshall Islands Field Director
Todd grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from Johnson and Wales University in 1999 with a B.A. in Hospitality Management. He soon realized after working several years in the hospitality field that his heard was no longer in it. He worked at a local elementary school in his hometown and fell in love with education. From there he worked at an ESL school in Boston as a student counselor and activities coordinator for international students from around the world. From that point on he wanted to work abroad in education. WorldTeach was ble to give him that chance to fulfill his newly found passion. Todd was a volunteer from 2010-2011 in the Republic of the Marshall Islands on Aur, Aur. He loved his experience so much that he decided to stay on as the Field Director in the Marshall Islands.
Laura Sundblad, Marshall Islands Assistant Field Director
Laura grew up in her native Finland and on the East Coast of the United States, and graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland with a Master of Arts in International Relations. She studied abroad in Canada and spent a summer learning Spanish and volunteering at a special education school in teh coastal town of La Ceiba, Honduras. After graduating, Laura worked with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, first working on macroeconomic issues at the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations and then mainstreaming gender equality into Finnish development policy back in Helsinki. Getting back out to the field and into am ore tropical climate was constantly on her mind, so Laura joined WorldTeach. Originally destined for Isla de Baru, Colombia, timing got in the way and Laura instead ended up on a boat to the beautiful island of Tobal in Aur atoll in the Marshall Islands. After a year of teaching elementary school English, Laura wanted to continue to provide students with the opportunities that a good education can provide, and is now in the Marshall Islands as Assistant Field Director.
Richard Batchelor, Micronesia Kosrae Field Director
Originally hailing from the Boston suburbs, Richard embarked on a transformative journey in 2003 to Florence, Italy, which effectively initiated his interest to pursue a career in international education and cross cultural relations. After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross, Richard’s myriad adventures included sailing on the H.M.S. Bounty, teaching English in Madrid, Spain, and briefly interning at the WorldTeach home office, before deciding to serve as a volunteer for the 2009-2010 WT Kosrae program. His continued interest in international education inspired him to join the WorldTeach staff as Field Director of Kosrae. Richard enjoys learning languages, and even on the island of Kosrae is able to practice Italian and Spanish while honing his Kosraean language skills.
Kate Troutman, Micronesia Pohnpei Field Director
Though Kate’s roots are in Midwest America, she’s recently ditched the changing seasons and sprawling farmland for palm trees and the open ocean. After earning her Bachelor’s from the University of Minnesota, Kate joined WorldTeach in 2009 as a volunteer in the Marshall Islands. Kate lived on a remote island called Mejit, where she first embraced the generous community and laid-back lifestyle of the Pacific. A post-RMI stint serving tables made her yearn for the unique rewards of WorldTeach Micronesia. She’s now thrilled to be back in the Pacific exploring a new island and rich culture as field director in Pohnpei.
Kaylan Reid, Namibia Field Director
Kaylan Reid first joined WorldTeach in December of 2010, as a year-long volunteer with the WorldTeach Namibia program. She was a volunteer in Okahao, in the far north of Namibia, where she taught English and ICT (information and communication technology) to secondary school students. During her time spent as a volunteer, she fell in love with "Contrasting Beautiful Namibia" and it's people. Kaylan is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC, where she studied Broadcast Journalism and Business Administration. Her time working at NBC Network News in Washington, DC contributed to her affection for global current events and for the plight of marginalized communities around the world. She has a passion for development and culture within the continent of Africa as well as for news events on an international scale. Kaylan finds the rich and contrasting cultures of Southern Africa to be exquisite, and is continually amazed by the resilience and strength exhibited in the youth of Namibia. She encourages anyone with a deep and open-minded interest in learning about culture, education, volunteering or simply partaking in a truly humbling experience, to apply to the WorldTeach Namibia program.
Camble Dikuaa, Namibia Summer Program Coordinator
Camble is originally from Walvis Bay, Namibia and has a love for travel and international cultures. Camble and his wife, Namibia Field Director Kelly Jo, originally met in Windhoek when she first moved there for her job as Assistant Field Director in 2009. When WorldTeach moved her to Kigali, Rwanda, Camble went along and worked closely with the volunteers and helped out as the Mid-Service and End of Service conference assistant. Upon their return in Namibia in late 2010, WorldTeach hired him as the Summer Program Coordinator. He loves working with the volunteers and watching the spread of education in his home country and others. In addition to WorldTeach, Camble is an avid rugby player and has played rugby for 17 years, including his current professional contract and his time with the National Rugby Team. Rugby has taken him all over the world, including Kenya, UAE, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia-which gives him his love for international travel. He is also excited to work with the new summer and semester volunteers and to make many more wonderful WorldTeach memories!
Nereida Heller, Panama Field Director
After spending the majority of her childhood practicing the piano, and going on to earn a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory, Nereida realized that education and social service were her true passions. Having previously only volunteered locally, she visited Latin America for the first time with WorldTeach in 2008 to work at DuocUC, a community college in Santiago, Chile. Since then, she has worked as the supervisor of a small after-school program for the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City, as an English profesora at several public schools in Chilean Patagonia, and as a writer and editor for Lumina Prep SAT tutoring, La Vida Idealist, and Bravissimo Music Tutors. She’s delighted to be joining WorldTeach again as Field Director for the new Panama program!
Peter Fenton, South Africa Summer Program Coordinator
Having graduated with a B.SC. in Marine Geology, Peter has been in involved with education since 1982, when he started two community schools in rural Zululand. He subsequently taught for eight years in the South Peninsula and spent eight years managing the non-profit organization The Education Resources Network in Cape Town Teachers' Centre. The past eight years, Peter has been a Chief Education Specialist in one of nine South African provincial education departments where he manages the Lifeskills and HIV/AIDS programs, serving 1,500 schools and almost 1 million children. He works closely with the Harvard School of Public Health on a peer education program that employs over 250 facilitators and utilizes some 8,000 secondary school youth as volunteer health educators. Peter has also previously worked with Boston-based World Education on micro-enterprise development. He is a registered tour guide, and has coordinated a Swedish student-teacher exchange program and school twinning initiative. He lives in the South Peninsula - the community in which WorldTeach currently operates - and has been active in a number of community-based organizations that serve the Masiphumelele, Ocean View, and Fish Hoek communities. He has a post-grad diploma in Education, and diplomas in Business Management, Financial Management, and Project Management.
Ashley Crawford, Tanzania Field Director
Ashley’s interest in international education has taken her across the globe to teach and learn. During her years at George Washington University, where she gained a degree in Anthropology, she moved to Nepal to conduct research for a local, education-based NGO. Upon her return to Washington, D.C., Ashley began teaching full time- working first in a D.C. public school and then as an ESL instructor at the International Language Institute. She joined WorldTeach in 2005 as a volunteer ESL teacher on remote Wotho Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Her time spent on a small landmass undoubtedly influenced her decision to move to the island of Zanzibar, located off the mainland of Tanzania. There she taught at the International School of Zanzibar, and steeped herself in the culture, language and flavor of Tanzania.
Haley Boone, Thailand Field Director
Haley, originally from Jackson, Mississippi, first landed in the middle of Southeast Asia her sophomore year of college to teach English for two weeks at a small Chinese high school. She left China with a desire to see the world and hasn’t stopped since. Upon graduating from Mississippi College in December of 2007 with a degree in elementary education, Haley moved to Kolkata, India to work with street children at a local train station. The experience was life changing, and she once again left with a desire to continue seeing the world. After teaching 3rd grade in an inner-city Jackson school, Haley signed up for the inaugural year of the WorldTeach Thailand program. The food, the culture, and especially the wonderful people of Nakhon Phanom created a home for her that was not easily forgotten. After a short return to the US, Haley is thrilled to be back in Thailand as the new field director and cannot wait to meet her group of 2011 volunteers when they arrive in October!