Staff Biographies

Office of the Executive Director

Cassandra Solderitsch, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, graduated from Miami University with a degree in Economics. In August of 2003, she volunteered in Ayacucho, Peru, where she planned activities in a program for street children and observed practices at a local medical clinic. Her travel experience also extends throughout Europe and the Middle East, including a study abroad program in college. These experiences enabled her to gain a wide range of cultural perspectives, as well as to pursue her interest in skydiving and canyoning. After a career in banking, Cassandra followed her passion for international volunteerism by joining the Cross-Cultural Solutions staff.

Programs

Lauren Brossy originally volunteered with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Costa Rica, and has also traveled to Brazil, Guatemala, and Morocco. Lauren plays a critical role with quality control of all Cross-Cultural Solutions programs, as well as ensures compliance with emergency and safety procedures. She provides daily support for the in-country staff, monitors the ongoing relationship between Cross-Cultural Solutions and over 250 Partner Programs, and supervises the efficacy of the Intern Abroad program. As Senior Manager, Lauren conducts the yearly review and assessment of the Intern Abroad Program and the impact of the volunteer work globally. Lauren works directly with the Executive Vice President.

Program Enrollment

US-Based Staff

Dava Antoniotti graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in Communications and Women's Studies. Prior to graduation she was an intern with the YWCA Domestic Assault Program in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her domestic volunteer experience includes speaking on diversity education panels at the university level, working at a homeless shelter in New Hampshire, and teaching horseback riding to at-risk fifth grade students in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She has traveled within Mexico and China, and volunteered with special-needs kids in Cross-Cultural Solutions' Lima, Peru program before moving to New York to join the Cross-Cultural Solutions staff. Since joining Cross-Cultural Solutions she has also participated in the Brazil, India and Thailand Programs. Dava adores living in New York, where the diversity and culture remind her of her travels around the world. In her free time she loves visiting museums, reading, playing guitar, and laughing with friends and family as much as possible.

Summer Kuykendall is from the small town of Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. She attended college nearby at Shippensburg University where she obtained her Bachelors degree in Social Work. Upon graduation she moved to Philadelphia where she worked at an AIDS service organization. She developed a passion for women’s rights and later returned to school and earned her Master’s in Social Work at Temple University. In 2005, she volunteered in Bangkok, Thailand with Cross-Cultural Solutions. She was placed at a women’s rights organization where she learned about gender roles in Thai society. Summer returned from Thailand and immediately applied for a position with CCS in the hope of fostering and promoting growth and understanding of global issues and cultural understanding. Since joining CCS, Summer has also volunteered in Ghana.

Georgie Murphy comes from London, England and has a Bachelors degree in Geography from the University of Brighton. Through traveling and her degree, she has become fascinated with the world and its diversity. This fascination and an interest in International Development led her to volunteer abroad in Lima, Peru with Cross-Cultural Solutions. Here, she learned of the richness of Peruvian culture and the fulfillment that volunteering and cultural immersion brings. This experience made such an impact on Georgie that she applied for a job at Cross-Cultural Solutions after graduating, and is now a Program Enrollment Manager.

Marge Rubin originally volunteered with Cross-Cultural Solutions' India program in February of 1996. Since returning from India and joining Cross-Cultural Solutions as a staff member in 1997, she has participated in nearly every Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer program. She received her M.S. in Counseling from St. John's University, and has twenty years of experience working with organizations dedicated to the adoption and fostering of hard-to-place children. She is the mother of seven and the grandmother of three.

Pete Bryan grew up in Franktown, Colorado. He participated in his first volunteer project at the age of 10, building boardwalks through the Colorado wilderness making it more accessible to senior citizens and the disabled. This project sparked Pete's lifelong love for volunteer work. He studied journalism at Colorado State University and volunteered abroad whenever his schedule allowed, traveling to places such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, the Bahamas, and Bolivia. His first experience with Cross-Cultural Solutions was in the summer of 2006 when he volunteered in Cartago, Costa Rica for 12 weeks. He was so impressed with Cross-Cultural Solutions that he jumped at the opportunity to move across the country and join the CCS New York staff.

Sarah Dunstan was born and raised on the small island of Bermuda. She attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and graduated with an Honors degree in both Economics and English. Always interested in learning about different cultures through literature and her studies in world economies, Sarah decided to expand her cultural perspective by venturing abroad. After some research, she found that she was able to combine her passion for volunteering and travel through Cross-Cultural Solutions, and went on to volunteer in both Tanzania and Ghana. Upon her return home, she realized the profound affect the experience had on her, and felt compelled to apply for a job with the organization that facilitated some of her best life experiences. She has now moved to New York and works as a Program Enrollment Manager for Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Kara Biland lived in Michigan, Tennessee, and Minnesota throughout her childhood and early adult life. Throughout high school, she spent much of her free time volunteering in elderly homes. In college, she decided that she wanted to take her volunteering and love for travel internationally. Cross-Cultural Solutions had everything she was looking for in an organization. In 2003, she volunteered in Brazil for six life-changing weeks. She fell in love with the mission, vision, and values of the organization and wanted to pursue a career with CCS. Kara left her small town in Minnesota and moved to NY where she began her career with CCS. Since joining the CCS team, she has participated in both of the Peru programs, and loves being able to share her personal volunteer experiences with perspective volunteers from around the world.

Carrie Specksgoor is a South Florida native, but has been living and working in New York City as an actress for many years. She graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts and has performed extensively across the United States. Eager for a change she volunteered abroad with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Cartago, Costa Rica in the summer of 2007. Her work in Costa Rica, volunteering in a home for men and women living with HIV/AIDS, was life-changing; the experience ultimately led Carrie to change career paths. She is very proud to be part of the extremely kind and passionate group of people that make up Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Alyssa Delafield was born and raised in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She attended Ithaca College and received a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications. After graduation, she decided to volunteer abroad with Cross-Cultural Solutions for eight weeks in Dharamsala, India. After returning home, Alyssa worked for the TV network, NBC, in both Washington D.C. and New York City. While looking for a career change, she reflected on her amazing experience volunteering abroad, working at a primary school in India, and contacted Cross-Cultural Solutions. Able to combine the skills she acquired at Ithaca College with her interest in international volunteering, she found a great match in the Program Enrollment Department.

UK-Based Staff

Andrea Bray lives in Leicestershire in England and formerly worked in sales in the airfreight industry, allowing her to travel extensively throughout the world. As a trained Aromatherapist, with a general interest in alternative and preventative medicine, Andrea decided to use her skills and her passion for travel by volunteering internationally. In January 2002, Andrea volunteered for three weeks on the CARE Corps Peru program in Ayacucho, using her experience in sales to help local artisans and her aromatherapy skills to treat elderly people living in the local residential home of Asilo de Ancianos. Upon returning to England, Andrea made the decision to leave the airfreight industry and concentrate her efforts on developing an aromatherapy business, which she continues to run successfully. In her new capacity as a Program Enrollment Manager, Andrea enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for international volunteering and travel with others.

Linda Pentland lives in West Sussex. In her previous role as a Support Worker, Linda worked within the voluntary sector to assist families caring for relatives on the Autistic spectrum. Linda was born in Uganda, East Africa and from an early age developed a desire to travel and volunteer abroad. In March 2003, Linda fulfilled this ambition by volunteering for three weeks on the Cross-Cultural Solutions Delhi, India program. Using her skills and experience of working with special needs children, Linda volunteered at Mother Teresa's Orphanage for Disabled Children and Tamana Special School. Since returning to England, Linda has continued her work in supporting families with Autistic relatives on a voluntary basis. In her new role as a Program Enrollment Manager, Linda enjoys working with prospective volunteers to help them fulfill their dreams of volunteering abroad.

Debbie Marlow was born and raised in Cambridge, England, and lives there today with her 18 year old son. Debbie worked for the British Government for 19 years as an employment advisor at a job center. She fulfilled a life goal by volunteering in Brazil during the Spring of 2005. After volunteering for 6 weeks at Mother Teresa’s daycare center in Salvador, Debbie was inspired to take a job with Cross-Cultural Solutions. As a Program Enrollment Manager, Debbie now has the opportunity to speak to prospective volunteers and share her enthusiasm for her own volunteer adventure and provide information on the experience that lies ahead for them. Debbie has also volunteered in China since joining CCS.

Canada-Based Staff

Emma Rockett was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She obtained her Bachelor of Commerce degree at Ryerson University, and then spent two years working in the financial services industry. After volunteering locally with various environmental programs and an international fair trade organization, Emma decided to volunteer abroad. She spent four weeks volunteering with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Ghana as a teacher's assistant at an orphanage in the Volta Region. She instantly fell in love with Ghanaian culture, and the experiences she had as a volunteer motivated her to apply for a job with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Canada. Emma is thrilled to have the opportunity to talk to other Canadians looking to volunteer abroad.

Kevin Doyle lives in Toronto, Canada. He attended the University of Ottawa where he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus on world history. Kevin has always had a passion for travel as well as for community service. He has been involved for several years as a volunteer speaker in Toronto-area high schools giving talks on the value of human rights and freedoms. After finishing his law degree at the University of Toronto in 2004, Kevin volunteered in the Kilimanjaro program in Tanzania, where he taught English to young artists. His experience in Tanzania was a life-altering one and led him to seek further opportunities to enhance global awareness and cultural exchange. Kevin is thrilled to be a part of the Cross-Cultural Solutions family.

Program Management

Farrell Weiss graduated from Middlebury College in the spring of 2004 with a BA in neuroscience and sociology. She discovered her passion for international volunteering during a trip to Romania in 2003, where she traveled and volunteered in several orphanages throughout the country. She later returned to Romania as an intern with the Humana Foundation Romanian Assistance Project to work in a pediatric hospital and learn more about Romanian culture and history. Her experiences abroad inspired her to pursue other international volunteer opportunities and in 2005, she traveled to New Delhi, India with Cross-Cultural Solutions. She had a wonderful experience and recently joined the CCS staff as the Program Manager for Lima, Peru. She is excited for the opportunity and looks forward to sharing her passion for volunteering and cultural exchange with others.

Natalie Novak is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She studied International Studies and Political Science at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Natalie first volunteered internationally in 2002 with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Lima, Peru. She had an extraordinary experience working alongside Peruvian friends at an after-school program, Deporte y Vida, in Villa El Salvador. Natalie came to work for Cross-Cultural Solutions in January 2004, and has since also participated in the Ghana and Ayacucho programs, as well as returning to Lima. She is delighted to be able to share her experiences with international volunteers. Natalie acts as the main point of contact between Cross-Cultural Solutions Peru and Ghana and Cross-Cultural Solutions New York, to help each volunteer prepare for the international volunteer experience.

Sharon Panoff was born and raised in New York and got her taste for traveling abroad at the age of 10, when she traveled with her grandparents to Israel, India, Morocco, South America, and Europe. She received her degree in Spanish, Portuguese and Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. Her greatest passions are learning new languages and studying different cultures. In June of 2003, Sharon volunteered in a teenage girls' shelter in the San Carlos program, and felt so inspired about the philosophy of Cross-Cultural Solutions, that she knew she had to work for the organization. Two months later, she joined Cross-Cultural Solutions, and is now the Program Manager for Kilimanjaro and Russia.

Janelle Cole was born and raised in California. In 2002, she graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Religious Studies and a minor in Education. After graduation, Janelle traveled to Australia and New Zealand. Upon her return, she decided to combine her passions for volunteering and traveling, and had her first international volunteer experience in 2005 through Cross-Cultural Solutions in Peru. She worked primarily at a pre-school, where she fell in love with eighteen four-year-olds. However, she also had the opportunity to volunteer at a boys' orphanage and a women's shelter. She is thrilled to be part of the organization, enabling her to share her passion for cultural exchange, and learn more about different parts of the world.

Stephen Thompson hails from Mechanicsburg, PA. In 2002, he volunteered in Ghana with Cross-Cultural Solutions with his sister before leaving to study at Carleton College in Minnesota. His experience teaching Ghanaian children sparked an interest in West African Culture. At Carleton, he studied abroad in Mali, later returning on a Larson Fellowship to further explore West Africa, from the Gulf of Guinea to the desert of Timbuktu. In 2006, Stephen graduated as a History major focusing on West African oral traditions, and then promptly joined the Cross-Cultural Solutions team. He is most excited at the opportunity to learn about new cultures and places, and hopes he can help others have the same powerful volunteer experience he had.

Vanessa Shaw grew up in the San Francisco Bay area with parents who loved to travel and taught her to embrace cultural diversity. After high school, she studied abroad in London and Mexico. In 2003, she had a life changing experience when she went to volunteer in Bangkok, Thailand with CCS and taught English to 4th graders. In college, she studied environmental racism and earned a BA with Honors in Community Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz. Her passion for grassroots social justice movements, women's empowerment, and environmental issues has kept her busy volunteering for most of her life. Vanessa is excited about being part of the CCS team and her newest adventure - living on the East Coast.

Marisa Annunziata was born and raised in the New York City area. She has always been interested in diverse cultures, which led her to study International Affairs at George Washington University. While there, she studied Spanish, Italian, and Mandarin Chinese, and also traveled as an exchange student to Italy in 2004. These experiences solidified her commitment to sharing cultural diversity. Since graduating in 2005, she has been cultivating her appreciation for all things international, especially as a volunteer with Cross-Cultural Solutions. In September 2006, Marisa went to China with CCS and taught English at Xi Kai kindergarten. It still is proving to be an invaluable experience to this day. Now, she is thrilled to be back in New York, working for CCS. She is looking forward to helping future volunteers have rewarding experiences and realizing their goals as an international volunteer.

Laura Fortinsky has been traveling all her life, having moved several times around the US as a child. While attending Hamilton College, Laura went abroad to Paris, France to study Dance and French. While there, she also volunteered with Children's International Summer Villages, leading a children's exchange program in France and Sweden. Her desire to explore and learn about new cultures led her to volunteer with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Tanzania. There she worked at a local NGO dedicated to AIDS education and at an AIDS nursing home. Her interest in African cultures has continued in her work with the African Regional Youth Initiative and the African Women of Distinction project. After a recent move to Brooklyn, Laura is excited to have reconnected with CCS and to be able to share her passion with other volunteers!

Libby Stanton graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a BFA in Dance. After pursuing the arts in Philadelphia for a few years, she volunteered with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania in the spring of 2006. After returning to the states, she worked in Washington DC for a dance company and dance service organization. All the while, she longed for the warmth and love she experienced in Tanzania. So much so that she just had to be a part of CCS and promote its vision to other volunteers when the opportunity became available. Libby is thrilled to now be working as a Program Manager for the Kilimanjaro, Tanzania program!

Sejal Mehta grew up in Central New Jersey - daughter to Indian and Filipino immigrants. Coming from a diverse background has lead to a deep interest in cultural differences and understanding. She graduated from New York University with a degree in Finance and Information Systems. Throughout her life, she has enjoyed travels through Asia, Europe and Latin America. In 2006, she took a leave of absence from her job in order to volunteer in Brazil through Cross-Cultural Solutions, which was a great combination of her love of volunteering, travel, and culture. In Brazil, Sejal worked at a community daycare center called Frutos de Maes with children who will always hold a special place in her heart. The eight weeks spent in Salvador, Brazil impacted her so much that she decided to completely change her career path and work for CCS. Sejal is now the Program Manager for Salvador, Brazil and is excited for a return visit to the program that changed her life.

Brooke Barnum was born and raised in Eastern Michigan. She attended Western Michigan University where she received a Bachelor's degree in Social Work with a minor in Psychology. After graduating from college, Brooke felt the need to expand her cultural perspective, travel, and make more of a difference volunteering, so she traveled to Tanzania in August of 2005. She was still in Tanzania when she heard of a job opening with Cross-Cultural Solutions, and felt that she had to be a part of the team.

Alex Brandt was born in Scotland, but is proud to be known as a true Oregonian. He had his first experience as an international volunteer, at the young age of 17, in Peru with Cross-Cultural Solutions. He then attended Southern Oregon University, where he participated in two study abroad programs; Australia and Germany. He graduated with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Philosophy. After college, he served in the United States Peace Corps Bulgaria program, where he worked as a Community Development Volunteer. His primary project was to work with the local government writing grants and preparing for Bulgaria’s accession into the European Union in 2007. He is now excited to be at CCS, where he is eager to share the importance of cultural exchange through international volunteering.

Emily Shedletsky holds a master’s degree in International Education from New York University, and a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and Comparative Religion from the State University of New York at New Paltz. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Emily studied abroad at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Since catching the “travel bug” there, she’s traveled through Mexico, The Netherlands, Iceland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Israel, and Nepal, in addition to 42 of the contiguous states in the USA. Emily volunteered in the Cross-Cultural Solutions Intern Abroad program in Dharamsala, India, where she worked at a primary school for girls. She has also worked with the Gay Men’s Health Crisis’ Women in Action division, as well as Planned Parenthood. Emily is a Program Manager supporting participants planning to volunteer in Peru, both Lima and Ayacucho.

Recruiting and Alumni Development

Quinn Sidon is from Eugene, Oregon, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in French and Psychology from the University of Oregon. He spent two years working and studying in France, and has always had a passion for inter-cultural and international education and exchange programs. He has also traveled throughout Europe and Central America. Before moving to New York to work for CCS, he worked for an inter-governmental organization where he provided research and professional staff support to a county criminal justice committee and evaluated projects involving prevention and juvenile justice, adult corrections, and school safety. Prior to that, he worked for over six years in intervention programs for at-risk youth. Originally having volunteered with the Cross-Cultural Solutions Thailand Program, he also managed Peru programs for two years, and volunteered in Brazil.

Partnerships

Cassie Hayes was born in Australia and moved to the U.S. in 2005. Prior to joining Cross-Cultural Solutions she obtained a Bachelor of Business from the University of Queensland, and worked for a number of years in a public relations firm in Sydney and in an Economic and Community Development office in Outback Australia. In her homeland she has volunteered locally with youth councils and cultural festivals. While following her dream of traveling around the world for a year in 2004, she met many people volunteering and became intrigued by the depth of experience they were having in comparison to her own. She soon got in touch with Cross-Cultural Solutions and volunteered in Bangkok, Thailand after which she promptly moved to NY to work at the Cross-Cultural Solutions headquarters.

Carlton Rounds is an artist, activist, teacher, and international educator. He is a graduate of Simon's Rock Early College, Reed College, and the School for International Training. He is currently working on a MAT in history, and has worked with Bard College, The Soros Foundation, and The Institute for International Liberal Education managing progressive exchange programs to South Africa, Russia, and Eastern Europe. He is a noted cabaret artist who loves working with underserved youth and LGBTQI teens as a mentor and college counselor. He is the founding member of The Global Brain Trust, an international synergistic matrix of educators and activists. One of his latest endeavors includes traveling to Lima, Peru with Cross-Cultural Solutions where he had an amazing volunteer experience volunteering with the elderly at Los Martincitos.

Joss Ellams was born in Chester, UK. She attended The University of Huddersfield and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Exhibition and Retail Design. While at university, she enjoyed travel to various places in Europe and meeting new and interesting people. During her Placement year, she worked on the soap opera 'HollyOaks' for the Stephen Joseph Theatre, and also volunteered with Cross-Cultural Solutions in Brazil. She had an amazing time volunteering abroad and met some fantastic people there. The experience immediately inspired her to begin working with Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Communications

Kam Santos was born and raised in New York City, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in American Civilization. After an insightful and amazing Study Abroad program in Melbourne, Australia, she was inspired to move to California to experience life on the West Coast. Kam worked in the Bay Area for several years as a marketing professional, promoting cultural and educational exchange programs and exploring the world in the process. Today, back home in New York, she continues a career of inspiring people to go abroad and experience another culture. Recently, she volunteered in Guatemala with Cross-Cultural Solutions at a day care center for low-income children.

Anthony Lofrisco was born in New York City and now resides in Connecticut with his wife and two children. Since graduating from Sacred Heart University with a degree in Business Administration, he has held several marketing positions with a Direct Marketing concentration in electronic and traditional media. Learning about Cross-Cultural Solutions' positive impact in local communities around the globe has been an inspiration to Anthony who recently joined the Communications team. Although Anthony has traveled to several tourist destinations, he looks forward to participating on a CCS volunteer program soon to find out first-hand what it is like to experience another culture at a deeper level and to make a meaningful difference in another people's lives.

Ilise Reznick is originally from Maryland and a graduate of the School of Journalism at the University of Maryland. She brings over 4 years of experience in Online and New Media marketing to the Communications Department, with a special focus on Search Engine Marketing. Ilise joined Cross-Cultural Solutions to apply the online marketing skills and experience she's gained toward a mission she believes in. She is looking forward to her upcoming volunteer abroad experience in Costa Rica with Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Li Quach is originally from the Bronx, NY. She is a recent graduate of Skidmore College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Management and Business. During her time in college, she embarked on a year of traveling while studying abroad in London, England and Melbourne, Australia. This is where she discovered and explored her love of different cultures as she met and studied with many local people. Post-graduation, she was interested in a career in Marketing and Communications. After learning about Cross-Cultural Solutions, she fell in love with the organization's mission and values, and immediately joined the Communications team. She recently traveled to Lima on the CCS Volunteer Abroad program and is now fascinated by the people, the culture, and the land of Peru!

Matt Koltermann earned his bachelor’s of business administration degree in Marketing and Psychology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, and also studied abroad in Brisbane, Australia during that time. After graduating, he served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya where he provided basic business skills training to micro-entrepreneurs, learned to speak Kiswahili, and even placed 16th in an international camel derby. Matt pursued his deep interest in sustainability after the Peace Corps with a pair of consulting firms specializing in environmentally responsible consumer product marketing, and provided emergency aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina in rural Louisiana through Crisis Corps. His most recent role, managing international outreach campaigns and leveraging new technologies in project management and problem-solving at Idealist.org, gave him a solid foundation for his responsibilities in Communications at Cross-Cultural Solutions.