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A blog that looks behind the scenes at how we bring our mission to life, every day

Megan Mchugh ‹ We are EF Blog | Careers

When Tanya applied to the <a href="https://careers.ef.com/categories/recent-graduates-and-internships/360/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF 360 Global Management Trainee Program</a>, she knew the numbers. With only 11 spots for a worldwide pool of applicants — each with impressive resumes, fascinating backgrounds, and abundant passion for EF’s mission — she wasn’t holding her breath.
She submitted her application. Waited. Refreshed her inbox with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. Waited some more. And was accepted.
Little did she know that joining the EF 360 program would be just the first step in a five-year journey of personal growth, professional accomplishment, and eye-opening experiences at EF. Today, Tanya is an EF alum, having recently embarked on a new path to pursue her passion for international education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her legacy of big-hearted leadership and refreshingly candid communication (<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-14-tanya-pt-1-from-farmlands-to-desert-dunes/id1167007050?i=1000385969105">listen to her story on the EF Outbound podcast</a>) have left an indelible impression on EF.
We chatted with Tanya to learn about her personal leadership philosophy, reflect on her EF career highlights, and check in with her plans post-Harvard.
What inspired you to start your career at EF?
Growing up in the midwest, I had a happy, wonderful childhood. But we lived small. It wasn’t until I did a high school exchange program in Italy that I realized that the world was a much bigger place than the farmlands I called home. In Italy, I quickly saw that the world is actually a big beautiful place full of people who are similar, yet very different. It was an eye-opening experience.
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_17216" style="width: 578px"><img alt="" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-17216" class="wp-image-17216 size-full" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Tanya-blog-2-resized.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Tanya-blog-2-resized.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Tanya-blog-2-resized-300x191.jpg 300w" width="568">Tanya with a group of <a href="https://www.efexchangeyear.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF High School Exchange Year</a> students in Nebraska.</div>
Returning home from my time abroad, everything changed for me. There was no going back to my mindset in which my small town was the center of the universe. It wasn’t teenage angst as much as it was a sense of action — I knew I needed to create change in the world and this was the moment I started holding myself accountable for that. I wanted to wake up each day knowing that the work I was doing was a positive contribution. I knew that I wanted a meaningful career long before I found EF, but that was the start of it.
How did EF help support your goals to be a change-maker?
Before arriving at EF, I had gone back to Italy to teach at the high school I attended during my own exchange program. I taught young refugees and conducted research on education systems in Oman. Originally, my goal had been to create positive change for one person every day, and in my work, I was able to do that. It didn’t have to be some grand, life-changing gesture; but it did have to be genuine. Over time, that goal transitioned into holding myself accountable to making positive change in international education.
So at EF, having the opportunity to work with young students all over the world through the EF Ambassador program, I felt I had free reign to actualize my personal goals and also make an impact on students all over the world.
Can you describe your philosophy on mentoring young people to become leaders?
I am a huge believer in the power of kindness and vulnerability. Being real. Being true to yourself. I’ve found that putting authenticity out into the world inspires it in other people. At EF, I had so much freedom to be myself and try everything. Freedom to explore, maybe fail, and pick myself back up for a new adventure. As a leader, I think it’s important to be transparent about your successes and failures, to share your whole story — not just your polished success stories.
And through working with so many exchange students across cultures, I know the power of meeting people where they’re at, not necessarily where you are or where you want them to be. Really paying attention to who your audience is and trying to imagine their experiences is critical to being a leader.
And finally, leadership is really about being an everyday leader. You don’t have to save the world today, but you do have to do what’s within your power.
What has been most inspiring about your time at EF?
One of the proudest moments of my life was Hello D.C., when we hosted over 70 EF Ambassadors from 30 countries to share their EF stories at a pop-up event around Washington, D.C. I saw the power of building intentional communities and empowering people. It was pure magic.
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_17217" style="width: 578px"><img alt="" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-17217" class="wp-image-17217 size-full" height="568" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Tanya-blog-1-resized.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Tanya-blog-1-resized.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Tanya-blog-1-resized-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Tanya-blog-1-resized-300x300.jpg 300w" width="568">Tanya at Hello D.C. in 2019</div>
Then, so many students I’ve worked with in the EF Ambassador program have gone on to do amazing things. From personal triumphs like ending toxic relationships to professional and academic accomplishments like starting a company. Knowing that I had a small role in their successes and that their time with EF gave them the confidence to achieve their goals is hugely rewarding.
What’s next for you? Tell us about your studies at Harvard and plans after graduation!
I’m pursuing an EdM in International Education Policy, which sometimes feels strange to say, since I have imposter syndrome when it comes to talking about myself as a Harvard student. But the reality is that I’m not doing this for myself — so I should stop thinking about myself. I chose this course of study because I want to make a difference in refugee education. It’s an interest that goes back to my first trip with EF when we met refugees and I ended up spontaneously translating their stories.
With my degree, and with everything I learned at EF over the past 5 years, I want to work in refugee education and build supportive communities across distances. Already having had the EF experience of connecting with so many students digitally, I feel ready to take on this work.
And now is the time. When you think about how people are processing the reality of kids not being in school because of COVID-19, this is the moment to realize that millions of kids around the world aren’t in school because of crises in their communities or countries. This is not new. And I want to help.

Little did she know that joining the EF would be just the first step in a five-year journey of personal growth and professional.

Leading with heart: Tanya’s EF journey - We are EF

Leading with heart: Tanya’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

Leading with heart: Tanya’s EF journey

Tanyas ef journey

A Southern California kid by birth, Kyle’s first experience with culture shock was a 3,000-mile cross country move with his family. “I was only 8 years old, so it was a big change. I had never seen snow before,” he explains.
But it didn’t take long for the family to adjust and dive into east coast explorations or for Kyle to develop a taste for travel. They’d pack into the family car and drive to Niagara Falls, road trip to Washington, DC or venture through picturesque mountain towns in Vermont.
<div>By the time a high school trip to Edinburgh rolled around, he was all in. As a superfan of English Premier League soccer, he was fascinated by the UK and eager to experience every moment firsthand.</div>
“I wanted to visit the UK for a long time,” he recalls. “On this trip, I saw London and all the major historical places I had read about. But the coolest part was seeing all the places I didn’t know I wanted to see. Bath, Yorkshire and Edinburgh especially. These unexpected experiences were transformative.”
From these eye-opening days in the UK – stumbling upon small shops, swapping stories with locals, eating traditional foods – Kyle’s personal approach to travel began to take shape.
“There’s so much more to seeing the world than checking off all the boxes of the places you’re told you need to go,” he says.
Fast forward to 2011 when Kyle arrived in Boston with a college degree in hand and only a vague notion of how to put his history, economics and French studies to use. He submitted applications here and there, searching for his next step.
It wasn’t until he was sitting across from his interviewer for a temp job at <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/">EF Education First</a> that it all clicked.
That high school trip to Edinburgh, the one that stoked his passion for off-the-beaten path travel, it was an <a href="https://www.eftours.com/">EF Educational Tour</a>. The rest is history.
Today, Kyle has turned his temp job on the <a href="https://www.efcollegestudytours.com">EF College Study Tours</a> sales team into a seven-year career that has landed him a Business Analyst role with EF Educational Tours and has challenged him to step outside of his comfort zone.
“I’ve always been able to find my next step at EF.  There’s always been a way for me to grow here, either by taking on responsibilities through my own initiative, or through my manger’s mentorship. And I think that’s unique. Right now, for instance, I’m teaching myself  SQL (Structured Query Language).
Kyle also describes EF as an ideal place for avid travelers to build a career while still meeting their goals to see the world. “I’m able to strike a very healthy balance between work goals and life goals,” he explains.
In fact, Kyle credits EF with opening up travel opportunities that he otherwise wouldn’t have access to – and riding the L’Etape du Tour de France stands out as a once-in-a-lifetime case in point. Cycling a mountain stage portion of the legendary Tour de France route, Kyle and a group of exhilarated nonprofessional cyclists tackled the same climbs, same conditions, and reveled in the same breathtaking views as the professional riders he admires so much.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do this without EF. I rode an EF team bike on this world-famous course. As a cyclist, it was an absolute dream.”
With his passion for cycling, traveling, and growing his career at EF – and his impressive track record of carving out new roles for himself – it seems like only a matter of time before we see Kyle trailing off the beaten path once again and landing exactly where he belongs.

From temp to Business Analyst, Kyle’s seven-plus years with EF has always allowed him to grow his career and his many passions.

Off the beaten path: Kyle’s EF journey   - We are EF

Off the beaten path: Kyle’s EF journey   ‹ We are EF

Off the beaten path: Kyle’s EF journey

Kyle ef journey

Jen has the kind of wild, free, and fulfilling life stories that give you pause.  
To hear of her college years in Colombia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua during the tumultuous late 1980s, her passion for the Andes mountains, her obsession with cultural exchange and unflagging energy for exploration, you can’t help but wonder…what more is possible? How can I open my arms to embrace the world and people around me? 
By the time Jen joined <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF Education First</a> as Director of Service Learning Tours, Peru Tours, she had seen many remarkable places and made many friends along the way. But nothing, in her words, can compare to the profound friendship she’s built with a ceramicist whose studio she stumbled upon while wandering her way through Peru’s Sacred Valley.  
<img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-17308 aligncenter" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/jen-watt-header-blog.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/jen-watt-header-blog.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/jen-watt-header-blog-300x191.jpg 300w" width="568">
Jen on one of her many visits to Peru
When Jen ventured into Seminario Ceramics, she was awestruck. Surrounded by a sprawling red clay collection of saucers, cups, tiles and towering sculptures, she was wide-eyed, agape at the artistic paradise that gripped her imagination. 
This was in 2008. Today, the Seminario family and their ceramic studio are a precious part of Jen’s personal and professional life in ways she could never have imagined during that first visit so many years ago. 
Recently, Jen shared her reflections on the joys of friendships that grow across cultures, time zones, languages, and everything in between. 
How did you find the Seminario’s ceramic studio in 2008? How did that first visit come about? 
I had gone to Peru after a terrible heartbreak. I was on a mission to refill my joy bucket, immerse myself in the mountains, and find myself again. I had spent so much time in Latin America over the years, but even though I wrote my college thesis on the great Peruvian novelist José María Arguedas, 2008 was actually my first time in Peru.  
One day, at the end of a very long day of group touring, everyone was wiped out from the altitude. The ceramic studio was the last stop on our itinerary. No one knew anything about it, and because we were all so tired, the group just wanted to go home. But I was on my mission to see everything I could in Peru, so I begged the group to just drop me off for a few minutes so I could peek into the studio on my own.  
<img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-17279 aligncenter" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Peru-PabloMariluKusi-resized.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Peru-PabloMariluKusi-resized.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Peru-PabloMariluKusi-resized-300x191.jpg 300w" width="568">
Ceramics is a family affair. Left to Right Kusi, Pablo and Marilu Seminario
When I opened the studio door, it was like a secret garden with art, plants, and beauty everywhere. A crazy luscious courtyard. And ceramics everywhere. It was a totally magical place. I went back to the bus and convinced my whole group to come in. When they did, they were mindblown, too. We all did a tour of the studio together. No one was tired anymore!  
How did you end up meeting Pablo Seminario, the studio owner?  
Our tour guide happened to be a friend of the Seminario family, so when it became clear that our whole group was fascinated by the studio, he introduced us to Pablo. But I didn’t speak with Pablo one-on-one at all. I was too awestruck to really talk to him. 
<img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-17284 aligncenter" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/friendship-3.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/friendship-3.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/friendship-3-300x191.jpg 300w" width="568">
The Maestro, Pablo in his workshop
At the time, I thought, “I can’t believe this place even exists, and we almost passed it by.  I am SO GRATEFUL we came here…” 
Fast forward a decade and Pablo and his family are among your dearest friends! How did your friendship start and stay strong over the years? 
After that first trip, I actually got to lead tour groups to Peru in 2010 and 2011.  My fellow travelers were eagerly anticipating our visit to the Seminario Workshop because my own excitement to return there was contagious. So on my second visit, I burst into the studio with elation. I felt so alive and grateful to share the experience with other travelers. Pablo was working and, inspired by my enthusiastic entrance, he invited my group back upstairs into his personal studio.  He gave us an intimate look at his creation process; his deep love of ceramics and passion for including his community in the artistic process shined through. I was hooked.   
<img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-17283 aligncenter" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/friendship-1.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/friendship-1.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/friendship-1-300x191.jpg 300w" width="568">
Pablo and Marilu Seminario on a visit with Jen in New York City
From there, things just grew and have never stopped. I continued to bring tour groups to the studio, and Pablo, his wife Marilu, and their sons Kusi and Pasu would always welcome me with so much warmth. And as I started spending more and more time in Peru, I continued to connect with the family as much as I could. Their home was a place I could go to breathe and feel centered. And over the years I’ve seen them on their many trips to New York City and even hosted them for my 50th birthday party in Vermont.
It takes a lot of heart to maintain a long-distance friendship like this over the years — especially in the years before the super tech-connected way we live today. What is it about Pablo and his family that sustained your connection in such a powerful way?  
They are just so humble and warm, yet extraordinary. Some of Pablo’s work is in the Smithsonian, for example, but you’d never know it. No ego, no pretension. He and his family took me in as a friend and never let go.
When I would happen to be in Peru around a big holiday, I would spend it with them; sharing those kinds of moments together deepened our bond. They even took care of me when I got sick while traveling in Peru! And for me, I am not an artsy person, but the whole Seminario family inspires me into a more creative life that I value so much. 
How did the Seminario’s studio become a part of your work at EF?  
When I joined EF and started designing a <a href="https://www.eftours.com/educational-tour/Peru-service-language-immersion?query=Peru" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Service Learning tours to Peru</a> for EF Educational Tours, of course I included the studio. As a place where art lives and breathes, it’s a very different experience than visiting most museums, and students really drink it in.  
<img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-17281 size-full" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Peru-students-resized.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Peru-students-resized.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Peru-students-resized-300x191.jpg 300w" width="568">
EF Educational Tours student group on a visit to the Seminario’s workshop
And what’s beautiful is that the Seminarios are always innovating, expanding their art and exploring new ways to share art with their local community. As EF continued to visit the studio, they expanded to include a ceramics workshop for students. But not just to host EF travelers – for their local community, too. The family has even come to our EF office in Boston to share their story and art with our staff. 
To know that EF was part of the momentum that helped push them toward their goal of sharing art more broadly feels wonderful and to have them among our network of EF partners is such an honor.

Recently, Jen shared her reflections on the joys of friendships that grow across cultures, time zones, languages, and everything in between.

EF connections: Finding friendship in an unexpected place - We are EF

EF connections: Finding friendship in an unexpected place ‹ We are EF

EF connections: Finding friendship in an unexpected place

Friends in unexpected places

Have you ever met someone with an unstoppable entrepreneurial spirit? That’s Manon. For him, being the most creative guy in the room isn’t a conscious choice or career strategy. It’s just who he is.
Today, he channels his abundant energy for ambitious what-ifs into his role as Vice President of Product Innovation at <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/about-us/research/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF EdTech</a>, the global research and development arm of <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF Education First</a>. Chatting with him about his career — which is both curiously diverse and sensibly focused — would leave anyone wondering, “ok, so what CAN’T you do?” (Spoiler: The answer is probably nothing.)
From software to hardware, <a href="https://manondave.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">music</a> to tech, and product management to product development, Manon has done it all. And given his many successes, it’s clear that he adds a uniquely inspired spin to just about everything.
That is not to say he spent even one breath of our conversation bragging. Quite the opposite: Manon talks as though he’s just another teammate bringing his ideas to the table, even as he describes achievements that are, frankly, #goals.
From his London home office via Zoom, he chatted with us about product innovation at EF, knowing your audience even when they’re a continent away, EF’s newly formed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging team, and living life with entrepreneurial spirit.
<h3>It sounds like your career has taken a winding path. How did you end up working in product innovation at EF?</h3>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_17459" style="width: 578px"><img alt="Manon making music" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-17459" class="wp-image-17459 size-full" height="361" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Manon-3-resized.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Manon-3-resized.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Manon-3-resized-300x191.jpg 300w" width="568">Manon doing something that he’s passionate about — making music.</div>
I was working in QA — and then as a software engineer. From there, I pivoted into the world of product management and quickly fell in love with it. I’m a musician, so it was amazing for me to work with tech-driven music companies, creating instruments that help fans of music learn how to make songs of their own, for instance, through color patterns.
With this, I got more into hardware. Building the teaching instruments that eventually ended up in Apple stores all over the world. It was incredible to work on products that encompass so many of my overlapping passions.
Later, when I was working at an ed tech company, a friend introduced me to the person who was building EF’s EdTech team. And the rest is history.
<h3>Why did the EdTech team at EF feel like a good career fit for you?</h3>
It was the perfect fusion of what I wanted to do — help people learn new skills and build technology. And the more I talked with Lee, our President of EdTech, learning about his background in gaming, it was clear that he wasn’t looking to take a traditional approach. Neither of us had much experience in ed tech, but that wasn’t a problem. It was exciting. The goal was to build a team that would put EF at the forefront of ed tech. Ahead of the curve.
At one point, Lee asked me about my strengths. When I answered, “innovation” and explained some of my background and successes, he offered me the job. The idea that we were there to innovate from the ground up, not relying on a legacy product or idea, was very appealing to me. It was an untethered invitation to create products that help students learn languages.
<h3>The <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/we-are-ef/introducing-ef-study-buddy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Study Buddy</a> language immersion smart speaker embodies entrepreneurial spirit — how did your team decide to build it?</h3>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_17458" style="width: 578px"><img alt="Showcasing entrepreneurial spirit with EF Study Buddy" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-17458" class="wp-image-17458 size-full" height="363" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Manon-1-studybuddy-resized.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Manon-1-studybuddy-resized.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Manon-1-studybuddy-resized-300x192.jpg 300w" width="568">Manon showcasing entrepreneurial spirit at the EF Study Buddy launch in 2019.</div>
I started collaborating with Enio, EF’s Chief Experience Officer, talking with him about ways to bring language immersion to very young kids. We were focusing on kids ages three to six in China, where there’s a huge interest in English language learning. With this age group, the kids are too young for travel immersion, so our goal was to give them an immersive language experience in their homes.
We had fun with it — but it was also a massive challenge. For example, all my previous product design experience was for western audiences. Everything I thought I knew about creating a successful consumer electronics product turned out to NOT be true for our young Chinese audience. And it wasn’t only the kids we were designing for, of course. It was their parents who would make purchase decisions, grandparents and guardians, and teachers.
A major mindset shift was that Chinese parents don’t usually associate play with learning like we often do in the U.S. We had to consider very carefully how to introduce the Study Buddy speaker into the Chinese market in a way that would clearly highlight its educational value first and foremost.
<h3>Speaking of cross-cultural understanding, tell me about the EF Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging team you recently joined. What are the team’s goals? How did you get involved?</h3>
We’re working to build a roadmap that ensures EF becomes a more inclusive place to work. We want to give all EF employees a dedicated space where they can have any conversion on their minds. Employment rights for women and people of color, creating a more welcoming space for LGBTQ+ colleagues in leadership — absolutely anything is on the table. We’re ready to talk about the issues that people live every day.
Another goal is to celebrate the diversity we already have and the many positive aspects of EF culture. It’s stunning, really, the way we’re a multinational organization with tens of thousands of employees all pulling in the same direction to connect the world through language and travel.
This is my first time formally contributing to a team like this, and I’m privileged to represent the team during these important times for all of us. And on a personal level, l feel like EF has really encouraged me to bring my whole self to work. As a musician, I’ve never shared so much of my art with colleagues who are genuinely supportive. EF is only as successful as we are because of the diverse lives, perspectives, and passions that we all bring to work everyday.

Manon is the Vice President of Product Innovation at EF EdTech, the global research and development arm of EF Education First.

Open-minded entrepreneurial spirit: Manon’s EF journey - We are EF

Open-minded entrepreneurial spirit: Manon’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

Open-minded entrepreneurial spirit: Manon’s EF journey

Entrepreneurial spirit manons ef journey

“I used to think a lot,” Elin says. “Think ‘what is the meaning of life?’ But when it comes to dance and music, you don’t have to think. You just have to do.”
Elin, to put it simply, does quite a bit these days. To hear about her travels, work with EF Education First’s associated organization <a href="https://www.efexchangeyear.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF High School Exchange Year</a>, exhaustive dance repertoire, and philanthropic work in Nicaragua, it’s hard to imagine her sitting still, let alone getting in her own way.
As someone who seems completely comfortable in her own skin, hearing Elin’s journey to self-confidence and finding her place in the world, both at home in Stockholm and abroad, is as inspiring as it is instructive.
Learning how she’s used dance — bachata, salsa, flamenco, hip hop and belly dance, to name a few — to immerse herself in communities around the world is stunning enough. But then to learn the backstory, how she started dancing as an adolescent to prove that she didn’t have to party like her peers to be cool, one can think of no better mentor for high school students who are eager to break out of their comfort zones.
We recently spent some time with Elin to hear her travel tales, learn how she launched and manages a nonprofit dance school in Nicaragua, and pick her brain about the challenges and opportunities teenagers face in today’s world.
<img alt="elin dance" class="aligncenter wp-image-17553 size-full" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Staff-Profile-Blog-ElinElin-1.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Staff-Profile-Blog-ElinElin-1.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Staff-Profile-Blog-ElinElin-1-300x191.jpg 300w" width="568">
You’ve been around the world and back again with EF, both as a student and professional. When did your interest in travel begin?
When you’re 12 in Sweden, you start to study a third language in school, and I chose Spanish. I studied for a few years but then lived abroad with an older couple in southern Spain. That was when things clicked for me. In school, I had no sense of the “why?” I didn’t know why I was learning Spanish. But being immersed in a family I wanted to communicate with, being curious about their culture and what it meant day-to-day, this was motivating.
Spain opened my eyes to the stability I had in my own life in Sweden. Seeing poverty like I’d never seen before, I realized that I had a really good life and needed to do things not only for myself but also for other people.
I also traveled a lot with my family — having exposure to places from the Dominican Republic to Asia my eyes opened even more. By the time I graduated high school, I was embarking on an 8-month world tour trip with a friend, seeing everything I could before heading to university.
Where did you get the confidence to embark on such a big trip as a young woman?
<img alt="elin ngo 1" class="aligncenter wp-image-17552 size-full" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Staff-Profile-Blog-ElinElin-4.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Staff-Profile-Blog-ElinElin-4.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Staff-Profile-Blog-ElinElin-4-300x191.jpg 300w" width="568">
When I was 14, I took an EF International Language course in Torquay, England and met students from all over the world. This was before social media, so there was space to talk with people about their lives and culture. We weren’t as distracted as people are today, so we really got to know each other. It gave me a sense of familiarity with the world; it didn’t feel so scary.
And later, at the <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF International Language Campuses</a> I studied and worked at in Los Angeles, New York, Hawaii, and Spain <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/we-are-ef/words-of-wisdom-from-ef-women/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a lot of the directors and instructors were women</a>. They were strong and confident and not much older than me. Seeing that was empowering. I thought to myself, “I can be that, too.”
By this point, were you seriously into dance?
Yes, I started dancing as a teenager to show my peers that I wasn’t boring, that I was still a fun person even though I wasn’t drinking or partying like a lot of kids do. It was my way of fitting in.
Then, traveling, dance became a great way to immerse myself in different cultures. I can go to Hawaii and dance hula and meet locals who see that I’m interested in their culture. I can go to the Dominican Republic and dance bachata. It connects me to people and places in a very genuine, immersive way.
How did you turn your passion for dance into philanthropy?
While working for an NGO in Nicaragua, I saw the difficult lives that so many children had. The NGO, APEADECO, which I connected with through Svalorna Latinamerika, a Swedish NGO, worked specifically to prevent child sexual exploitation. Seeing the risks these kids faced firsthand, I resolved to do something positive for the community. Within a week, I had raised enough money from family and friends to start a dance school in Telica, a village outside of Leon, where kids can take free classes. That was in 2016.
<img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-17551 size-full" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Staff-Profile-Blog-ElinElin-v2.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Staff-Profile-Blog-ElinElin-v2.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Staff-Profile-Blog-ElinElin-v2-300x191.jpg 300w" width="568">
Today, I am very proud of myself for founding the school and continue to manage it remotely, for the most part, from Sweden. In choosing where to get started with a charitable project, I wanted to do something I cared about and something fun. The world is full of issues that need attention, and if you think about it all, it can weigh you down.
But the dance school doesn’t do that — it lifts the students up and makes a positive impact on their lives. It lifts me up, too, so it is a pleasure to work to keep the school going.
Speaking of students, what kind of challenges do you see exchange students facing today? And what kind of growth potential?
Young people today compare themselves too much to what they see on social media. Whether it’s comparing themselves to their peers or celebrities, they’re perceiving what’s “wrong” with them in destructive ways instead of getting inspired by people. They don’t trust their own path.
But when they go away on their exchange year, they find a more substantial vision of what they want for themselves. Not what their parents want or what their friends want. I see students transform into positive change agents – young people with confidence, who become fluent in English and deeply curious about different cultures while sharing their own culture with others.
It’s the same thing that happened to me in Spain as a teenager: you go away, test your wings, see that you’re strong, and become more rooted in who you are and your ability to make a mark on the world.

Learning how she’s used dance — bachata, salsa, flamenco and more, to name a few — to immerse herself in communities around the world is stunning enough.

Dance opens doors around the world: Elin’s EF journey - We are EF

Dance opens doors around the world: Elin’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

Dance opens doors around the world: Elin’s EF journey

Elins ef journey

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been working towards a goal without fully knowing what it is,” Christina says.
Meet Christina for even a moment, and it’s clear that she pours her heart and soul into everything she does. Hard work seems to be an effortless ethos for her, as if it’s in her DNA.
“Working in retail and restaurants, it was ruthless,” she says. “It was always sink-or-swim. But I kept at it, working my way through college. I am the first in my family to go to college, so the life I was creating for myself was all new to me. But even when I didn’t know exactly where I was going, I knew I had to keep going.”
Then, one afternoon not long after graduation, Christina’s friend invited her to lunch at <a href="https://ef.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF Education First</a>. As they chatted and walked around the office, Christina met the <a href="https://girltrips.eftours.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF Tours for Girls</a> team. They hit it off immediately as the team described their inspiring work to empower young women through travel.

“I had never even heard of EF before meeting my friend for lunch,” she says. “But being there and meeting the team, something really clicked for me.”
As a self-described feminist and former Girl Scout herself, working with young women was a natural fit for Christina.
“My family wasn’t big on travel,” Christina shares. “It wasn’t talked about or promoted. My dad didn’t even want to go over the bridge from our home in Gloucester.”
Christina found that she was stepping outside of her own comfort zone when talking about exploring the world. Digging deep into her reserve of grit and self-confidence, Christina decided to take the plunge and accept a role as a Tour Consultant for EF Tours for Girls. And to her surprise, she found that her own experience as a nervous traveler helped her relate to her customers. “I understood their reluctance and could empathize, which helped me build relationships.”
That was in 2018. Since then, Christina has been a rollercoaster journey marked by incredible growth — and life-changing loss.
“My dad was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer a week before I started at EF,” she says. At the same time her world was opening up to an exciting new professional chapter, privately, her world was crumbling.
“I was going through it,” she says, “but I was determined to be successful. And EF helped me every step of the way. They supported me and gave me the tools and motivation I needed to succeed. My manager’s investment in me and compassion for my situation kept me going.”
While losing her dad was the most difficult thing she has ever endured, true to form, Christina committed to emerging from her grief a stronger person. “No more fear,” she says, as she describes her new attitude about seizing the moment and seeing the world.
“Panama, Mexico, Italy…Now, I’m seeing the world. And I’m seeing that all the work I put in for all those years is paying off.”

Meet Christina and it’s clear that she pours her heart and soul into everything she does. Hard work seems to be an effortless ethos for her.

Empowering young women (and herself): Christina’s EF journey - We are EF

Empowering young women (and herself): Christina’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

Empowering young women (and herself): Christina’s EF journey

Christinas ef journey

If someone presented you with a life script that was stable and traditional — a near guarantee of respectable success and a strong shot at a good life, would you take it?
This was the situation Prajin found himself in during the global financial collapse of 2008.
With eight years invested in his career in web development, Prajin was hungry for change. Success in Bangalore, “the Silicon Valley of India,” was all about working for well-known multinational organizations. It was a safe path with many perks, not least of which was social approval. Mention your position and employer to friends or family in Bangalore, and there was no question that you’d “made it.”
But there came a point when it just didn’t work for Prajin anymore. At work, his tasks were clear, but his greater purpose became increasingly abstract.
So, when Prajin found himself with three job offers in hand, two from well-known multinationals that signaled stability and one from <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF Education First</a>, a newcomer in Bangalore, he was at a crossroads.
One direction offered him another chapter of the same safe yet unsatisfying career path. The other direction promised a jolt to his way of working, an environment where he could create, innovate, and contribute toward inspiring, tangible outcomes.
We recently sat down with Prajin to learn about his decision to join EF, his thoughts on finding a work culture that works for you, and his unexpected path from Bangalore to Zurich.
<img alt="Prajin at conference" class="aligncenter wp-image-17731 size-full" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/204637/568x362/bb872ad7d9/staff-profile-blog-prajinprajin-2.jpg" srcset="https://a.storyblok.com/f/204637/568x362/bb872ad7d9/staff-profile-blog-prajinprajin-2.jpg 568w, https://a.storyblok.com/f/204637/568x362/bb872ad7d9/staff-profile-blog-prajinprajin-2.jpg 300w" width="568">

In 2008 the global economy was in shambles. You opted to join EF — an unknown organization within your professional network in India. What motivated this choice?
In the four years leading up to my offer from EF, I had held three different positions at large corporations. These environments were tightly scripted, and I was always following someone else’s plan or process. Every new role that I would get, I knew this would be the case, but I still didn’t like it. The culture never worked for me; it was too hierarchical and had too many processes. At such huge companies, your work is limited to your team or your manager. You can’t really express your ideas beyond what’s already been defined for you. At the end of the day, I was working simply to execute what somebody else said, to follow instructions and stick to the script.
I was looking for a change, but not in terms of work culture because I didn’t believe anything else existed. Most companies work this same way, in my experience. I was looking for a change because it was 2008, the peak of the global recession, and I had been asked to sit idle for awhile at work. I knew I had to look for other opportunities, and when EF presented me with an offer, I was very ready to do something different.

<img alt="Zurich move" class="aligncenter wp-image-17729 size-full" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/204637/568x362/d25a360775/staff-profile-blog-prajinprajin-3.jpg" srcset="https://a.storyblok.com/f/204637/568x362/d25a360775/staff-profile-blog-prajinprajin-3.jpg 568w, https://a.storyblok.com/f/204637/568x362/d25a360775/staff-profile-blog-prajinprajin-3.jpg 300w" width="568">

What gave you the courage and perspective to take this risk?
I’m from Kerala, a small state in the south of India. I grew up in a village where my grandfather and mother were both teachers. Together, they taught in my community for over 50 years. Understandably, they wanted me to join in this legacy. Teaching is a highly respected job, so this made sense. Just not for me.
On the other hand, my dad was a big dreamer, always pushing me to envision big things for myself, like seeing the world. Ultimately, he had a strong influence on my willingness to step outside the paths that were expected of me. I think that influence played a part in me being willing to deviate from the norm.
Also, I knew that I had two other offers if things at EF didn’t feel right. It might sound strange, but in India, when you get an offer, it’s normal to have other offers lined up too. So when I started at EF, I had start dates at other companies a few weeks later. My plan was to give EF a try. Go and see what it’s all about, but also have a backup plan in case it wasn’t right for me. With this, it felt like a good choice but not a huge risk.
So you arrived at EF hoping that it would work out but not yet convinced the role was right for you. How did those first few weeks go?
I was one of the first four people in the EF India office, which meant I could immediately share my ideas and be heard. It was strange to me, but I really liked it. In my first week, the CIO traveled to Bangalore to meet with us. It was immediately clear that there was no strict hierarchy preventing me from talking to anyone in the organization about my ideas. This is what I had been looking for — freedom and trust. After this first week, there was no looking back.
As time went on, I knew I had made the right decision because EF gave me a lot of opportunities to see the impact of my work firsthand. I traveled to EF schools in the UK to meet the students that I had previously only known as numbers in the systems I was building. It’s a very different thing to know a student as a number you have to write code around versus a child in a classroom.
For my team and I, on the tech side, if our system works 99 out of 100 times — it’s great, this is success. But if you are in the school printing certificates for 100 students leaving for uni and only 99 students get a certificate for their graduation ceremony because your system had an issue, it’s not a great feeling. Being there in the schools and seeing the significance of my work was entirely different from sitting in Bangalore hearing that 99 out of 100 certificates successfully printed. In Bangalore, it’s natural to feel like 99 out of 100 is success. Onsite with the students, you see that it’s not, and it can always be better.

<img alt="Zurich move 2" class="aligncenter wp-image-17730 size-full" height="362" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/204637/568x362/83ec94346a/staff-profile-blog-prajinprajin-4.jpg" srcset="https://a.storyblok.com/f/204637/568x362/83ec94346a/staff-profile-blog-prajinprajin-4.jpg 568w, https://a.storyblok.com/f/204637/568x362/83ec94346a/staff-profile-blog-prajinprajin-4.jpg 300w" width="568">
 

Speaking of your travels, EF eventually asked you to join their Zurich office as a Product Owner. How did this align with your career and life plan?
In Bangalore, I had advanced from a Senior Developer position to Office Manager. It was a small office, and there was no other advancement path for me there. It was clear that EF acknowledged my work over the years, consistently promoting me and valuing my abilities. So when they asked me to work in Zurich, it was a no-brainer for me, especially since one of my goals was to work closely with EF schools. In India, this just wasn’t possible, and travel was complicated and limited due to distance and visas. And on a personal level, my wife had wanted to spend our honeymoon in Zurich, but at the time, we couldn’t make it happen. When I got the offer to move our life to Zurich, she was totally on board!
How do you think this year’s shift to online learning and digital experiences will change your work or change EF in the years to come?
We’re definitely in an online learning boom, and that was felt quite suddenly this spring. When the COVID-19 lockdowns started happening all over the world, my team had to build the system for thousands of EF students to attend class via Zoom. We built this in a week because we had to. We are the world leader in language education, so it was essential for us to give our students the education they expect no matter what. A lot of students and our schools wanted answers to “What happens now?” We were able to provide them quickly and show that as an IT team, we can make a huge difference. We’re not just a supporting department or a backend team — we can actually drive the business.
Right now, parents may feel more comfortable with online learning due to the coronavirus. But I think students will always want to be in-person with other students. I don’t think the online boom is a threat to in-person learning coming back as soon as it’s safe. And for me, I don’t think too deeply about change because it always just comes to me. My expectation is simply that EF will pull me out of my comfort zone yet again.

We sat down with Prajin to learn about his decision to join EF, his thoughts on finding a work culture, and his unexpected path from Bangalore to Zurich.

Taking another path: Prajin’s EF journey - We are EF

Taking another path: Prajin’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

Taking another path: Prajin’s EF journey

Another path prajins ef journey

<div>Picture planning a trip to Hawaii for 150 people – the months of researching, negotiating, tweaking as well as perfecting countless travel, accommodation and activity details. This is Alyssa’s job at <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/">EF Education First</a> as an Event Manager for <a href="https://www.efexchangeyear.org/">EF High School Exchange Year</a>. And by all accounts, she’s awesome at it.</div>
But then picture just a few days before the trip, a hospitality workers’ strike brings operations at your hotel to a halt. This was the dilemma Alyssa found herself in – and then out of – within a sleepless four-day race against the clock last fall. 
“I immediately went into problem-solving mode, considering all options. And by some miracle, there was a comparable hotel that could accommodate our group and was willing to negotiate a contract,” she explains. 
In true cost-conscious fashion, Alyssa didn’t let the pressure to secure a plan B get the best of her. Instead, she secured a new hotel contract that actually saved money for EF. 
“We made it happen,” she says, crediting her team and manager for their support. “It really ended up being a great hotel and fabulous trip for everybody. In event planning, there are always things that change. It’s to be expected. But this, well, it was pretty unique.”  
Once you get to know Alyssa, it’s easy to see how her ready-for-anything attitude and positivity is contagious. It’s also easy to see why she’s been nominated for the Core Values Awards in the Boston office, accolades given to employees nominated for their hard work each year, in multiple categories throughout her tenure at EF.  
But this year, when Alyssa won the EF Core Values Award in Boston for being a cost-conscious superstar, she was totally shocked. 
She knew she had been nominated, but in a company of such talented, passionate colleagues, never expected to find herself on stage accepting the award and receiving a trip to Istanbul. 
“To win was such an honor. And then when Istanbul was revealed as the award destination, it was amazing. It’s not somewhere I had thought to travel – which makes it all the more exciting.”  
Responding to unprecedented plot twists with grace and agility seems to be among Alyssa’s many event planning specialties.  
Remember the winter 2018/2019 government shutdown? Alyssa was just putting the finishing touches on a meeting for <a href="https://www.efexchangeyear.org/">EF High School Exchange Year</a> in Washington, D.C.’s Natural History Museum when the shutdown temporarily shuttered the museum. 
With 1,000 attendees to host, Alyssa sprang into action, activating her network and ultimately finding another meeting location without breaking the bank on what could have been a costly last-minute plan change. 
Talking about these experiences today, Alyssa can’t help but laugh. They’re so over-the-top that they’ve become legendary among her EF accomplishments. And it’s experiences like these and the wonderful people she gets to work with on a daily basis, she explains, that has kept her at EF for 7 ½ years now – experiences that push her to think on her toes, learn on the fly, work with new people and rise to the occasion.

Experiences that push her learn on the fly and rise to the occasion are the moments that have kept Alyssa at EF for 7 ½ years. This is her EF journey

Experiences that push her to think on her toes, learn on the fly and rise to the occasion are the moments that have kept Alyssa, an Event Manager at High School Exchange Year at EF for 7 ½ years. This is her EF journey

Rising to the occasion: Alyssa’s EF journey - We are EF

Rising to the occasion: Alyssa’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

Rising to the occasion: Alyssa’s EF journey

Alyssa ef journey

Environmental consciousness is a vibrant part of our office culture at <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF Education First</a>. But these days, many of our staffers are working remotely. So how can we stay true to our green ideals while working from home?
We sat down with Sasha, the head of the EF Green Team at our Boston office and a Sales Operations Specialist with EF Educational Tours, to learn more about how we can achieve our goals of being green, even in quarantine.
“From day one at EF,” Sasha says, “I’ve had so much freedom to innovate and explore. I can take initiative without worrying about red tape. Even now, from home, I have the freedom to reach out to colleagues with green ideas to keep our progress on track.”
What’s the EF Green Team? It’s a collective of staffers passionate about being more environmentally friendly at EF and beyond. From clothing swaps to advocating a zero-waste mentality, the EF Green Team is dedicated to forward-thinking measures to impact sustainability, and Sasha keeps the team focused on this mission.
Now, with many staff working remotely, Sasha has worked with her fellow EF Green Team members to help their colleagues adopt green habits in their new home-based routines. We asked Sasha to share a few tips on reducing your impact on the planet from home.
<hr>
<h3>Sasha’s top eight tips for staying green while staying home:</h3>
<h4>1. Turn off lights and electronics and unplug power strips when you’re not using them.</h4>
<h4>2. Reduce your refrigerator’s total energy use by 7% by limiting your open-door ‘what’s for lunch?’ surveying. Keep a list of what’s inside the fridge posted on the door to reduce wasted electricity and keep your food fresh longer.</h4>
<h4>3. Regrow those veggies! Lettuce, green onions, garlic, and celery, for example, can be regrown from their stems. Right in a cup. Right in your kitchen.</h4>
<h4>4. Buy in bulk when possible to reduce packaging waste. Plus, bulk groceries are often cheaper than smaller, single-serve options.</h4>
<h4>5. Can’t find what you need in bulk? Look for products with paper, glass, or aluminum packaging that’s easier to repurpose and recycle than plastic.</h4>
<h4>6. Your reusable water bottle is your new best friend. Take it with you everywhere to stay hydrated and stay away from single-use plastic water bottles. You could save nearly $550 USD annually with this practice.</h4>
<h4>7. While staying close to home, buy local. Local companies generally have smaller carbon footprints for their goods.</h4>
<h4>8. Resist the urge to pass time with online shopping. Retail therapy can feel good in the moment, but don’t let an impulse buy undermine your goals of creating less waste and reducing your carbon footprint.</h4>
<hr>
Months of working from home have also given Sasha a fresh perspective on office habits that should be tweaked, changed, and challenged in the future. How to incentivize folks to forgo paper coffee cups, for instance? And how to make recycling easier and more efficient for everyone in the EF community.
Focusing on these questions from her home, Sasha thinks that many people are completely reassessing their lifestyles and priorities. She anticipates these new habits will find their way back to the office and influence the way we think about being responsible while out exploring the world again.
“It’s literally an issue that impacts every person, animal, plant – we can make a difference if everyone does their part. It’s this big, scary goal, but we can actually do something about it. As long as I’ve helped change how even one person thinks or acts, that can make a dent in a long-term solution.”

Environmental consciousness is a vibrant part of our office culture. But many of us are working remotely. How can we stay green while working from home?

Megan Mchugh

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