Verto Education offers the only first year abroad experience that keeps you on-track to graduate with our world-class Academic Provider and 70+ partner colleges.
Our Mission
Verto transforms access to higher education through a coming-of-age first-year experience.
Our Values
Verto Education was founded to make travel the path of least resistance to a college education. We believe in inclusion, transparency, access, equity and, above all, the power of travel to foster empathy and kindness across cultures.
What Verto Education Offers
An Accessible, Global Academic Year
Verto Education helps participants discover themselves and the world around them by making education abroad a foundational and accessible part of your college plan.
With Verto and our Academic Provider, the University of New Haven, students can begin college with a study abroad experience, while having the option to gain admission to Verto’s 70+ partner college.
Verto participants walk away with much more than incredible memories and transferable credits; they gain the confidence, self-awareness, and global perspective needed to thrive in college and in life.
Admission to a Verto Partner College
Participants can gain admission to our 70+ partner colleges, where the credits earned from our Academic Provider while abroad will count towards graduation. Participants have many options available after their time with Verto, allowing them to stay on track to graduate.
All courses, credits, faculty, and transcripts at Verto locations are delivered by our accredited Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.
A Well-Rounded Cross-Cultural Experience Focused on Personal Growth
The Verto Experience fosters self-discovery through mentorship and our Verto Discovery Programming. Workshops, excursions, and cultural immersion programming help students develop a sense of who they are and what they want from their university career.
Meet Our Team
Executive Leadership
Mitch Gordon
President & Co-Founder
Ben Welbourn
Chief Enrollment Officer & Co-Founder
Michael Kabbaz
Senior Vice President of University Partnerships & Strategy
Emily Sauey
Head of People Operations
Nataly Huff
Vice President of Marketing
Ahmad Refky
Vice President of Operations
Rick Silvestrini
Chief Operation Officer
Paige Butler
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Emily Herman
Vice President of Enrollment
Abroad Experience Staff
Blaire Modic
Center Director, Costa Rica
Andrés “Fofo” Zúñiga
Program Director, Costa Rica
Andrea Bravo
Student Affairs Manager, Costa Rica
Fabricio Arguedas
Clubs & Community Coordinator, Costa Rica
Johel Chaves-Campos
Academic Manager, Costa Rica
Valerie Hernández
Academic Success Coordinator, Costa Rica
Maia Diaz
Student Life Coordinator, Costa Rica
Manuel Ramírez Cordero
Program Coordinator, Costa Rica
Alexis Sinder
Student Life Coordinator, Costa Rica
Stefanie Ramírez Brenes
Program Coordinator, Costa Rica
Claire Kibblewhite
Program Director, England
Di Lampitt
Academic Director, England
Eliza Wilton
Student Life Manager, England
Yana Kolpakova
Academic Success Coordinator, England
Sarah Hutchinson
Academic Success Coordinator, England
Cecilia Onwochei-Garcia
Student Life Coordinator, England
Oscar Ceballos
Center Director, Spain
Cristina Gonzalez
Housing Coordinator, Spain
Amanda Cummings
Senior Academic Success Coordinator, Spain
María Esther Beltrán
Academic Success Coordinator, Spain
Emily Woerfel
Student Life Coordinator, Spain
Michaela Hill
Student Life Manager, Spain
Nadia Sousa Garzón
Academic Success Coordinator, Spain
Manuel “Manolo” Rufete
Academic Manager, Spain
Samantha Wasek
Student Life Coordinator, Spain
Fran Pascual
Program Administrator, Spain
Fran Aguado
Student Life Coordinator, Spain
Cristiana Gallai
Program Director, Italy
Anneka Stevens
Academic Success Coordinator, Italy
Mayara Pereira
Academic Success Coordinator, Italy
Johanna Mae Indias
Academic Success Coordinator, Italy
Alice Cini
Academic Affairs Manager, Italy
Lori de Lucia
Academic Director, Italy
Laura Romero Calero
Student Life Coordinator, Italy
Giulietta Molinari
Student Life Coordinator, Italy
Diego Palombi
Academic Success Coordinator, Italy
Paolo Monetti Lucianer
Housing Coordinator, Italy
Shauna Kavanagh
Student Life Manager, Italy
Kiara Stucchi Prinetti
Student Life Coordinator, Italy
Kristi Bauer
Administrative & Operations Assistant, Italy
Julian Lonsdale
Student Life Director, Italy
María Fernández Bascones
Student Life Coordinator, Italy
Octavio Di Leo
Center Director, Argentina
Juan Franco Pecora
Student Life Coordinator, Argentina
Jiovih Augustave
Academic Success Coordinator, Argentina
Jill Cefalo
Program Director, Czech Republic
Admissions
Our Regional Admissions Counselors frequently present at all-school assemblies, college fairs, High School lunchrooms, community events, and we even offer home visits for prospective Verto families (we’ll bring the coffee). Schedule a presentation with one of our regional admissions counselors using the links below.
Dan Quick
Director of Enrollment Operations
David Dillard
Senior Associate Director of Admissions
Daniel Marion
Enrollment Operations Manager
Hillevi Johnson
Associate Director of Admissions
Mimi Eglin
Senior Admissions Counselor
Gabriela Granote
Senior Admissions Counselor Team Lead
Shaunene Edwards
Senior Admissions Counselor Team Lead
Hannah Swangler
Senior Admissions Counselor
Michelle Korczynski
Senior Admissions Counselor
Kristen Korkowski
Senior Admissions Counselor
Elisabeth Smith
Senior Admissions Counselor
Bradley Good
Senior Admissions Counselor
Rob Castillo
Senior Admissions Counselor
Krista Flagg
Senior Admissions Counselor
Marla McLeod
Senior Admissions Counselor
Dianna Jennings
Senior Admissions Counselor
Deanna Young
Senior Admissions Counselor
Kaja Carter
Senior Admissions Counselor
Josh Sadagursky
Associate Director of Admissions, West Coast
Amy Stevens
Regional Admissions Counselor, Midwest
Edward “Ned” Liggett
Regional Admissions Counselor, NYC
Kaylee Koenig
Regional Admissions Counselor, Florida
Emma Tillman
Regional Admissions Counselor, Atlanta
Neal Crosson
Regional Admissions Counselor, VA/D.C.
Student Onboarding
Meredith Tarditi
Director of Student Onboarding
Brittni Weimer
Senior Manager of Onboarding Operations
Kara Dudley
Student Onboarding Advisor
Stuart Robbins-Butcher
Student Onboarding Advisor
Emma Pradarelli
Student Onboarding Advisor
Academic Success & Advising
Janice Johnson Shephard
Program Director, Academic Success & Advising
Escely Marr
Assistant Director of College Counseling
Uyen Yasmine Vu
College Counselor
Analee Giordano
College Counselor
Academics
Karen Masters
Director of Academic Affairs
David Collier, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Director of Academics
Colleen Dutton
Registrar
Steven Mockler
Academic Affairs Manager
Programming & Operations
Sara Troy
Director of Program Development
Jessica Willis
Strategy & Operations Manager
Stephanie Collens
Assistant Director of Student Life
James Lorello
Dean of Students
Matteo Travers
Verto Discovery Manager
Partner Relations
Stephanie Espina
Director of College & University Relations
Clark Brigger
Associate Vice President of University Partnerships
Lakota Bowen
Assistant Director of College & University Relations Operations
Nicole Holmberg
Associate Director of College & University Relations
Meghan Godding
Associate Director of College & University Relations
Digital Products
Aline Parnagian
Director of Digital Product
Hilary Peterson
Senior Product Manager, Digital Product
Akilah Arthur
Technical Lead, Systems Administrator
Nicoholas Holly
Technical Systems Lead & Developer
Sheridan Gill
Senior Salesforce Developer
Syed Ali
IT Manager
Andrew Dunkle
Technical Program Manager
Christopher Lappe
Engineering Team Manager
Hannah Benning
Senior Academics Systems Analyst
Keegan Amrose
Salesforce Systems Administrator
Marketing
Brynna Rao
Director of Brand & Content Marketing
Sarah Ford
Senior Marketing Operations Manager
Meaghan Conly
Marketing Lifecycle Manager
Elaine Diekroger
Senior Partnerships Marketing Manager
Jeff Geisinger
Senior Graphic Designer
Samantha Nani
Marketing Coordinator
Allie Chatas
Social Media Manager
Steven Radabaugh
Full-Stack WordPress Developer
Amanda Rankin
Lifecycle Marketing Specialist
Billing
Brandi Turner
Head of Student Financial Services
Maurissa Miller
Billing & Scholarship Coordinator
People Operations
Nicole Simonds
Associate People Partner
Jeremy Cantu
People Operations Generalist
Finance
Tatiana Kweder
Vice President of Finance
Parker Thompson
Senior Analytics Manager
Advisory Board
The Advisory Board guides Verto on its initiatives for student services, equity, inclusion, and access, curriculum, partnerships, and student recruitment.
Verto’s Advisory Board members were each selected for their demonstrated commitment to college access, their leadership in the field, and their expertise in educational advising.
