Georgi McNease

Georgi McNease

Georgi serves as the International Program Advisor for the London program where she assists students in their study abroad journeys. Georgi’s passion for international education began during her own study abroad experience in Costa Rica as an undergraduate student at Sam Houston State University. After graduating, she taught in Zambia though the Peace Corps before moving to Houston where she worked as an English as a Second Language teacher. In her free time, Georgi enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with her three dogs.

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Aero Kierstan

Aero is the International Academic Program Advisor for Strasbourg and Central Europe, and is the Discovery Program lead. She attended Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania where she received her B.A. in French. During the fall semester of her senior year, she studied abroad in Rennes, France and lived with a host family. After returning from France, Aero knew she wanted to become an advisor for study abroad, so she pursued a M.S. in Student Affairs Administration at Binghamton University. During her graduate program, she interned in the International Programs Office at SUNY Cortland.

Aero has worked in a variety of positions in higher education, including TRIO and Residence Life. In her free time, Aero enjoys reading, cuddling with her three cats, and collecting (rocks, coins, and Pokémon cards). Aero is an outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking, rock climbing, and kayaking.

Contact Aero:

  • agkierst@syr.edu
  • 315.443.3471

Mallory Mitchell

Mallory serves as an advisor for Syracuse Abroad’s center programs in Florence, Italy. As a graduate of Syracuse University, she took advantage of the opportunity to study in Strasbourg, France her sophomore year. This experience sparked her interest in learning about other cultures and influenced her decision to pursue a Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Northeastern University.

After several years as a teacher, she transitioned to wellness and fitness coaching and is now happy to be supporting students as they consider their own study abroad opportunities. Outside of work, Mallory enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog, and also performs as a cellist in the Magnolia String Quartet.

Contact Mallory

Dylan Eldred

As an International Academic Program Advisor for the Florence program, Dylan works with students to assist them during the study abroad process. He was born and raised in the Hudson valley area of New York by Syracuse University alumni parents. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in international relations with minors in history and geography from SUNY Geneseo.

During his junior year, Dylan spent a semester abroad in Groningen, Netherlands which ignited his passion for international education. Before coming to Syracuse University, he served in the Peace Corps as an environmental educator in Zambia and worked as an ESL teacher in Houston, Texas. When he’s not at work, you can find Dylan hiking, running, or spending time with his three dogs.

 

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Ben Cogdall

Having grown up as a ‘Military Brat,‘ Ben has had the unique experience to grow up all over the United States and see many parts of the world from a young age. Because of this Ben, now considers himself to be a strong advocate for international travel. He attended Northern Arizona University where he studied abroad in Costa Rica. There, he became fascinated with language acquisition and intercultural development, and found great value in international education.

He graduated with a master’s in education and Spanish and went on to teach English in Madrid, Spain. During his post-graduate career, Ben has held several positions related to foreign language instruction, student services, and study abroad. Excited to be with Syracuse Abroad, Ben is eager to work with students looking to create their own incredible experiences overseas.

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Sarah Tomlinson

Sarah was born and raised in the Syracuse, New York area. She attended Loyola University in Maryland for her first year of undergraduate studies, then transferred to Elon University in North Carolina where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice. During her undergraduate career, she studied abroad in London, England for a semester and New Zealand for three weeks during her senior year January term.

Sarah is a recent graduate of Syracuse University, receiving a master’s degree in Higher Education and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Intercollegiate Athletic Advising and Support. In previous years, she has held many positions in the international education field. As an advisor for the center programs in Florence, Italy, she works directly with students to assist them during every step of the study abroad process. During her free time, you can find her cheering on the many sport teams here at Syracuse University and going on walks with her two dogs.

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Tara Blomvall

Tara serves as the Director of Admissions and Student Engagement for Syracuse Abroad.  In this role, she oversees the admission and predeparture process for all Syracuse Abroad Center programs, campus outreach initiatives across Syracuse University and the recruitment and the recruitment of non-Syracuse University students from our partner schools.  Tara has over 14 years of experience working in higher education, specifically in the areas of undergraduate admissions and recruitment, CRM implementation and design, and education abroad.

She obtained her MBA degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and her BBA degree in International Business and Human Resource Management from Temple University.  As an undergraduate student, she also had the opportunity to study abroad for a semester in Madrid, Spain.

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Joelle Orecki

Joelle serves as the Assistant Director of Admissions. As part of the Admissions Team, she works with students through every step of the abroad experience. As an undergraduate at the State University of New York at Geneseo, Joelle spent a semester abroad in France. Prior to joining Syracuse Abroad, Joelle held various education roles both in the U.S. and overseas. She is committed to international education and the experiential learning opportunities that study abroad exemplifies.

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Theresa Barone

Theresa joined the Syracuse Abroad team as Office Coordinator in 2018. She graduated Canisius College with a B.A. in Industrial Psychology. After completing her degree at Canisius she opened and operated her own retail store in Syracuse for 15 years. While running her business she obtained a Paralegal Certificate from Syracuse University.

She has had the opportunity to live in London with her husband and children and travel throughout Europe. Theresa can now share her passion for education abroad and travel with Syracuse University students.

Contact Theresa