Meet the Team
For our Travel/Study tour leaders, home is where the heart is. Where is that, exactly? All over the world. Meet the team and travel 'home' with us:
Our Director
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Brett S. Thompson, '83 Travel/Study's fearless leader has been creating extraordinary travel experiences all over the globe for more than 20 years. With seven hometowns, six continents and 87 countries under his belt, this Stanford grad's passion for world travel has only one rival: his love of warm climes. Sorry, Antarctica, you'll have to wait. |
And the faces of Travel/Study
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Karen Alderete Just before Karen set off for college, her dad said: Don't be afraid to take risks. And so, this swimming, running, cycling, rock climbing and hiking enthusiast took his advice. Exuding positive energy from every pore, Karen leads many of our most adventurous adventures, getting up close and personal with wildlife wherever she goes. |
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Emily Casperson Ever the explorer, Emily spent the summers of her childhood at the lakes in northern Minnesota searching for blue herons and beavers. After a high school trip to the Soviet Union inspired Emily to become a scholar of Russian culture and language, even the Land of 10,000 Lakes couldn't contain her. For the past ten years, she has journeyed with Stanford travelers to every continent in search of knowledge and adventure. |
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Kara Cronk As a child, Kara crisscrossed the country with her family, traveling to more National Parks than she can name and exploring every state save two. (We're betting all those road trips are what made even-keeled Kara such a great listener.) While this foodie loves immersing herself in the cuisine and culture of far-flung places, there's nothing that Kara enjoys more than the journey itself—and bonding with Stanford travelers along the way. |
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Laura Duede If you ask Laura what her time studying abroad in Thailand and Vietnam was like, she'll most certainly say: Life changing. This former Cal Poly lacrosse player launched her career at an NGO in Cambodia and now leads Travel/Study trips around the globe. When she isn't traveling, you'll find her biking the hills of San Francisco. |
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Lisa Hepps, '91 Bollywood, look out! Travel/Study's newest star isn't just an experienced tour guide and educator with more than 60 countries, five languages and a Stanford degree under her dupatta—she's an expert in the traditional folk dances of Punjab, India. When she's not performing with her dance company or on the move discovering delicacies in hidden corners of the world, this Oakland native finds her rhythm at home with her husband and two cats, Pelé and Koshka. |
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Elizabeth Player Jones The daughter of two Stanford alumni, Elizabeth was born on campus and has called the Farm home ever since. Her home-away-from-home? Planes, trains and automobiles. Of the exclusive, chartered variety, that is. Extensive experience managing luxury travel makes Elizabeth the perfect person to have around when comfort is key—every day and everywhere Travel/Study goes. |
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Leslie Kim, '98 Three of Leslie's obsessions: great food, scuba diving and fireworks (what can we say, she comes from a family of pyrotechnicians). As a Stanford undergrad, Leslie spent time overseas with the Stanford-in-Oxford program and backpacked around Europe. If you find yourself in a faraway land with her, stay close. She has a knack for discovering little-known gems in the unlikeliest of places. |
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Nancy Kraemer Now here's a riddle: What do the Chicago Bears, 19th century American history, rugby and Rhodesian ridgebacks have in common? You guessed it: Nancy Kraemer. She loves 'em all. This Spanish-speaking wonder's life loves can't be boxed in—and with 32 countries and six continents under her belt, it's safe to say Nancy can't be pinned down either. She's at her happiest when learning and doing things she's never done before. Though there is one thing she'll never be caught doing again: driving stick shift in San Francisco. |
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Anne Leicher Born into a family full of Stanford alumni, this Bay Area native got her first taste of Travel/Study as a traveler. After backpacking, mountain climbing and dancing her way across the U.S. and abroad, Anne took on her biggest challenge yet: leading wilderness adventure trips for teens. In addition to her formidable teen-wrangling talents, Anne has an eye for photography and an ear for the Spanish language. |
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Nick Mangini Want to chat about the Renaissance and medieval history? Nick is your guy. Philosophy and theology? Count Nick in. Ever since studying abroad in Italy, the world has been Nick's classroom. And when he's not traveling the world, Nick's cooking a gourmet meal and swapping adventure stories with friends. |
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Susannah Oberdorf You'll never find this world wanderer "vegetating in one little corner of the earth"—oh, no! Always on the go, Susannah is an avid adventurer. Whether she's in Africa, Europe, Australia or Costa Rica, Susannah explores each place with an open heart and an eager mind. And while she claims to enjoy the occasional lazy weekend at home, we suspect that just means Susannah is running, hiking or skiing closer to home. |
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Patty Ponciano After working in the airline industry for a few years, Patty scored her dream job working for a cruise line in San Francisco and "fell in love with the world." Whether Patty's planning a trip to Africa, leading a trip to the North Pole or helping Stanford travelers plan their dream journeys, we like to think she's found her better-than-a-dream job here at Travel/Study. |
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John Sutherland, MA '11 There's something rather classic about John. He hails from the East, is an avid Boston sports fan and, of course, he earned a master's degree in the subject at Stanford. Ask where his interest in classics bloomed and you'll find the answer in "The Eternal City" where he spent an undergraduate year abroad. He's broadened his range since then. And when he's not out gallivanting with Stanford travelers, you'll find John hiking hidden trails in the Bay Area. |
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Maren Ewers Whitson, '00 Have you ever donned a Marie Antoinette costume for a Venetian ball? Reached the 19,340-foot summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in a blizzard? Snorkeled with thousands of fish in the Seychelles? This plucky Stanford grad and former Stanford Sierra Camp staff director has—and she'd do it all again. Well, she could do without the blizzard. |
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Kay C. Williams This proud grandmother of four grew up in Palo Alto, married a Stanford grad and sent her daughter off to the Farm. Passionate about education, Kay holds a teaching credential in English and German and has donated her time and talents to educational issues in her community for more than 17 years. Whether she's traveling to Japan, Germany or Kenya, you can count on her to have a good novel or two tucked in her bag. |

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