Our exceptional staff members are the backbone of our organization. Their incredibly diverse backgrounds provide us with a profound understanding of the destinations we visit and offer our students one-of-a-kind experiences.
Scott graduated from CU Boulder and Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. He taught English in a high school in Nagasaki for three years as part of the JET Programme. He has led gap year programs that led him around the world twice and gave him the chance to help students connect their learning and growth with a deeper connection with real people and real problems. As Director of Admissions he focuses on helping families find great Rustic Pathways programs that will create life-changing experiences for young people to create meaningful connections with their world.
Dr. Will Smith is a recognized leader in wilderness medicine who joined Rustic Pathways in 2015. He is an EMS and Emergency Medicine Physician who practices primarily in Jackson, Wyoming, but has practiced around the world from Baghdad ER to Easter Island. He is also a Colonel in the US Army reserve and has several other medical director hats from the National Park Service. He has personally participated in Rustic Pathways programs to Kilimanjaro, Fiji, and the Dominican Republic.
Anna is an alumna of School Year Abroad and has a dual degree in geoscience and Mandarin from Dartmouth. Anna’s passion for experiential education and travel was sparked in high school and furthered in college. She now applies this passion at Rustic Pathways, providing opportunities for teachers and students to immerse themselves in new surroundings and engage powerfully with other cultures. Anna was previously director of our China operations and now resides outside of New York City.
Nick grew up in Boston, and graduated from Babson with a degree in business but has since lived in California, New Zealand, Italy and Colorado. Rustic Pathways combines his passions for the outdoors with traveling to experience new places and cultures. He fills his free time in Colorado with skiing, mountain biking, hiking and paddle boarding, but is sure to travel internationally every chance he gets. Today he introduces students to Rustic Pathways and helps them find the perfect program.
Patrick began his career in experiential education as a Harvard student, managing the University’s First-Year Outdoor Program. After graduating with high honors from the Social Studies Department, Patrick continued his passion for social enterprise as an AmeriCorps volunteer. He now brings his strong leadership skills, love of the outdoors, and experience as Country Director in Mongolia and Tanzania to our team of Personal Travel Advisors in Ohio. Patrick’s immense dedication to community partnerships and passion for creating meaningful student experiences continue to shine through in our customer service.
Candice is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio with a degree in business administration, and she recently earned her MBA from Lake Erie College. Candice brings her expertise, kindness, and attention to detail to our human resources department. She assists with the on-boarding of all staff and manages staff benefits and professional development.
Kayla is a California native and San Jose State University graduate who loves sunshine, spending time on the coast and in the mountains. She’s always looking forward to her next travel adventure and the food she can try there. At Rustic Pathways, Kayla enjoys helping others discover their passion for travel and experience the profound impacts of interacting with others around the world. She lives in the Bay Area where you can find her enjoying live music, exercising, or cooking.
De’Lynn started at Rustic Pathways in February of 2022. Her passion of helping children thrive is evident by her multiple trips to Haiti, where she created incredible bonds with children in need. She is an alumni of Rochester Institute of Technology with a Master’s Degree in Multidisciplinary Studies. As Program Curator, she plans the group travel programs in all detail. In this role, she supports the development of young people’s focus on their part in this world.
Genny Campetti originates from Italy and holds a Master’s degree in International Commerce from Seoul National University. She has been living in South Korea for six years, gaining experience working in the luxury fashion and food import industries. Genny’s love for travel and meeting new people has broadened her worldview and motivated her passion to explore diverse cultures. A passionate music enthusiast, she enjoys collecting records, attending concerts and discovering new sounds. At Rustic Pathways, she brings her global perspective and expertise to create meaningful and immersive travel experiences.
Hannah’s passion for experiential learning began during her semester abroad in Chile and has only grown since. She earned a master’s degree in higher education with a focus on international education and students affairs, and brings a breadth of experience managing and running group travel programs. At Rustic Pathways, she supports educators in their goals to provide students with opportunities for meaningful community engagement and to foster a sense of global citizenship through our programs. Hannah lives in Chicago, where you can find her playing beach volleyball, running along the lakeshore, or on a quest to find the best dumplings in the city!
Janette Daneshmand was born and raised in Southern California, a stone’s throw away from the original Disneyland. Janette spent an unforgettable summer in western Europe and Florence on a study abroad program during her time at Cal State Fullerton. In 2016 she moved to Manchester and worked for a craft magazine publisher as a professional crafter and later at a marketing agency that specializes in life science and biotech businesses as a social media manager. She connected deeply with Rustic’s mission of philanthropy, travel, and training students to build the skills they need to create impact.
Cameron has always had a passion for travel. After her first solo trip to Europe, she knew seeing the world was a goal she hopes to accomplish someday. She has been to 29 countries and can’t wait to visit her 30th. She has lived in China, Vietnam, and is currently living in South Africa. Cameron was a teacher in Florida for nine years before moving overseas to work for international schools. Cameron is a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree from the College of Journalism. Besides traveling, she loves trail running, swimming, cycling, hiking, watching college football, and going to the beach.
Emily fell in love with travel and experiential learning after high school while taking a gap year in Bolivia and Peru. During her time at the University of Denver, Emily continued to seek out travel programs and opportunities while double majoring in Geography and International Studies. She was grateful for the opportunity to do coursework in Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Mexico, and Nicaragua! Since then she has worked in a variety of jobs including outdoor education, refugee services, ESL teaching, and as a Rustic Pathways Program Leader. Emily currently lives in Costa Rica and is passionate about animals (especially turtles!), rock climbing, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
Emma is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a dual degree in Spanish Language & Literature and International Relations with a focus in Global Environment & Health. Upon graduation she headed to Madrid, Spain to work in a public school supporting a bilingual program, working with students from 3 years old to 18 years old. Passionate about education, sustainability, and travel, she joined the Rustic Pathways team to combine these passions and continue working with students and families to support their development outside the classroom. While not working, Emma enjoys reading, hiking, and being on the beach whenever possible.
Gabby is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications. Once she graduated from college, Gabby combined her love for helping others and travel by serving as a humanitarian in Russia. She has traveled to 23 different countries and her goal is to travel to all seven continents. Since then, she has returned to live in Florida and joined the Rustic Pathways team to encourage students to learn more about different cultures through their own personal experience. While not working, Gabby enjoys being in the sun and in the water, going on spontaneous adventures, and traveling the world!
John oversees the Climate Leaders Fellowship, an innovative global service and leadership development program for high school students co-designed with the Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab and Rustic Pathways Foundation. Prior to joining Rustic Pathways, John was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, Vice President of Strategy & Innovation at Teach For America, and a founding team member of two other education nonprofits, Braven and TEACH.org.
Keegan has taught, studied, and researched in Thailand for more than a decade and joined Rustic in 2011. From northern California, he completed his master’s thesis on the effects of forest fires on floral and fungal communities. Keegan is fluent in written and spoken Thai and Lao and brings his deep knowledge of Southeast Asia’s history and culture to our Southeast Asia operations.
Heather is a graduate of Cleveland State University with a degree in Psychology. Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, her desire to learn new cultures is always satiated with each day working at Rustic Pathways. Her first international travel was with Rustic and helped her be brave enough to travel alone to Ireland and Scotland. When not working, she enjoys reading, taking nature walks and exploring all parts of Ohio.
Henrike Nietzold is from Germany and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Fashion Design from Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg. She has been traveling across Europe since she was young, starting with her first solo trip to London at 15. During a semester abroad, Henrike developed a strong love for South Korea, where she now lives. At Rustic Pathways, she aims to create meaningful travel experiences that promote a connected and globally conscious world.
Jonathan grew up around Syracuse, New York, leaving at 18 to join the US Air Force. He spent a short career as a Tactical Air Control Party Specialist where he deployed three times to Iraq and Afghanistan. After five years in Colorado with the Air Force, Jonathan left for Maryland and studied government and international relations. He graduated with a Bachelor’s from the University of Maryland and received a graduate certificate from the Institute of World Politics in Washington DC in peace building, stability and humanitarian development. Jonathan later completed his Master’s in finance while living remotely in Costa Rica. He fell in love with the country and currently resides there in the mountains near San Isidro with his wife and three kids. Jonathan is passionate about playing video games and loves to study history.
Matija completed an undergraduate degree at Northeastern University, then went on to earn a master’s degree from Harvard. Her expertise in leadership training and recruitment has enabled her to achieve great success within the Rustic Pathways Group Travel division. Her highest priority is that educators and students walk away completely satisfied and fulfilled from their incredible experience. In her free time, Matija enjoys reading, working out, running, and practicing power vinyasa yoga.
Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, Devon’s journey into travel began with a high school study abroad program in Peru, sparking a lifelong passion for exploration. Engaging in outdoor pursuits like backpacking, skiing, climbing, and biking became his driving pursuit. During his time at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Devon found his calling as a student trip leader, guiding peers through nature to impart crucial lessons in independence and empathy. Armed with a degree in film and media studies, he transitioned to the outdoor recreation industry, assuming roles from Whitewater Guide to Freeride Ski Coach. Devon now channels his love of diverse adventures into Rustic Pathways. Eager to contribute his rich leadership and travel background in innovative ways, he aims to enhance the organization’s commitment to fostering students’ personal growth through unique and impactful programs.
Dani has a Masters degree in Bilingual and Multicultural Education and she has taught English in various cities around Spain for the last five years. Her first year studying in Granada, Spain is what sparked her interest in the International Education field. Dani believes in the transformative power that international education can have on young minds and that cultural immersion teaches us things that no textbook could ever. In her spare time, Dani enjoys spending time with friends, being on the beach, and exploring as much of the world as she can.
Emma Juno Sparkes hails from the U.K. and holds a BA in Graphic Design Communications from University of the Arts London. Her passion for travel and cultural exchange flourished in South Korea, where she taught English for eight years before moving into media. Emma has written about travel and culture for a number of outlets including Morning Calm, The Korea Times and Seoul magazine. When she’s not at work you can find her exploring the streets of Seoul, searching for hidden gems and practicing photography.
Talia is a recent graduate of Occidental College where she studied International Relations and Food Studies. Talia is a firm believer in the importance of getting out of your comfort zone through exploring new places and cultures and is excited to help Rustic students attain such experiences. Talia loves to travel and try new foods along the way, whether it be in a new neighborhood in her home base of New York City or a market on the other side of the world. You can also find her hiking, playing tennis, reading on a beach, or walking her two labs.
Quintin Willekens is from Arizona and has a degree in Business Sustainability from Arizona State University and an interest in cross-cultural connections. His passion for global cultures was ignited early, leading him to explore over 20 countries by the time he graduated. Quintin continued his cultural immersion by teaching English in South Korea for 3 years. After getting married in South Korea, you will find him wandering the streets of Seoul with his partner and dog. At Rustic Pathways he brings a wealth of international insight and a dedication to education, travel, and sustainable development.
Teryn is a Michigan native and graduated from Lake Superior State University with a degree in Parks and Recreation. She has always been passionate about Recreation and Travel and is excited to help students find the best program that will positively impact their lives. She currently spends half of the year living in Italy soaking in all of the culture and amazing food. In her free time, Teryn enjoys photography, hiking, kayaking, and taking off on last minute adventures!
Founded in Australia in 1983, Rustic Pathways is imbued with the ambition and vision of the explorer in the outback. Here are some of the Rustic Pathways team members who have helped make us who we are today.