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Nicole Cook, Program Director
Nicole began working with CCI in March of 2004. After earning a degree in Literature from Bard College in New York, Nicole ventured off to Prague where she worked as an editor for a travel website (and discovered that beer can actually taste good!). Following that she spent a year teaching English as a Second Language and training volunteers for the Greenville Literacy Association in her home state of South Carolina, and later taught ESL in Mexico. Nicole is the Director of Short-term Group, Independent Homestay, School to School Exchanges, and Summer English Academy programs.
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Melissa Trinley, Program Manager
Melissa first fell in love with travel while studying abroad in Europe. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.A. in History and Communications, she moved to San Francisco, CA where she first began working in the field of cultural exchange coordinating students from Latin America to be au pairs in the U.S. Melissa then taught English in Santiago, Chile, where she learned the nuances of Chilean Spanish, worked with immigrants at a community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, solidifying a love of Argentine culture, and volunteered for a community development project in Cochabamba, Bolivia, learning about the indigenous population of the country. After working in Guatemala for a volunteer abroad organization she returned to her hometown of Chicago where she is excited to be working with CCI’s Short Term-Programs helping to connect cultures through personal interactions just as she experienced abroad. In her free time you can find her running along the lakefront, cheering on the Wisconsin Badgers and White Sox or enjoying the hot Midwest summers at the beach.
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Erica Clapp, Program Coordinator
Originally from Nebraska, Erica graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science in Multicultural Marketing and minor in Spanish. She found her passion for travel through a semester abroad in Madrid, Spain where she discovered her love for Spanish omelets, couch surfing, and an amazing host Señora. She has traveled to numerous European cities and most recently traveled the beautiful and welcoming country of Colombia. Outside of work, Erica enjoys running, exploring Chicago on bike, and preaching about the benefits of travel and cultural exchange. |