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From Lisbon, With Love: Introducing Your GO Lisbon 2025 Staff!

Writer's picture: Mia PerezMia Perez

The number of days till your summer of a lifetime are getting shorter, which means it's time to meet your 2025 GO Lisbon staff! To say we have the best of the best staff lined up for you would be an understatement. We hope you're just as excited as we are!


To start us off, we'd like to introduce our amazing Program Director, Kathryn Draughon! Kathryn is an LSU grad and member of LeadAbroad’s full-time team. As a fellow in 2024 on DIRECT Greece and GO Lisbon, and spent the the following fall months traveling to college campuses to chat with students about once in a lifetime opportunities. After her six month fellowship, our team was excited to welcome Kathryn full time as a Student Relationship Coordinator. She’s traveled extensively, with Lisbon standing out as her favorite destination due to its vibrant culture, stunning beaches, and delicious food. Kathryn is thrilled to return to some of her favorite places this summer and create new experiences with a fresh team and students. As a Program Director for GO Lisbon in 2025, her advice to students is to be present and fully embrace the journey, as these experiences fly by in the blink of an eye.


Next we have, May Harvey, a current senior at Auburn University and a proud member of Alpha Delta Pi. After traveling abroad on GO Rome as a student in 2023, she knew traveling would be in her future. As a 2025 Fellow, she is most excited to meet the students and guide them on their most memorable summer yet. She is a travel enthusiast and cannot wait to create long-lasting memories and connections in Lisbon. "My favorite travel destination would have to be Switzerland! I got the chance to go explore Grindelwald and Interlaken with some of my best friends and it was so beautiful. We did so many fun activities such as hiking, wake surfing and skydiving. It was the prettiest place I've ever been and hope I can go back again one day!" She encourages fellow travelers to stay open-minded, embrace new experiences, and maintain a positive attitude, even when challenges arise.


Expanding your education is just as important and having fun. Luckily for you, you'll have some of the best professors around! Welcome aboard Amanda Printz Whooley, Filipa Matos Martins, and Jeremy Bennett!


Amanda Printz Whooley
Amanda Printz Whooley

To know her is to love her! We are excited to welcome Amanda Printz Whooley (AKA “Printz” by our students) as our professor back again this summer on LEAD Greece and GO Lisbon. Printz has been a part of the LeadAbroad Family for over 10 years, teaching courses in Greece, Rome and Barcelona. This summer in Greece, she will teach our Leadership Global Theory and Practice and Global Citizenship and Civic Engagement courses. In Lisbon, she will teach our PHI 220: “Exploring Life’s Questions through Art” and PHI 202: “How Ought We Live? An Introduction to Ethics and the Good Life” courses. She is a current professor at Oglethorpe University, where she is the Associate Professor of Philosophy and Philosophy Program Coordinator.


Alongside this team, we welcome Filipa Matos Martins back to Lisbon for her second year teaching both sections of INT 205: Culture through Food. Aside from the summer with LeadAbroad, Filipa resides in Rome, Italy where she is a Portuguese Professor at the University of Rome.


Lastly, after teaching courses to our students in Barcelona in 2024, we welcome Jeremy Bennett back to LeadAbroad as a professor on our GO Lisbon program this summer! He will be teaching our BUS 370: International Business and BUS 360: Leadership and Power courses. Jeremy Bennett is currently a professor at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA where he teaches business and sociology courses as the Assistant Professor of Management.


Last but certainly not least, two interns will join our programming staff in Lisbon!



Lia Elisar, is a current senior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a member of Zeta Tau Alpha! After studying abroad as a student on LEAD Cape Town in 2024, Lia found her purpose and formed lifelong memories by stepping out of her comfort zone and connecting with the culture and people.


Nicole Carter is a junior at LSU and proud member of Phi Mu. A talented photographer and graphic designer, Nicole loves using her skills to document her adventures and share her experiences with others. After participating in GO Rome in 2024 as a student, Nicole is thrilled to return this summer as an intern for GO Lisbon, where she’ll continue combining her love of travel, creativity, and connection. For Nicole, Portugal is the perfect destination—anywhere by the water feels like home, and the ocean is her happy place.


Lia and Nicole are ready to help students create memories that stay with them forever! They each have had transformative experiences abroad and can't wait to return that same feeling to students. Both have a passion for photography, so you don't have to worry about getting Instagram worthy pics while in Lisbon! They are just as excited as you for this program and encourage you to make new friends and step out of your comfort zone. Your fellow students abroad quickly become family before you know it!


The adventure of a lifetime will be here so soon, and we hope you're ready for it! Want to join this team in Lisbon in 2025? Fill out this link to learn about newly added spots available for this summer. See you soon, travelers!


 

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