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Office of International Education

All things related to international education - from study abroad to international and exchange students visiting our campus.

Office of International Education / About Us

About Us

A person with long brown hair and glasses smiles while standing against a brick wall. They are wearing a dark top.

Aurora Margarita-Goldkamp, M.A.

Director of International Education

(240) 895-4202

Aurora holds a B.A. in French Studies from Wesleyan University, where she studied abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Paris, France. She earned her M.A.  in International Education Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, and has lived and worked abroad several years in Avignon, France and at the Umbra -ISI Institute in Perugia, Italy. She came to SMCM most recently from an institutional relations manager role with Arcadia’s College of Global Studies, where she was on the road advising and recruiting up and down the East Coast. Aurora is passionate about helping students have a life-changing experience abroad. Book an advising appointment with Aurora now!

Student “OverSeas” Hawks Ambassadors

A person sitting on a rocky surface by the water, smiling at the camera. They are wearing a striped shirt, dark jacket, and jeans. In the background, there's a vivid sunset with orange and pink hues over the ocean horizon and a partially cloudy sky.Emma Schneider
Study Abroad Ambassador
ebschneider@smcm.edu

Emma Schneider is a Psychology and Spanish double major who studied in Granada, Spain during Spring 2024. While abroad, she was able to get more in depth with the Spanish language and found a new appreciation for travel, history, culture, and architecture. If you have any questions about classes, Spain, or other travel experiences feel free to reach out.

A person with short hair, wearing a dark jacket and sunglasses on their head, stands outdoors holding a drink. They smile, surrounded by a scenic landscape of rolling hills, vineyards, and a clear sky. A pool and a wooden fence are visible nearby.Lizzie Zoz
Study Abroad Ambassador
eazoz@smcm.edu

Lizzie is an Art major who studied abroad in Florence, Italy during the 2024 Spring Semester! While Abroad they had the opportunity to take design based courses including fashion photography and advertising graphic design! The experience allowed them to immerse in Italian culture while studying in the heart of the Renaissance! Feel free to reach out to Lizzie with any questions regarding Florence or Italy in general!

A person with glasses and medium-length hair sits on a rail by a waterfront. They are wearing a red coat and black pants, smiling with a scenic backdrop of blue water and a hilly landscape under a clear blue sky.Celeste Ross
Study Abroad Ambassador
ecross@smcm.edu

Celeste Ross is an Art major and Anthro/English minor who studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland during Spring 2024. During their time abroad they had the opportunity to travel to many new places and experience life at a large university. If you have any questions, especially about Ireland, feel free to reach out to her!

A person with long brown hair, wearing a green sleeveless top and black pants, is smiling while holding a koala. They are outdoors with greenery and water in the background.Abrianna Hartford
Study Abroad Ambassador
alhartford@smcm.edu

Abrianna Hartford is pursuing a double major in Marine Science and Biology, along with a minor in Art. In the Fall 2024 semester, she studied abroad at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. Her time there allowed her to deepen her passion for Marine Science, especially with the Great Barrier Reef nearby, while also discovering a new fascination with the evolutionary process of marine life from the Outback. If you have any questions about Australia or the course structure at JCU, feel free to reach out to her.

Person sitting and smiling among dense mangrove branches, wearing a black t-shirt and shorts, with protective coverings on their legs secured with blue ties. Another person is partially visible in the background. The setting is lush and green.Isabella Ramirez
Study Abroad Ambassador
isramirez@smcm.edu

Bella Ramirez is an Environmental Studies and Spanish double major with a Biology minor who studied abroad in Costa Rica in Fall 2024. This experience provided her the opportunity to experience new cultures and improve her Spanish language knowledge while living with a host family. She was also able to create an independent field research project and deepen her connection to the natural world. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, she’d love to share more about her adventures!

A person with curly hair holds a smartphone and smiles outdoors at night. A large, illuminated Ferris wheel, lit in pink, is visible in the background. Several other people are also visible in the scene.Mason Lipczenko
Study Abroad Ambassador
mwlipczenko@smcm.edu

Mason Lipczenko is a senior studying for a double major in English and Philosophy with a minor in WGSX. He studied abroad in London, England in Fall 2024 and attended the Greece Study Tour in Summer 2024. While abroad in London he was able to further his study of Shakespeare and dive deeper into other classic English authors. On campus, he is President of Historic Swords and participates in SMUT, Burlesque, Basketball Club, and Philosophy Club while working at Daily Grind and the Writing Center.

A woman in a black tank top and brown shorts stands on a rocky surface with her hand on her hip. She smiles at the camera with a backdrop of lush greenery and a vast ocean under a cloudy sky.Sarah Jay 
Study Abroad Ambassador
skjay@smcm.edu

Sarah is a biology major with a minor in visual arts. She studied abroad at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia during the Fall 2024 semester. She had an incredible experience abroad and greatly enjoyed exploring everything that Australia has to offer, such as scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, visiting different cities, and appreciating the diverse wildlife and culture. She would love to help others with any and all questions about studying abroad or to chat about the Australia program. Please feel free to reach out and chat!

A person with short hair, wearing a dark jacket and sunglasses on their head, stands outdoors holding a drink. They smile, surrounded by a scenic landscape of rolling hills, vineyards, and a clear sky. A pool and a wooden fence are visible nearby.Joanna Cleaver
Study Abroad Ambassador
jcleaver@smcm.edu

Joanna Cleaver is a Marine Science and Environmental Studies double major.  She attended the Summer 2023 Thailand study tour, and in Fall 2024 also completed a semester abroad in Australia (JCU Townsville campus). These experiences allowed her to pursue her majors through an interdisciplinary lens in a variety of ecosystems. Please reach out with any questions regarding the programs or adjusting to life in a new country.

Ella Boboshko
Study Abroad Ambassador
enboboshko@smcm.edu

Ella is an Art + Environmental Studies double major who studied in Perugia, Italy during Spring 2025 in the Food and Sustainability program. The experience allowed her to immerse in Italian culture while studying a mix of Environmental and Art courses. Courses that stood out for Ella include Sustainable Italian Foodways, Italian Renaissance Art, and Green Cities. Ella shares, “this amazing city has been around since around 9th century BCE and is full of interesting historical sights, my apartment was actually just down the street from where the Renaissance Artist Raphael had his studio. Feel free to reach out with any questions about Perugia!”

Thea Woehr
Study Abroad Ambassador
tawoehr@smcm.edu

Thea is a rising Junior pursuing a Student-Designed Major in French Education and a minor in Educational Studies. In the Spring 2025 semester, she studied abroad at Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 in Montpellier, France. This experience allowed her to not only improve her French speaking skills, writing, comprehension, and speaking, but it also allowed her to grow as a person. If you have any questions about France, or speaking a language in an unfamiliar city, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Celeste Shiflett
Study Abroad Ambassador
cashiflett@smcm.edu

Celeste Shiflett, an Art student with a French minor from the class of 2026. They studied fine art and Art History in Florence Italy in the Spring of ’25 at the Accademia Italiana. Please reach out to talk about studying the fine arts abroad.


Ben Handler
Study Abroad Ambassador
blhandler@smcm.edu

Ben Handler is a rising senior who plans to graduate in 2026. He studied through the CET Taiwan program in the fall and spring of the 2024/25 school year. His majors are Art and Asian studies with a minor in Chinese.

Fredys Cruz Sorto
Study Abroad Ambassador
fcruzsorto@smcm.edu

Fredys is a History major with a double-minor in Educational Studies & Spanish who studied abroad in London, England during the Fall of 2024. His time abroad not only allowed him to experience a completely different academic environment but it also allowed him to travel to different places around the UK and Europe. Feel free to reach out, if you have any questions about studying abroad, London, or about Roehampton. He’d love to relive it all over again!

Leah Kurian
Study Abroad Ambassador
lmkurian@smcm.edu

Leah is a Political Science Major, graduating in 2026. Leah studied abroad at Akita International University in Japan for a full academic year and enjoyed her time there. She shares, “Studying abroad helped me more than I ever imagined.” Email her for more information!

Henry Marks
Study Abroad Ambassador
hsmarks@smcm.edu

Henry is a class of 2026 Political Science major, and in the Spring of 2025, he studied abroad through the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of Oxford. Outside of academics, he is the president of club softball and loves to cook, and do anything baseball-related.

Thomas Degner
Study Abroad Ambassador
tpdegner@smcm.edu

Thomas is a student designed major in French and Francophone Studies and another major in History. He graduates in 2026 and studied abroad in Montpellier, France for the Spring 2025 semester where he lived with a homestay. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out.

Sadie Grzymalski
Study Abroad Ambassador
slgrzymalski@smcm.edu

Sadie is a Neuroscience and Psychology double major graduating in spring 2026. They studied abroad at Queen Mary University of London in Spring of 2025, and had an absolute blast both in and outside of London. Studying abroad allowed them to further their academics in Neuroscience while also expanding their horizons artistically (on and off the West End).


Bechorah Aguoru
Study Abroad Ambassador
beaguoru@smcm.edu

Bechorah Aguoru is a senior, class of 2026, double majoring in Neuroscience and Biology with minors in Spanish and Philosophy. She studied abroad in Granada, Spain the Spring of 2025, and they are excited to share their experiences with future students.

Alli Thress
Study Abroad Ambassador
aathress@smcm.edu

Alli Thress is a Spanish major with an Art minor who studied abroad in Granada, Spain, from Fall 2024 to Spring 2025. In Fall 2025, she will head to Costa Rica to complete her final study abroad experience. In Granada, as she struggled through the language and trained for unforgettable experiences such as the Camino de Santiago, she always found herself supported by the endlessly loving community. She loves to chat about language, travel, and Granada, so please reach out anytime!

Anna Karnell
Study Abroad Ambassador
aekarnell@smcm.edu

Anna (class of 2027) is a psychology major with minors in special education and music. Her time studying in Japan at Akita International University  in the 2025 spring semester was full of travel, new friendships, dancing, karaoke, Chiikawa, and matcha.