Meet the Staff

Coming soon…

Andy (he/him) sees himself as a full-fledged California boy, carrying Bay Area slang wherever he travels around the world. He majored in Sociology and Asian American Studies (sparked by activism and his upbringing as Cantonese-American) at UCLA before moving to Sendai, Japan to teach English through the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET). Following this stint, he returned to LA to pursue his master’s degree in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs at USC. Andy then spent a number of years at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he served as a Resident Director, before making his way into the field of international education now at UCSC. In his free time, Andy enjoys cooking plant-based meals, traveling to see family and friends, and becoming the best Pokemon Go trainer he can be.

Vanessa has been involved in the world of international studies for over a decade. After a year-long homestay program in Belgium, she became hooked on traveling. Vanessa maintained her curiosity for different cultures by completing her bachelor’s degree in International Relations at UC Davis, teaching English in South Korea for one year, participating in a Spanish immersion program in Ecuador, and backpacking in more than 20 countries worldwide. She previously worked for the Cabrillo College Transfer and Career Center and received a master’s degree in Education and Counseling from San Jose State University. In Vanessa’s free time, she enjoys being outdoors, dancing, hiking, sailing, and loves to call Santa Cruz home with an international twist!

Gabi was born and raised in Germany. She originally planned to become an Egyptologist but switched her studies to Political Science and American Government instead. She came to the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities as an exchange student in 1994 and stayed to complete her master’s degree. Gabi has traveled extensively to the Middle East and North Africa. She has been working in international education for 25 years and her passion to help international students get the support they need to succeed drove her to create and lead the sponsored student program at UMN for the last 10 years. She loves to travel, experience new cultures and cuisine, read, watch Netflix, cook, bake, and eat good food with friends. She has a cat but loves fluffy dogs as well.

Catherine was born and raised in Uruguay, and moved to the U.S. with her family in her late teens. She completed a bachelor’s degree in International Relations at San Francisco State University, and a California teaching credential with San Diego City Schools. Her 27 years of teaching experience include elementary school, adult ESL, and Spanish language at a Montessori adolescent program. She established and oversaw a student exchange program at Santa Cruz Montessori School. Catherine has also worked in the area of immigration law and she holds a Paralegal Studies certificate. She joined the ISSP team in 2022 as an International Student and Scholar Advisor. Some of Catherine’s interests are traveling, reading, going for long walks, and watching the night sky.

Chunling was born and grew up in China. Her curiosity about the world outside China was aroused in her teenage years when she started to enjoy English novels and movies translated into Chinese. She came to the Bay Area almost 20 years ago as an international student and studied for her Master’s degree in International Comparative Education at Stanford University. Since then, she has been working as a higher education professional in the United States and China. She has been an international student advisor at Tsinghua University, and also as an EducationUSA Advisor and Cultural Affairs Specialist based in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China. Ms. Hu is happy to share her knowledge and experience and facilitate access to the higher education system in the United States. In her spare time, Chunling loves to explore various gourmet foods from different countries and appreciate the craftworks from various cultures.