About meI’ve spent the last 10 years working in international education and the 10 years before that travelling, studying, working and living abroad. I’ve seen first hand how truly immersive, meaningful cultural and educational exchange can benefit everyone - students, parents, educators and locals.I love what I do. But like everyone I can lose sight of the bigger picture as the demands of the day to day take precedent. The pandemic afforded some of us within the field a much-needed opportunity to pause and reflect on whether international education in its current form was fulfilling its potential. The conclusion reached was that we can and should do better. Ultimately this reflection period led to the creation of Big Pond Education – an organisation focused on advancing social, environmental and economic equity through education abroad.About Big PondBig Pond partners with universities and colleges to develop pathway and customizable programs. We recognize that education abroad should be transformative for universities, as well as students and local communities. We work with the sector to make that happen. About my roleI’m the Chief Operating Officer at Big Pond. The role is incredibly hands-on. I oversee all elements of program development and delivery, manage our operations team and ensure our programs stay true to our values and mission, while still meeting the needs of our key stakeholders – students, universities and our local community. I also have the privilege of working with peers to develop our field through my work and engagement with the Association of Study Abroad Providers in Ireland (ASAPI), the European Association of Study Abroad (EUASA) and the Forum on Education Abroad (Forum). I’m a co-founder and the inaugural Co-Chair of ASAPI, a sitting committee member with EUASA, a member of the Climate Action Network for International Educator's (CANIE) European Chapter and the first person in Ireland to receive the Forum’s Professional Certification in Education Abroad. Of particular pride is my work on Understanding US Study Abroad in Ireland: Economic Impact and Future Possibilities, a ground-breaking report I had the honour of presenting to colleagues across Europe and the U.S. The model has been subsequently replicated in a number of European countries.