Meet Sarah Whitmore our new Marketing Coordinator! Her passion for student exchange programs and cultural understanding has taken her around the globe, and from day one at CIS Abroad, she felt right at home. Combining her love for travel with her skills in marketing, Sarah is dedicated to helping students experience the transformative power of studying abroad!
What first excited me about this role was how perfectly it combined my skills in media and marketing with my background in student affairs and exchange programming. However, what I didn’t fully appreciate until I started was just how wonderful the company culture is here at CIS Abroad. From my first day at Spark Camp, I felt an immediate sense of belonging within a group that shares so many of my values. I really appreciate a place where we do meaningful, high-quality work, and we also make it fun.
The field of international education is one that I believe in so deeply. My personal, professional, and academic experiences abroad have shown me the immense value of cultural curiosity and intercultural understanding. I will never stop shouting from the rooftops just how wonderful of an experience it is!
While working remotely out of Blackpool, England last year, I lived in a townhouse with people from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, India, the Philippines, and Ukraine. We took turns hosting dinners featuring traditional foods from our homes. Being from Ohio, I made egg noodles from scratch just like all my grandmas, chicken noodle soup (the Bob Evans recipe), mashed potatoes*, green beans, and the dessert I’ve come to be known for, butter cake.
*It was required that the noodles go on top of the mashed potatoes, not on the side. This is very important.
After many months of living out of a suitcase and being away from home, it meant a lot to me to be able to share pieces of Ohio/Midwest/Appalachian culture. We listened to music that reminded me of home and spent the rest of the meal talking about other specific aspects of my upbringing, both serious topics and seriously silly. My English host particularly enjoyed videos of state fair hog calling contests.
Just making a meal was an unexpectedly meaningful moment for me. It was the conversation, the sharing of culture, and the curiosity among acquaintances that made it special. It allowed me to fully appreciate and share the unique aspects of my own heritage while learning about my housemates as well. Moments like this are why I love international travel so much.
I was 19 the first time I traveled outside the U.S. or Canada, when my college marching band went to perform in Paris and Normandy. However, I think my interest in international education began with a study abroad semester in London while pursuing my bachelor's degree in visual communication.
During my time in London, I was connected to an internship where I managed social media and content creation for college-prep conferences back in the U.S. After two summers of working on-site in educational media, I landed my first full-time job in Washington, DC, working with a global nonprofit organization. It was there I first started working in marketing and communications for study abroad, global development, and youth exchange programming. I’ve taken on a couple different roles since then, ranging from social media manager to program leader — opportunities that took me to Mexico, Bulgaria, England, and most recently, Brazil!
It definitely depends on the season… so now that we’re approaching fall, I’m excited to be going to a football game solely for the band, reading something I probably found on BookTok, checking out a new restaurant with friends or family, and planning an epic theoretical trip abroad that suddenly becomes real once I find a great deal!
5 words that describe yourself
I like to plan out the foundation of my trips well ahead of time but leave a good amount of unplanned activity time. This creates flexibility for local recommendations and special events, but the trip is planned out enough so that you always have a safe place to sleep and shower each night!