BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Adelaide first volunteered with LE in 2017 with LE Thailand. The Thai people and their beautiful culture were so incredible and inspiring to Adelaide that she went on to be a Campus Director for LE for PY18 as well as study the Thai language in University before returning to Thailand in 2018 as the Thailand Program Director. Ever inspired by Thai kindness and generosity Adelaide continued to work for LE as the Director of Programming for PY 2019.

Adelaide graduated from UC Berkeley in 2020 with a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences and went on to work in an immunology lab at UCSF before she bought a van and decided to try alternative living and embrace a spirit of adventure. When not adventuring, she works as a Ski Patroller in the mountains of California. 

Learning Enterprises has been a staple of Maureen’s life since she first volunteered in Sinaloa, Mexico in 2003. After returning to direct the Mexico program in 2004, she became LE’s first Executive Director of Programming and helped to establish six new programs between 2005-2006.

She joined the Board of Directors in 2007. As LE’s longest-serving board member, Maureen helped to develop and lead many of the processes that have become integral to the Boards service to the organization, including the protocols and best practices for Executive Hiring, Program Review, Insurance and Risk-mitigation, and mentorship of executives. She also served as Board Chair from 2008-2013. In 2021, after 15 years of active service on the board, Maureen accepted a nomination to hold LE’s first Emeritus board seat. She currently enjoys continuing to serve LE in an advisory capacity. 

Maureen has dedicated her career to education, including designing and directing academic programs and teaching across various humanities disciplines both in Higher Ed and independent schools. She holds a Ph.D., M.S., and B.A. from Georgetown University. Her academic specializations include Comparative Literature, Hispanic Studies, and Spanish language teaching pedagogy. Currently, she works as a faculty member at St. Mark’s School and lives in Massachusetts with her family. 

Katie volunteered in Phichit, Thailand in 2017 after graduating from the University of Maryland with a dual degree in Supply Chain and Marketing. While this was her second time teaching abroad, her experience with LE left a profound impact, deepening her passion for cultural immersion, education, and service. Not only did she gain a greater sense of purpose, but she also gained a role model -- her host mother -- who taught for 30+ years at Wat Ban Takamin before retiring in 2021. Katie is looking forward to furthering diversity and inclusion, scaling processes, and building upon LE's foundational principles.  

Since Learning Enterprises, Katie worked at Deloitte Consulting as a strategy consultant, primarily serving higher education and healthcare clients. Following that, she worked in Partner Engagement and Product Management at Verily Life Sciences, where she built and refined solutions for higher education institutions and Fortune 500 companies to enable a safe return for their employees, staff and students to work during COVID. Currently, she works as a Program Manager in Employee Referrals at Google, where she seeks to advance its commitments toward hiring thoughtfully and building a representative workplace. Outside of work, she can be found outdoors, whether that's picnicking at Central Park, playing soccer with her friends, or strolling through the city.

Margaret volunteered with LE in Panama in 2005. The experience and the connections that she made with students, fellow volunteers, and her host family left a lasting mark on her worldview and goals. Margaret was the Campus Director at Georgetown University in 2008 and at Yale University in 2013. After a few years away from LE, Margaret joined the Board in 2023 and is passionate about supporting LE to continue offering unique and life-changing opportunities for cultural exchange.

Margaret has pursued a career in global public health.  She holds a Master's in Public Health and has 15 years of experience conducting evaluations and research on health programs in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two young sons.

Jake first volunteered with Learning Enterprises in the summer of 2007 as part of the pre-pilot program in eastern Ethiopia. The experience had a profound impact on him both personally and professionally, and he looks forward to passionately contributing to fulfil the organization’s mission.

Jake received a BA from Emory University and an MA from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and has more than 10 years of experience in the health and education sectors. He has worked for governmental and non-governmental development and humanitarian organizations in Liberia, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Poland. Jake is currently the Director for Americares’ Ukraine Response, where he oversees all emergency response and health systems strengthening programming.

Caroline first volunteered with LE in Xiting, China after her freshman year at the George Washington University in 2019. During this time, she was shown incredible hospitality and given the honor to learn about a culture so different from her own. After forming such strong bonds with the community in Xiting, as well as her fellow volunteers and her co-teacher, Shawn, she wanted to help other volunteers have fantastic LE experiences of their own. The following year, she went on to serve as the Poland Program Dairector, and she took on the role of Managing Director in 2021.

Since completing her degree in Political Science, International Affairs, and Chinese at GW, she has continued to be drawn to LE's mission of promoting intercultural understanding. Caroline currently works with the Institute of International Education to administer the International Visitor Leadership Program, a Department of State exchange program that connects current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields with their American counterparts.

Brian volunteered with Learning Enterprises in 2009, teaching in Jiangxi with two other Americans and a pair of students from Nanjing University—all of whom became fast friends.  He returned to China the following summer with the U.S. State Department on their Critical Language Scholarship Program and studied at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. He graduated from Brown University in 2012 with degrees in English and Political Science, specializing in modern and postmodern literature and international relations, respectively.

After university he received a New Media Fellowship from AT&T and the Watson Institute for International Relations to study opiate addiction and harm reduction programs. He currently works as a journalist and critic, serving as an editor and writer at the Wall Street Journal. His writing has appeared in the Week, the Brooklyn Rail, Salon, Hyperallergic, the Daily Beast, and more, and he is founder of Counterpoint Gallery, a startup focusing on the contemporary art market. He lives in Brooklyn and spends his free time reading, playing tennis, and volunteering at the local community garden.

Niji volunteered with Learning Enterprises during the summer of 2006 in Sinaloa, Mexico, where she had a deeply meaningful immersive experience in her host village. Niji joined the Board of Directors to help support LE's mission and advance its growth through her experience working to promote equity and inclusion and as an attorney.

Niji graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Human Biology and a minor in Spanish, and from Emory University with a law degree. Following law school she worked for several years in the private sector at a litigation firm in New York City. Currently she is a public interest attorney at The Bronx Defenders, where she focuses on civil rights impact litigation, policy advocacy, and diversity, equity and inclusion issues. 

Miriam Nordine

Miriam first volunteered with LE in Hungary and Slovakia in 2018. Her experiences with fellow volunteers, students of all ages, and host families showed her the true impact of how opportunities for cultural exchange can promote intercultural understanding. Miriam became Hungary Program Director and Campus Director for Ohio State University in 2019. These positions helped her develop further leadership skills, enhancing her love for language learning and volunteering. Miriam joined the Board in 2025 and is excited to further support LE’s mission of empowering young leaders through impactful service opportunities.

Miriam received a BA in English with minors in Education and Studio Art from Ohio State. Following university, Miriam began her career at a Columbus law firm specializing in family law. She currently serves as the program manager at Ohioana Library Association, a literary organization that connects readers and local authors through special collections, the Ohio Book Awards, an annual book festival, and the Ohioana Quarterly magazine. In her free time, Miriam is a writer, poet, and visual artist. She loves to knit and enjoys volunteering with the Autism Society of Central Ohio.

Hadassah Zirkle

Hadassah first volunteered as an English Teacher with LE in Los Santos, Panama in 2019. Her experiences teaching and living with a host family made a life-long impact on her and furthered her passion for cultural immersion, community engagement, and professional development. Hadassah returned to recruit applicants and market programs as the first Campus Director for Purdue University in 2020, the Panama Program Director in 2021, and the Executive Director of Programming in 2022. Hadassah joined the Board in 2025 and is passionate about supporting LE’s mission of providing cross-cultural exchange and empowering young leaders.

Hadassah holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Purdue University and a PMP certification. She worked as an Elementary School Teacher for 2 years and now works at Stanford Blood Center as a Marketing Project Manager. When she is not working, she is practicing yoga or backpacking in the mountains!

Michelle Ferguson

Michelle volunteered with Learning Enterprises in 2017, where she fell in love with Croatia and teaching English. In Croatia, she saw the lasting impact that English teaching could have on both individuals and communities. She continued with LE as a Campus Director in 2018 and as an Assistant Program Director for the Croatia program in 2023. Michelle's experience in Croatia was the catalyst for her career in English language education. 

Inspired by LE's mission to foster intercultural understanding, Michelle served as an educational program coordinator and community advocate at a refugee resettlement agency for six years. She holds a Master’s of Education with a concentration in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from Temple University in Philadelphia. Michelle is currently the English Learner and Newcomer Learner Academy Coordinator at Franklin Learning Center High School. She is the editor of PTE Voices, a professional newsletter for ESOL teachers. She lives in Philadelphia with her fiancé and adorable orange cat, Tulie.