Meet Our Team

Sara joined SCU Study Abroad in 2016 and has filled the role of Director since 2019. She has been in the field of higher education since 2006 and has over eight years of experience in study abroad. During her undergraduate studies at UC Santa Barbara, Sara studied abroad in Galway, Ireland. She later worked in Dublin, Ireland prior to returning to the U.S. to complete her Masters in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs at the University of Southern California. As Director, Sara oversees the SCU Study Abroad team, manages the program portfolio and budget, and leads health and safety efforts. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her two children, dancing hula, and reading.

Chris has worked in the field of international education for over eight years. He has a B.A. in European History from UC Santa Cruz and an M.A. in International & Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco. As an undergraduate, Chris studied abroad on three short term programs in Italy, Spain, and France and a semester-length program in Sweden. A NorCal native, Chris enjoys hiking with his dog, Maximus, and spending time with his niece and nephew.

Natasha Civ (formerly Spradlin) is originally from Cincinnati, OH, and graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2018 with a B.A. in Political Science. During her undergraduate career, she studied abroad twice in a total of four countries (Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine) and worked as an International Education Student Ambassador. Post-grad, Nat joined the field of international education as a Study Abroad Advisor, and participated in a unique opportunity as an on-site program coordinator for a faculty-led program in Scotland & Northern Ireland. In her current role as SCU's Study Abroad staff advisor, Nat connects students with global opportunities and helps them identify how they can incorporate their international experiences into personal, professional, and academic goals. In her spare time, you'll find her studying democracy, building her language skills, and volunteering with local environmental groups.

ℹ️ Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 📚 Areas of Study: Communication, Spanish 🌎 Program Location: Spain "I had a hard time balancing my applications, coursework, and extracurriculars while I was applying to study abroad. I felt really overwhelmed with all of the unknown territory I was heading into, so I went to the Global Engagement team with questions all the time. I emailed them during the school year and summer about course registration, getting credit for my classes abroad, and applying for a visa. They helped me immensely and my study abroad experience in San Sebastián, Spain was amazing! When I saw that I had an opportunity to pay my experience forward, I knew I wanted to be a study abroad peer advisor to help students embark on their journey abroad."

ℹ️ Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 📚 Areas of Study: Marketing, Graphic Design 🌎 Program Location: Italy "The chance to go abroad involved a lot of decisions about my academics, financial aid, and goals during my college career. At the time, I didn't know many people who were interested in studying abroad or knew of any past recipients to help me throughout the application process. I had to reflect a lot on my own, and I wish I reached out more to others to learn from their experiences. I want to be here as a resource to help students who may feel uncertain during any step of the process. I hope to advise others through realistic experiences and make the process as easy as it can be."

ℹ️ Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 📚 Areas of Study: Chemistry 🌎 Program Location: Australia "I wanted to be a Study Abroad Peer Advisor to be a role model for those who come from difficult financial situations and are unsure about applying to go abroad. My biggest worry as a first-generation college student is that I would lack the financial resources to afford to do any program abroad. What I later found out is that there are many resources available to finance a trip abroad and all you need to do is apply. Because of the help I received, I was able to fully immerse myself and have an amazing time during my program. I hope that with my help, I can inspire others in similar conditions as myself to also take a leap of faith and go abroad without financial worries. Because I hope to push them in the right direction to obtain those resources as well!"

ℹ️ Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 📚 Areas of Study: Communication, Computer Science 🌎 Program Location: Italy "I was excited about the opportunity to study abroad and had many questions throughout the application process. The study abroad office was incredibly friendly and happy to help, whether answering course equivalency questions or program specifics. While I was abroad, the team was a great lifeline and provided resources during challenging times. When I came back to Santa Clara I was so grateful for all of their help and I wanted to assist other students during this exciting time!"

ℹ️ Pronouns: He/Him/His 📚 Areas of Study: Management Information Systems, Computer Science, Business Analytics 🌎 Program Location: South Korea "My biggest challenge before studying abroad was understanding how this quarter abroad would fit into my 4 year plan. I was scared to take the steps necessary to go abroad, but luckily reached out to a study abroad peer advisor for help. Thanks to the help I received, I had an amazing experience abroad, and would love to help other students experience the same!"