JESSAMINE IRWIN | Director
University of Maine, B.A. in French, Spanish Minor
NYU, Dual certificate M.A.in TFFL/TESOL 

While at NYU, Jessamine focused on second language acquisition, minority language revitalization, and inclusive pedagogy. After graduating, she went on to work in tourism in Barcelona and Seville. She began her Clinical Assistant professorship at NYU in 2017. Since then, Jessamine has continued to advocate for inclusive pedagogy and minority language through her research and documenting of oral history with French-speakers in Maine. In 2021, her award-winning documentary, The Intersection (Le Carrefour) premiered at the Camden International Film Festival, and in 2022, she published the chapter “Inclusive Representations of Linguistic Diversity in the U.S.” in Dr. Kathleen Stein-Smith’s “The Importance of Learning a Second Language: Essays on Re-envisioning Foreign Language Education.” Jessamine is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and proficient in Italian. This fall, Jessamine will return to NYU to continue connecting undergraduates to French language and cultures through language study. She has twice led Putney’s Language program in France.

KELSEY BAROLO | Assistant Director
Kent State University, M.Ed., Higher Education Administration
Central Michigan University, B.S., Spanish

While attending Central Michigan University, Kelsey focused on Spanish and spent a semester in Alicante, Spain, where she took courses with local students, lived with a host family, and interned for a social media marketing company. Shortly after, Kelsey spent a summer working with teens at a YMCA summer camp in northern Michigan and served as a program coordinator for a group of campers from Spain. Upon graduation, she moved to Madrid and worked as an English Language and Cultural Assistant at an elementary school for a year. During this time, she was able to explore many cities throughout Europe and reconnect with international friends in their home countries. After returning from Madrid, she pursued a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs, specializing in the Internationalization of Higher Education. Kelsey currently works as a Study Abroad Adviser for the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University and she is passionate about helping students pursue study abroad and international internship opportunities. In addition to travel and education, Kelsey enjoys swimming and going for long walks with her Goldendoodle (Freddie).

ALVARO DE HERAS | Program Assistant
University of Innsbruck, M.Sc., Strategic Management with Innovation
Universidad Carlos III, B.S., Business Management

While at Universidad Carlos III, Alvaro focused on business studies and spent an exchange year at Concordia University in Montreal. After completing his studies, Alvaro ventured to the alpine Innsbruck mountains where he combined his love for sports and education, working as a snow instructor. While pursuing his master’s degree in strategic management and innovation in Innsbruck, he managed events for the start-up-driven Skinnovation and helped coordinate the IFSC Climbing World Cup. A passionate traveler, Alvaro has explored extensively across Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, experiences that inspire his current work as a freelance filmmaker and strategic consultant. Fluent in Spanish and English, and skilled in French, Alvaro plans to continue developing his documentary projects this fall, blending his business acumen with his passion for storytelling.

MEREDITH RATHBURN | Program Assistant
University of Vermont, B.S., Medical Anthropology, Pre-Medical Track 

While at school, Meredith focused on studying the healthcare systems and healing traditions of different cultures around the world. Through studying, she has found herself interested in pursuing a career in alternative medicine and hopes to implement more holistic healthcare practices on a global scale. As an undergraduate, she worked in the Emergency Department as a chief research associate where she helped execute several clinical research studies and oversaw research associates. Meredith’s interests and passions have brought her all around the world including Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she studied Spanish, Latin American history, gender studies, and film. After graduating, she jetted off to Cartagena, Spain, where she taught English, taking on the roles of student and teacher as she pursued her own study of Spanish language and culture. Determined to continue her international lifestyle, Meredith spent the spring traveling throughout South America, visiting Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. While there, she worked on permaculture farms and volunteered in local Indigenous communities discovering the magic of medicinal plants. This will be her second summer on a Putney program. This fall, Meredith will be embarking on a new adventure as a Peace Corps Volunteer focused on health promotion in a rural village in Peru.

SARA SISUN | Art & Architecture
University of Colorado Boulder, M.A., Art History
San Francisco Art Institute, M.F.A., Painting
Stanford University, B.A., Art Practice and Creative Writing 

Sara is an oil painter and educator based in Boulder, Colorado. She received her degree in Art Practice from Stanford University in 2009, her MFA in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2011, and her MA in Art History from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2018. She is the recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Fellowship and the Alpine Fellowship. Her scholarship in art history was recognized by the Front Range Art History Symposium and the College Art Association. She currently teaches at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in the departments of Illustration and Foundations. She has taught on Putney Pre-College programs since 2014 in Florence, Barcelona, and Amherst.

CLAUDIA NIETO ZEVALLOS | Business & Entrepreneurship
Universidad San Martin de Porres, B.A., International Business Management

While at Universidad San Martin de Porres, Claudia focused on International Commerce Trade, Business, and Entrepreneurship. She also spent a semester abroad in Wiesbaden, Germany, where she had the opportunity to learn in more detail about new strategies, technologies, and perspectives of how big European companies work. There, she began thinking about how she could apply these lessons back in Peru to reduce the social and economic gap in her home country. Claudia has worked for the British Embassy as part of the Department for International Trade, where she participated in important events such as the negotiation of the new Free Trade Agreement between the UK and Peru. She was awarded the star of the month as the best worker and wrote the article “Trade Opportunities as a Development Strategy” for the British Peruvian Chamber of Commerce. In addition to her professional work, Claudia has been deeply involved in social and youth programs, leading initiatives during the Pan American and Parapan American Games in Lima in 2019. She is also an active volunteer with NGO social programs with kids and hosts a positivity podcast focused on self-development, well-being, and mental health called “Es de Valientes.” She has started several businesses, gives workshops on business, entrepreneurship, and soft skills, and manages her NY-inspired food business called “The New Yorker” as a co-founder. She is also the co-founder of “Munay Project,” which is a design experiences and event production company that develops social projects to aid vulnerable Peruvian communities. Claudia has lived in Montana, New York, and Germany, and has visited over 20 countries on three different continents. She is fluent in English and proficient in Italian and German. Outside of work and volunteering, you can find her running, doing yoga, surfing, boxing, indoor cycling, and playing basketball—as well as calming her mind by meditating, cooking, writing, and reading. This is her second summer teaching on Pre-College Barcelona.

JAHMEL HOLDEN | Photography & Media
Emory Univ. & Columbia College Hollywood, B.A., Cinema & TV Production

Jahmel is an accomplished filmmaker who received the prestigious AMPAS grant from the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences while studying cinematography and directing at Columbia College Hollywood. He has produced and directed promotional content for numerous well-known artists and companies, including Quincy Jones, Enrique Iglesias, Pharrell Williams, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, Dr. Dre, and Oprah Winfrey. Jahmel also co-produced the feature film Cru, which made history at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) by winning five awards, including Best Film. He has provided production services for major industry players such as AMPAS (for the 2023 Oscars), Netflix, Amazon, and the Viacom family (Nickelodeon, MTV, BET). He has also directed and produced the travel docu-series “Black Girl Khronicles,” which takes viewers to locations such as London, Paris, Iceland, and Morocco. Jahmel is passionate about both film production and art curation, having curated art events and created art installations. In addition to his work in the film industry, he has traveled to Colombia to participate in community service initiatives and strengthen his intermediate Spanish skills. He has led several student travel programs, including a photo workshop in Yellowstone National Park. He has led programs with Putney in Yellowstone, Iceland, and Tokyo.

ISAAC RIDDLE | Spanish Language: Out of the Classroom
Temple University, M.J., Journalism
University of Utah, B.A., English Literature 

While at the University of Utah, Isaac focused on English literature and journalism, and began his international travels. After college, Isaac taught high school English literature in Philadelphia, while taking advantage of summers off to explore Europe and Latin America. After teaching for several years, Isaac decided to pursue a master’s in journalism at Temple University. While at Temple, he spent a summer in South Africa doing journalism work for the university. After grad school, Isaac worked as a journalist covering education and urban development, continued to travel as much as possible, and even lived in Brazil for a year leading up to the World Cup. After six years working in journalism, Isaac returned to teaching full time. Isaac is fluent in English and Spanish and speaks advanced Portuguese. Isaac loves to travel and spends most of his summers abroad, especially in Latin America. When he isn’t out exploring the world, Isaac teaches IB Spanish and Spanish for Heritage Speakers in Richmond, Virginia. He has led Putney’s Language program in Ecuador & the Galápagos.

NICOLA R. WHITE | Spanish Language: Out of the Classroom
Chestnut Hill College, M. Ed., Secondary Education
University of Pittsburgh, B.A., History & Urban Studies 

While at the University of Pittsburgh, Nicola focused on non-Western history, urban studies, and Latin American studies. As a junior in college, she conducted research about indigenous communities in León, Nicaragua, and went on to study Spanish language and culture in Granada, Spain, in her senior year. After graduating, Nicola earned her Master of Education while working as a high school English teacher in Philadelphia’s public school district, where she continued to teach for 10 years. During this time Nicola developed a strong interest in community organizing in rural Latin American communities. She has visited El Salvador eight times on delegations facilitated by U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities, an international solidarity organization, for which she has also served on several committees and the board. Nicola now works as an English Language Assistant and private English teacher in a small town in Valencia, Spain, where she supports Spanish students with their English language skills. Nicola is fluent in Spanish and is learning Italian. This fall she plans to move to Andalusia, in the south of Spain, to learn about Spanish culture in a different region of the country, and to begin graduate courses in urban greening and sustainability.