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A blog that looks behind the scenes at how we bring our mission to life, every day

Mimi ‹ We are EF

Ronan was 10 years old when he first learned how to code.
The Macintosh computer had just been introduced to the mainstream market and Ronan’s mother, a teacher, had access to a computer program called Logo at her school.
“It was a very primitive language,” he explains. “I could draw a perfect rectangle or circle on the screen with just five lines of code. That was the moment I knew I wanted to do this for a living.”
Fast forward three decades and Ronan has realized his career dreams and then some. As the Senior Engineering Director for <a href="https://www.englishfirst.com/esl-jobs/about-ef-english-first/?utm_source=socialchannel&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=EFBrand&utm_content=ronan_ef_journey">EF Learning Labs</a> in China, Ronan works in software engineering. His 15-plus years of experience in the industry cover everything from 3D modeling to backend programming. Ronan has worked for a variety of companies, including Fuji Xerox and Microsoft, but it’s his current role at <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/">EF Education First</a> that he says challenges him in unexpected ways.
“I decided to join EF because machine learning—which is the kind of computer science I’m most interested in—has been widely adopted in a lot of industries, but in the world of education it’s still in the infant stage,” he says. “That really excited me.”
Ronan goes on to explain that when he first interviewed with EF he was in awe of the amount of student learning history his team had collected to make the highest quality product for their customers. It meant the potential for machine learning, the science of which involves computers relying on patterns and inferences to perform specific tasks, was vast.
“We collect student behavior to understand how our customers learn English,” he explains. “We can then leverage this data to create better algorithms to help the students learn and make the most of our software.”
Algorithms, for example, that assess students’ pronunciation.
“In the past, students would need to talk to a teacher in order for their pronunciation to be assessed,” he continues. “Our team wrote code that can identify proper manners of speaking. So now, the student only needs to read a script into a microphone and, through machine learning, the program can identify exactly how they need to improve.”
With a daughter who is learning English through the very programs he builds, Ronan’s passion for the product stretches beyond the walls of EF’s Shanghai office.
“I use my daughter to understand, from a customer perspective, what is working and what can be improved,” he says. “This is my own child I’m talking about. I want to give her the best education and the language skills to be successful. Her success as an English speaker, which in many ways translates to my success in my job, ultimately informs our customers’ success down the line.”
Ronan also recognizes the importance of cultural immersion—a core aspect of all of EF’s programs—in the language learning process.
“I travel with my family at least two or three times a year,” he says. “It’s not enough to just learn English online or in the classroom. You need to be immersed with native speakers. You need to be exposed to the culture of the countries of the language that you’re learning. In fact, it is one of the many ways how, at my age, I also continue to learn.”

Say hello to Ronan, Senior Engineering Director in EF's Shanghai office. Not only is he passionate about software development, he’s also invested in the importance of language learning.

Say hello to Ronan, Senior Engineering Director in EF's Shanghai office. Not only is he passionate about software development, he’s also invested in the importance of language learning. This is his EF journey.

Bringing machine learning to education: Ronan’s EF journey - We are EF

Bringing machine learning to education: Ronan’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

Bringing machine learning to education: Ronan’s EF journey

Ronan ef journey

Six countries, eight cities and 13 jobs over the course of 26 years with <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">EF Education First</a> and it’s not hard to believe Diana when she says that she can’t pick a favorite amongst them.
I always get asked, “which of the places I’ve lived do I love the most?” I have a really hard time answering that question,” Diana explains matter-of-factly. “Each city I’ve lived in and each job that I’ve had with EF, at its own time, has been perfect for me both professionally and in terms of my family situation.”
Originally hailing from the capital city of Bogotá, Colombia, Diana’s exposure to the world of educational travel started at the age of 16 when she spent a high school exchange year in Canada and then continued into her early twenties as an au pair in Switzerland. “Being introduced to new cultures, languages and different nationalities opened my mind at an early age,” says Diana. “I started exploring in that moment and kind of never stopped.”
Her two-plus decade long career with EF began with an ad that she saw in the local newspaper back in 1993. “I found EF the old way, which I suppose is real proof to how long I have been with the company,” she laughs.
After her first job working in the Bogotá office for <a href="https://www.ef.edu/pg/learn-language/?source=007941,GGUSS_EF_00_LS&semcp=S-EF&semag=EF-00-LS&pkw=ef+language+schools&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8Kr3tq774gIV0QOGCh11LwrNEAAYASAAEgKx-fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Language Travel</a>, Diana shipped off to Ecuador to sell language and high school year programs in EF’s Quito office. “As soon as I moved to Quito, I noticed the large number of foreigners and backpackers that were passing through the city,” she recalls. “We were able to recruit that population as teachers to open an EF English school. A year or so after that, I realized it would make sense to open a Spanish school in Quito as well. We had the whole infrastructure already.” When Diana left Ecuador four years later to pursue her next opportunity—Sales Manager in Boston—the office had grown from a team of 3 people to almost 50.
Over the years, it seems as though Diana has seen and done it all. She’s worked as a Director in Miami, taken on Sales Manager roles in São Paulo and Mexico City, headed up Operation positions in New York and Canada, and worked as the VP of Global Recruitment and Development for Language Travel in Zürich. Her latest challenge? Global Head of Operations for <a href="https://www.ef.edu/academy/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">EF Academy</a>, also in Zürich, where she’s been living with her husband and two kids for the past five years.
“I like to say that what we do is who we are,” she shares when asked about what EF means to her. “If you love to travel, if you love language, if you love education, then you will love to work here. You see, we do for work who we are in life. There’s no differentiation for me between my life and my job. It’s all the same.”

Six countries, eight cities and 13 jobs over the course of 26 years with EF Education First and Diana says she can’t pick a favorite. See her EF journey.

Doing what you love and loving what you do: Diana’s EF journey - We are EF

Doing what you love and loving what you do: Diana’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

Doing what you love and loving what you do: Diana’s EF journey

Love loving dianas ef journey

It was 2013 and the conflict in South Sudan had just erupted. Ian was on lockdown in his one-bedroom civilian apartment, trapped inside for nearly a week as war waged on the streets below.
“The nights were sleepless,” he remembers. “The peak of the fighting and looting was happening after dark. After day six the rebels were pushed out of the capital, which allowed my team to begin evacuating non-essential foreign aid workers from the country. There were thousands of people waiting to get to safety.”
This was Ian’s reality for close to four years in his role as Field Operations Manager for Voyager Airways, a privately owned aviation company that has contracts with the United Nations and World Food Program. Ian refers to his previous job—which involved providing personnel movement for UN dignitaries, soldiers, staff, and local government officials across the Middle East and Africa—as akin to Uber for the UN.
“I worked in a problem-solving and logistical capacity,” he explains. “Negotiating contracts, managing operations, and liaising between executives at the United Nations and World Food Program. I moved to six different countries in Africa, living in each for about three to six months at a time, and spent a year in Afghanistan as well. For some missions I was posted at the UN headquarters and for some I was living in a mud hut community in the middle of the Congo.”
While Ian’s days with Voyager Airways are now long behind him, his current job as Director of Sales for <a href="https://www.eftours.ca">EF Educational Tours</a> in EF’s Toronto office resonates in a similarly meaningful way.
“When I decided it was time to come home, I aimed to find an organization that embraced making a difference in the world,” he says. “My relevant experiences were so obscure I wasn’t sure how they were going to translate to the next great thing. I worked with a career counselor to try and map it out, but I wasn’t making a passionate connection to anything.”
<div><a href="https://www.ef.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" tabindex="-1" target="_blank" title="https://www.ef.com/">Enter EF Education First</a>. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" tabindex="-1" target="_blank">Ian had heard about EF through a former colleague and</a> after learning more about the company’s core values, he knew it was “the next great thing” he’d been looking for. He was hired as a Travel Manager for EF Educational Tours in 2016, but as he grew in the role ultimately gravitated toward sales, where he now works as a director overseeing four Canadian provinces and managing a team of 10 people.</div>
When asked what he loves most about his job, Ian talks about the opportunity to make an impact on young people’s lives.
<div>“Our division works with teachers to send students across the world, to learn about new cultures and grow beyond their wildest dreams, so that’s the first point of impact,” he says. “But as a sales director, we also hire a young workforce. Most of my team are fresh out of university. It’s exciting to work with these individuals who are in a key time of developing skills they’ll carry with them throughout their careers. And I get to be part of that!”</div>
And looking back on his own cultural and travel experiences, Ian feels nothing but gratitude.
“You have to embrace that we are very fortunate to have access to the things that we do,” he says. “There’s no better way to experience life than to see how other cultures live.”

Learn how Ian applied his experience with problem-solving and logistics for a privately owned aviation company to his roles at EF. This is his EF journey.

Say hello to Ian, Director of Sales for EF Educational Tours in Toronto. Learn how Ian applied his experience working in problem-solving and logistics for a privately owned aviation company to his roles at EF. This is his EF journey.

Helping students learn about the world: Ian’s EF journey - We are EF

Helping students learn about the world: Ian’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

Helping students learn about the world: Ian’s EF journey

Helping students learn ians ef journey

If you’re in Washington, D.C. this week you’ll get a warm welcome in true EF Education First style—with plenty of energetic people wearing lots of pink!

Hello DC: EF pops up (in pink!) across the US capital - We are EF

Hello DC: EF pops up (in pink!) across the US capital ‹ We are EF

Hello DC: EF pops up (in pink!) across the US capital

Hello dc

When Angela was asked to describe Lynn, her friend and coworker of 12 years, the Executive Vice President of EF China didn’t skip a beat:
“Lynn is as smooth as water, as strong as water and as warm as the morning sun,” says Angela. “She is a treasure…a true book of EF China history.”
Lynn, who got her start with <a href="https://www.ef.com/">EF Education First</a> in 1999 and now works as the Director of Recruitment and Employee Development in <a href="https://careers.ef.com/locations/shanghai/">EF’s Shanghai office</a>, is EF’s first employee in China to reach the 20-year mark with the company. And it’s clear how easily Lynn lives up to her reputation.
“Everyone has their strengths and everyone has their difficulties,” Lynn responds humbly to Angela’s description of her. “I’m not loud, but believe people are influenced best when they feel my respect and care. It’s easy to live up to those characteristics when you work with fantastic colleagues and at a company like EF.”
At the time of Lynn’s hire more than two decades ago, EF’s presence in China consisted of a sole <a href="https://www.englishfirst.com/">EF English First</a> school in Shanghai and a staff of fewer than 20 employees.
“The company wanted to expand their schools across China,” Lynn explains. “As the assistant to the President, I performed various tasks to aid in this goal including operational support, sales, teacher recruitment, marketing and even working as a cashier. The team was small. We were willing to do whatever the company needed to grow smoothly.”
In the first two years, Lynn and her team opened up 10 schools across China. At their five-year mark, they had opened up more than 50 schools. Today, there are 300 EF English First schools throughout the country. As she was helping to grow EF English First, Lynn also found her passion: recruiting and employee development.
“After a few years, my responsibilities shifted toward teacher recruitment,” she recalls. “We had more schools and the needs of our teachers were critical to how they operated the business. I found that I was quite interested in communicating with people and realized that I wanted to focus on recruitment full-time.”
In 2004, Lynn decided to pursue her master’s degree in human resource management from Renmin University, taking courses on the weekends while continuing to work full time for EF. At this point, her previous recruiting experiences, her studies and her working relationship with Angela came full circle.
Like Lynn, Angela joined EF China early on as the Center Manager for EF English First’s inaugural school.
“We worked closely and built up a lot of trust in one another in those years,” says Lynn.
In 2006, Angela was tapped to build out recruiting and employee development for EF in China and Lynn was the first person she asked to be on her team.
“It was just the two of us,” says Lynn. “Angela was a real role model for me. She taught me what EF culture is all about.”
Lynn says it was only after working with Angela that she really understood why she loves EF so much.
“After I joined the [recruiting and employee development] team, I realized the reason [I love working at EF is] the people that we employ,” says Lynn. “EF knows how to hire. When we interview, we look for ownership, killer instincts, quick decision making and risk taking. We recruit people that are passionate about language, culture and travel, but we also recruit people that are passionate about their own lives and hobbies. An EF employee is dynamic.”
For Lynn, this means spending quality time with her husband and daughter outside work, as well as tending to her garden (her favorite flowers are hydrangeas), attending art exhibitions and concerts, and going out with friends. And as she celebrates her 20-year EF anniversary, it doesn’t look like she’s slowing down any time soon.
“I look back over the last two decades and it brings up a lot of emotions,” says Lynn. “After all, EF has been nearly half of my life. But, I’m still very excited about the future. You’re never plateauing here—there’s always room to grow. Twenty years is not the end.”

Lynn is the Director of Recruitment and Employee Development for EF in Shanghai. She's EF's first employee in China to reach the 20-year mark.

Growing EF China from the ground up: Lynn’s EF journey - We are EF

Growing EF China from the ground up: Lynn’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

Growing EF China from the ground up: Lynn’s EF journey

Growing ef china lynns ef journey

Growing up in small-town Missouri, Andrew always longed to make his way to the big city. So when his college roommate decided to move to the East Coast and asked if he wanted to join, Andrew didn’t think twice. “I knew this was a huge opportunity to do something different,” Andrew explains matter-of-factly. “I put in my two weeks and took a leap of faith. I needed a change.”
The move to Boston was just the change Andrew was seeking, and not long after arriving he heard about an opportunity working in the Shipping and Logistics department at <a href="https://www.ef.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF Education First</a>. “When I came into EF to interview, the vibe was social and upbeat,” he remembers. “I love coming up with solutions to fast-moving issues. I had managed high volume and intensity needs before, so the role was a great fit.”
What does the Shipping and Logistics department do? Andrew and his team provide shipping and logistics services for all products that fall under the EF Education First family of companies in the Boston office. That could mean processing thousands of shipments a year or providing on-site assistance at trade shows and EF events.
The team is a testament to the scope of in-house opportunities a large-scale company can provide. Andrew will be the first to tell you, though, that prioritizing internal growth is about more than just convenience. “When we switched over to only printing in-house for some of our marketing materials, we became less wasteful on the day-to-day front,” he shares. “We eliminated a huge carbon footprint by working more closely to our project needs, and asking ourselves questions to make smarter, more efficient decisions.”
The critical thinking and fast-paced challenges his role affords are just a few of the many reasons why Andrew loves his job so much. “Being here has completely changed how I interact with others. It’s challenged me to be a more outgoing and social person,” he says. “This place has opened my eyes. It’s constantly surprising me.”
Case in point: just last summer Andrew was chatting with an Italian student at the <a href="https://www.eftours.com/educational-tours/collections/student-summits" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF Educational Tours Global Leadership Summit</a> in Milan when he discovered that the student had actually spent time in Andrew’s hometown. “The student came up to me in this huge conference center to ask for directions. It turned out he was from Milan, but had spent a year living with a host family in Missouri during an <a href="https://www.efexchangeyear.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF High School Exchange Year</a>,” he recalls. “It was this full circle moment; I’m halfway across the world connecting with someone from a completely different culture about my rural hometown in the middle of Missouri. I couldn’t believe it.”
It’s moments like these that are, unsurprisingly, not uncommon when you work at a company like EF. “Working here just makes you realize that the world is so small,” says Andrew. “And that we’re not so different, after all.”

Growing up in small-town Missouri, Andrew always longed to make his way to the big city. It wasn't long until a big move to Boston introduced him to EF.

Growing up in small-town Missouri, Andrew always longed to make his way to the big city. It wasn't long until a big move to Boston introduced him to EF

From small town to big city: Andrew’s EF journey - We are EF

From small town to big city: Andrew’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

From small town to big city: Andrew’s EF journey

From small town to big city andrews ef story

Teachers shape the lives of young people every single day, and here at <a href="https://ef.com">EF Education First</a>, we count ourselves lucky to work alongside so many of them as they inspire a lifelong love of global learning and discovery. Learning is at the heart of everything we do, so it comes as no surprise that many EF staff began their careers in education. Now, they’re working across EF supporting everything from educational travel to language learning and cultural exchange.
Say hello to five EFers whose previous teaching experiences and current EF careers extend far beyond the walls of any classroom.
<h2>Lisa</h2>
<img alt="Lisa Wilson" class="alignnone wp-image-14589" height="252" sizes="(max-width: 254px) 100vw, 254px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/lisa-300x298.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/lisa-300x298.jpg 300w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/lisa-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/lisa.jpg 366w" width="254">
Lisa is a Regional Trainer for <a href="https://www.eftours.com/">EF Educational Tours</a> in EF’s Denver office. Before working at EF, she spent eight years in Chicago teaching early American history and civics, four years as a seventh grade teacher at Castellanos Middle School and another four years teaching ninth grade at Golder College Prep.
What has been your favorite moment as an educator?
The high school I taught at had an advisory program that allowed students to start and end their days with the same advisor all four years. I started my first day of teaching high school with a group of 20 freshmen girls and then spent thousands of hours with them throughout their high school years. My proudest moment was being able to hand each of them their diplomas and seeing them move on to their college and post-high school careers.
Tell us about a teacher who inspired you.
Mr. Dallagrana was my high school history teacher at Edgewood High School in Madison, Wisconsin. He was so passionate about the 1960s and the turbulent times my parents grew up in. He made me curious about the past and really ignited my love of history.
How has teaching helped you succeed in your role at EF?
My experience as a teacher has given me the deepest appreciation for our Group Leaders. They truly go above and beyond. Teaching is a demanding career and knowing how much these teachers do every day, every night, and even every weekend has helped me understand their challenges as we work to make these tours a reality. One of my greatest passions is helping teachers realize they can travel with their students and bringing this opportunity to life, no matter what perceived obstacles might be in their way.
<blockquote>“I can truly say that EF has not only changed my students’ lives, but also my own. After my first EF tour, I realized how impactful a 10-day international experience can be. After my second tour, I knew I had a calling to work at EF and help other teachers and students open their worlds through educational travel.”</blockquote>
<h2>Joey</h2>
<img alt="Joey Lee" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14583" height="240" sizes="(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/J.Lee_.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/J.Lee_.jpg 240w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/J.Lee_-150x150.jpg 150w" width="240">
Joey is the Director of Education for <a href="https://www.eftours.com/">EF Educational Tours</a> and <a href="https://www.efexploreamerica.com/">EF Explore America</a> in our Boston office. Before working at EF, he spent eight years teaching cultural geography at Pinkterton Academy in New Hampshire. Joey is the recipient of the 2014 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year award, part of the National Teacher of the Year Program run by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
What has been your favorite moment as an educator?
There are too many to count!
Tell us about a teacher who inspired you.
John Barry, a public school educator for 42 years who still inspires me to remain focused on maintaining the joy of learning as the center of everything I do. John prided himself on student-centered learning practices and promoted an enduring understanding that embedded lifelong learning at the heart of his teaching.
How has teaching helped you succeed in your role at EF?
Educators know the value of continued growth and the importance of relationships. Maintaining these truths in my transition from the classroom to this office has allowed me to ensure that EF is producing products and programs that meet the needs of educators, students and parents. I feel so privileged to be able to contribute to this mission.
<blockquote>“Traveling has provided me with opportunities to expand my knowledge of the world and better understand people, places and cultures. Through this, I’ve been able to better understand myself and my role in the world.”</blockquote>
<h2>David</h2>
<img alt="David Weller" class="alignnone wp-image-14587" height="242" sizes="(max-width: 242px) 100vw, 242px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/David-Weller-Profile-Photo-v2-300x300.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/David-Weller-Profile-Photo-v2-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/David-Weller-Profile-Photo-v2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/David-Weller-Profile-Photo-v2.jpg 500w" width="242">
David is a Training and Qualifications Manager for the Teacher Recruitment and Training team in EF’s Shanghai office. Before working at EF, he spent seven years teaching students of all ages at an English school in Xi’an, China.
What has been your favorite moment as an educator?
Whenever a “lightbulb moment” happens for a student or trainee. When that concept just clicks, you can see their knowledge has been expanded because of you.
Tell us about a teacher who inspired you.
Jake Whiddon, a colleague who started at EF around the same time as I did. We worked together for many years and throughout that time we challenged each other to be better, to learn more and to put students at the forefront of everything we do.
How has teaching helped you succeed in your role at EF?
Teaching has given me the knowledge and skills to manage people, which has led me to my position today—those skills give you a foundation to succeed in a wide variety of career paths at EF.
<blockquote>“English has become an essential part of the modern world, and EF helps its students take part in the global conversation.”</blockquote>
<h2>Marissa</h2>
<img alt="Marissa Lombardi" class="alignnone wp-image-14584" height="222" sizes="(max-width: 259px) 100vw, 259px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/EF_MarissaLombardi_linkedin2v2-300x257.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/EF_MarissaLombardi_linkedin2v2-300x257.jpg 300w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/EF_MarissaLombardi_linkedin2v2.jpg 568w" width="259">
Marissa is the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Partnerships for <a href="https://www.efcollegestudytours.com/">EF College Study Tours</a> in our Boston office. Before working at EF, she spent six years teaching global studies and international education at Northeastern University, three years with the Global Studies Department at Bentley University and four years as the Dean of Students at Lorenzo de’ Medici International Institute.
What has been your favorite moment as an educator?
Opening up perspectives through exposure to new ideas and cultures.
Tell us about a teacher who inspired you.
My high school English teacher, Susie Carlisle, was a huge inspiration for me. She believed in experiential learning. She took her students out of the classroom and into the community and world to learn.
How has teaching helped you succeed in your role at EF?
EF College Study Tours works with universities and colleges across the country to send students abroad on short-term programs. My experience as a former professor and administrator in higher education has helped me connect with our market.
<blockquote>“I’ve always been very passionate about giving as many students as possible the opportunity to experience different cultures. It was central to my role as a teacher and it’s amazing to continue that on a larger scale here at EF.”</blockquote>
<h2>George</h2>
<img alt="George Stewart" class="alignnone wp-image-14588" height="242" sizes="(max-width: 242px) 100vw, 242px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/George-Stewart-lo-res-2v2-300x300.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/George-Stewart-lo-res-2v2-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/George-Stewart-lo-res-2v2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/George-Stewart-lo-res-2v2.jpg 568w" width="242">
George is the Headmaster at <a href="https://www.ef.edu/academy/">EF Academy</a>—a four-year global residential school—in New York. Before working at EF, he was an administrator and teacher at Harvard-Westlake School for four years, Trinity-Pawling School for eight years and Middlesex School for 14 years.
What has been your favorite moment as an educator?
My favorite (and most scary) moment as a teacher was discovering that my son would be in my class. On the first day of school he just walked into the classroom and announced he was in the class now. After the first year, much to my horror, he decided the experience was so good for him that he would take another course from me the following year!
Tell us about a teacher who inspired you.
I particularly liked my fourth grade teacher, Mr. Frank Thomes. He was a cycling enthusiast and decided to create a bike shop in our classroom. We were encouraged to bring our bikes to school to learn how to fix them. This might have been my first official introduction to experiential learning.
How has teaching helped you succeed in your role at EF?
For years I had worked to expand my students’ horizons by bringing groups overseas to learn Spanish in Latin America and Europe. As part of those trips I always encouraged students to seek out answers to questions they had in class or to have adventures they could only dream about at home. Teaching has, of course, helped me succeed in my role at EF, but in many ways, EF has also helped me continue to broaden the scope of my personal teaching mission.
<blockquote>“EF’s mission fundamentally speaks to who I am as a person. Since elementary school I’ve believed strongly in the power of learning while doing. EF’s super power is listening to the market and adapting to it quickly. Being a teacher before coming to EF is how I relate to our clients—as another teacher looking for ways to help them meet their challenges. Opening the world through education is exactly what we do at EF, but it’s also what every teacher wants to do for their students.”</blockquote>

Meet 5 former classroom teachers now working across EF Education First to support educational travel, language learning and cultural exchange initiatives.

5 former classroom teachers now opening the world through education with EF - We are EF

5 former classroom teachers now opening the world through education with EF ‹ We are EF

5 former classroom teachers now opening the world through education with EF

Former teachers now working at ef

<a href="https://www.efexchangeyear.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF High School Exchange Year</a>, a part of the <a href="https://www.ef.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EF Education First</a> family of companies, has been promoting global awareness through student exchange for more than 35 years. They bring more students to the U.S. each year than any other exchange program of its kind, and since 1979 they have connected more than 100,000 international students with caring host families across America.
An EF High School Exchange Year is much more than hosting an exchange student for one year. It’s discovering family in another part of the world and creating connections that last a lifetime.
Just ask Kimberly Mahoney, who was only a senior in high school back in 1985 when her mother saw an advertisement in a local newspaper about hosting an exchange student from Norway. “Ellen was three months younger than me, so I would call her my little sister even though she was much taller,” Kimberly explained. “We were inseparable during her year here. It may have been over three decades ago, but it stills feels like yesterday.”
Between spending time with the other exchange students at their high school in Florida, going on Spring Break together in Daytona Beach and dancing the night away at Prom, Kimberly and Ellen became great friends. They kept in touch and, after both graduating from college four years later, embarked on a six-week adventure around Europe to visit the exchange students they were close with during their year. “We took the EuroRail from house to house,” said Kimberly. “I remember the highlight of our trip was visiting another EF exchange student, George, in Germany. It was as if nothing had changed!”
Over the years, Kimberly and her family remained close with Ellen despite the distance. They attended each other’s weddings, and when Ellen’s oldest daughter, Margrethe, was born, Kimberly’s parents flew to Norway to meet their host-granddaughter. “As Ellen’s children grew up, we each took many trips to see one another, sending birthday cards and Christmas presents along the way,” Kimberly shared. “A few years back Margrethe expressed interest in becoming an exchange student and it just felt right to be the ones to host her. She grew up calling us aunt and uncle, but now we had the chance to truly welcome her in as one of our own.”
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_1559" style="width: 703px"><img alt="Kimberly and Ellen and their families - EF High School Exchange Year" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1559" class="wp-image-1559 size-full" height="488" src="https://www.ef.edu/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2017/12/Kimberly-and-her-parents-with-Ellen-and-her-family-blog.jpg" width="693">Kimberly and Ellen with their families</div>
In addition to hosting Margrethe, Kimberly and her husband decided to also host Tommaso from Spain. Both students returned home after an incredible year this past June, but they continue to remain a huge part of Kimberly’s life. “We repeatedly mark the months since Margrethe and Tommaso left as ‘can you believe it’s been a year since the kids started school, celebrated Homecoming or went trick or treating,’’” Kimberly said. “We miss them all the time.”
Now, it’s up to Margrethe and Tommaso to carry on the tradition that Kimberly and Ellen have set—perhaps they will host each other’s kids one day. As for Kimberly, she’ll be the first to tell you what a profound impact the decision her mother made to host an exchange student back in 1985 has had on her life. “I’ve been a host sister, an exchange coordinator and now a host parent. I’ve loved the experience from all sides,” she said. “Since my first exposure to the world of cultural exchange when I was 18 years old to this past year hosting Margrethe and Tommaso, I feel so blessed. I now have family around the world. What more could anybody ever want?”

EF High School Exchange Year, part of the EF Education First family of companies, is much more than hosting an exchange student for one year.

Finding a forever family with EF High School Exchange Year - We are EF

Finding a forever family with EF High School Exchange Year ‹ We are EF

Finding a forever family with EF High School Exchange Year

Finding forever family with ef high school exchange year

Many EF staff worldwide have trained for and run multiple marathons. We chatted with just a few of them from EF offices around the world.

On the run: EF staff marathoners exploring the world 26.2 miles at a time - We are EF

On the run: EF staff marathoners exploring the world 26.2 miles at a time ‹ We are EF

On the run: EF staff marathoners exploring the world 26.2 miles at a time

Ef staff marathoners

When Isabell found out her flight to Stockholm was cancelled, and the flight the airline had rebooked her on would cause her to miss her connection to Rennes (where she was scheduled to meet up with the Swedish National Women’s Football Team), she wasn’t worried. As a Corporate Travel Coordinator for <a href="https://www.eftours.com/">EF Educational Tours</a> out of <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/we-are-ef/ef-opens-new-zurich-headquarters/">EF’s Zürich office</a>, Isabell is confronted with similar travel disruptions on a daily basis.
“I don’t feel any stress because it’s my job to deal with this exact sort of thing,” she says. “Preparing for different scenarios, handling these inconveniences when it comes to travel…you can always find a solution. I’m not worried about it. I’ll get there.”
But the “there” Isabell is talking about here is more than your average business trip or summer holiday. In fact, the flight she’s referring to is the first leg of a five-plus-week excursion around France, where she’s working as the Swedish National Football Team’s Liaison Officer for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. With a list of duties that include everything from verifying schedules and managing requests to translating and interpreting for the players, Isabell’s embarking on an impressive opportunity. She’ll oversee all communication between the Swedish National Women’s Football Team and the services put in place by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) as well as FIFA.
“I’m the team’s right-hand woman,” she explains. “I’ll be with them all the time: managing logistics, scheduling training times and communicating with delegations from FIFA and the other teams. Of course, the language aspect is very important—I’ll be translating and talking with everyone from bus drivers to hotel receptionists—but on a higher level, I’m simply the link between the team and the governing organization, so that the players can focus solely on giving their all on the pitch.”
It’s an opportunity that makes perfect sense given Isabell’s current role at <a href="https://www.ef.com/">EF</a>.
“I’m already in this world a little bit,” she notes. But it’s also surprising when you discover that Isabell didn’t start speaking French until she was in her early twenties and has actually received very little formal education in the language.
“I kind of just ended up in France,” she laughs, recalling how she moved there to be with an ex-boyfriend when she was 21. “I didn’t know any French when I moved. Nothing. I took an online course and enrolled briefly in a French class in Paris, but mostly just learned by living the language.”
Studying economics back in Sweden with a French orientation, and then later spending a semester abroad in Lyon as well as summers interning in Paris, has since done much for Isabell’s French fluency. It was then that she also learned about the Team Liaison Officer role—at the time in regards to the 2016 Men’s European Football Championship in France. While that experience never came to fruition, the recruiter kept her contact information and reached out to her a year ago to ask if she’d be interested in a similar opportunity for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup. A few interviews and trainings later, Isabell was off to Stockholm to meet the Swedish National Team and watch them play for the first of what would be many games.
Isabell will be traveling to three different cities around France in June and July 2019—perhaps more depending on the Swedish National Team’s success.
“I am just super excited to be involved,” she says when asked what she’s looking forward to most. “I love the sport. I love getting to live this experience alongside the players. I love that they treat me as a part of their team and have welcomed me into their little family.”
As far as actually getting to Paris, her flight path is still a little up in the air.
“I was supposed to meet the team in Stockholm and catch a chartered plane from there to get to France, but now that’s not looking like it’s going to happen,” Isabell says with a shrug. “I’ve been in contact with the airline and am trying to get an earlier flight but that flight is completely sold out so now I think my next best option will be to buy a new ticket and get my original airline to cover the costs of the new flight, which they sometimes do—you always have to try!”
However she gets from Sweden to France, one thing is clear: Isabell’s positive outlook and stellar problem-solving skills, which she attributes to her time working for staff travel at EF, will serve her well in her role as Team Liaison Officer.
“EF has impacted my life in so many positive ways,” she says. “Not only have they allowed me to pursue this opportunity, but they’ve also provided me with the skills and knowledge to achieve the opportunity in the first place. I am very grateful.”

As a Corporate Travel Coordinator for EF Educational Tours and now the Swedish National Football Team’s Liaison Officer for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Isabell is a pro at dealing with logistics and travel disruptions.

From educational travel to the FIFA Women’s World Cup: Isabell’s EF journey - We are EF

From educational travel to the FIFA Women’s World Cup: Isabell’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

From educational travel to the FIFA Women’s World Cup: Isabell’s EF journey

Educational travel fifa womens world cup isabells ef journey

It was a blustery day in December, only four months into his new job as a Business Analyst with <a href="https://englishlive.ef.com/">EF English Live</a>, when Ludvig’s manager called him into a meeting and asked if he’d be willing to relocate to <a href="https://careers.ef.com/locations/sao-paulo/">São Paulo, Brazil</a>.
Ludvig had started at <a href="https://www.ef.com/">EF Education First</a> as an <a href="https://careers.ef.com/categories/recent-graduates-and-internships/360/">EF360 Global Management Trainee</a> then went on to work on projects that help inform and improve EF English Live’s strategic decision making—all in <a href="https://careers.ef.com/locations/london/">EF’s London office</a>. But he was excited about working in Brazil, a key place for English language learning and a tech-forward market where online learning platforms like EF English Live are highly relevant. The management team there needed someone with a knowledge of the business—someone like Ludvig—on the ground to help out.
“It was a quick decision between me, my manager and the president of EF English Live, but I don’t regret it for a second,” Ludvig says about his choice.
Aside from the appeal of leaving rainy London behind in pursuit of sunny São Paulo, Ludvig was motivated by the prospect of supporting the Brazil management team with their daily operations and influencing strategy for the market moving forward.
“I was only planning on staying in the country temporarily, but at the end of the first few months I felt unsettled at the prospect of leaving,” he explains. “I had spent all this time getting to know the incredible team here and accumulating knowledge about the business. I couldn’t just generate a list of projects to drive change and then not see them through.”
And so, that’s exactly what he’s doing. Committed to staying in São Paolo for another year, Ludvig and his team are solving a variety of EF English Live’s business challenges for both Brazil and other South American markets.
When asked which project he feels most passionate about, Ludvig talks about an initiative to focus on existing customers and help them become fluent in English by extending their learning programs.
“Historically, there’d been a lot of focus on new customers,” Ludvig points out. “People used to sign on to an English course for one year. Someone could improve their English in one year…but learning a new language requires commitment and dedication. When students stay for two or three years, their English improvement is significantly higher.”
And that means a lot to Ludvig, who has seen firsthand the impact EF English Live has on the customers who use it. An impact, he explains, that circles back to his own language learning experience with EF.
“I spent six weeks in Nice learning French at an <a href="https://www.ef.edu/ils/">EF International Language Campus</a> when I was 22,” says Ludvig. “At the time, I was getting my master’s degree and I thought it would be cool to study abroad in Montreal, so I traveled to France to improve my French beforehand. Many people, like me, learn a language for fun or because they want to be able to connect with other cultures when they travel, which is a great reason. But speaking English in Brazil is similar to getting your MBA in the States—it’s going to set you apart, to increase your opportunities of getting a better job or of getting promoted. So, if we, with a great service, can create opportunities and help people improve their livelihoods, that’s a powerful thing.”

Based in EF Education First's São Paolo office, Ludvig is working to support EF English Live’s business needs in Brazil and other South American markets.

Driving opportunities through language learning: Ludvig’s EF journey - We are EF

Driving opportunities through language learning: Ludvig’s EF journey ‹ We are EF

Driving opportunities through language learning: Ludvig’s EF journey

Driving opportunities ludvigs ef journey

It’s 1 p.m. and Brendan is getting ready for his next big match. Game face on, table tennis paddle in hand, he approaches his opponent and takes a deep breath before tossing the first serve. The stakes are high—32 competitors split into eight groups of four, all vying for the coveted prize of <a href="https://ef.com">EF Education First</a> table tennis champion.
Fortunately, Brendan is no stranger to competition. As a former cyclist for the EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale cycling team (now known as <a href="https://www.efprocycling.com/">EF Education First Pro Cycling</a>), he knows what it takes to succeed in a competitive environment. And while office-wide table tennis tournaments may not seem as high-stakes as the professional cycling circuit, his new job as a Financial Analyst for <a href="https://www.ef.edu/ils/destinations/spain/barcelona/">EF’s International Language Campus in Barcelona</a> challenges him in many similar ways.
<img alt="Brendan Canty racing 2" class="aligncenter wp-image-14631 size-full" height="378" sizes="(max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px" src="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IMG-1461.jpg" srcset="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IMG-1461.jpg 568w, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IMG-1461-300x200.jpg 300w" width="568">
“My experience as a cyclist actually translates quite well to my work here in the office,” says Brendan. “In fact, most skills that athletes develop over time are now really valued in the professional workplace. Teamwork, dedication, hard work. We can adapt to different environments and that is being appreciated beyond the so-called playing field.”
So how does a pro cyclist go from racing in the Vuelta a España and Giro di Lombardia to analyzing finances at EF Barcelona? It helps that Brendan has his bachelor’s degree in commerce and had always planned to go into accounting. In fact, a more appropriate question to ask would be how Brendan went from finance student to pro cyclist.
“I grew up very active and always naturally excelled in endurance sports, but I never had cycling on my radar,” he explains. “After university I participated in a local bike race, which I won, to [my surprise] and the surprise of many others. It was a bit of a shock for me. It just goes to show that you can pick up something at any point in your life and not know you’re going to be very good at it.”
From there, Brendan worked his way up to a professional level, eventually joining the team now known as EF Education First Pro Cycling in 2017. And it was interacting with his fellow teammates, as well as traveling to new places around the world, that ultimately sparked his interest in language and travel.
“I started going to a lot of new places that I’d never been, but we also had such a diverse level of nationalities on the team, so that was my first exposure to different cultures and also to the challenge that language barriers present,” says Brendan.
Which is why, when living in Spain during his training, he was adamant about learning how to speak Spanish. “There are people I’ve met that have lived in Europe for decades and can still only speak English,” he says. “That feels like a wasted opportunity. I find it so enriching to be able to walk out on the street and talk to someone in their native language. It opens up a deeper level of community.”
While in some ways Brendan would have liked to continue cycling competitively forever, part of him was also interested in returning to the career he’d originally intended to pursue. He’d been taking Spanish classes through EF when a Financial Analyst position opened up at EF Barcelona–a position that required considerable knowledge of the team and its budget for European races, as well an understanding of EF International Language Campuses. Brendan was the perfect person for the job.
“It’s pretty crazy for me,” he admits. “I could barely speak a word of Spanish when I first moved here and now I’m employed in a Spanish-speaking office. It’s really satisfying to see this progress and what opportunities it opens up. Now I can truly endorse the company slogan: Opening the world through education. EF is all about helping people go outside their comfort zones.”
And with the current office-wide table tennis tournament, it looks like Brendan’s days of competing aren’t over yet. “It’s such a fun place to work,” he says with a smile. “I will always miss the life that I had as a professional cyclist, but I know that my best moments are yet to come.”

Find out how Brendan went from pro cyclist for EF Education First Pro Cycling to Financial Analyst for EF’s International Language Campus in Barcelona.

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