Meet Shandin!
Introducing Shandin Rickard-Hughes!
Shandin graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Business and Entrepreneurship. She never had a chance to travel before university, but she knew that exploring the world would be a priority in her life from a young age. Her freshman roommate was studying abroad from England, and introduced her to her future husband, also British. Shandin did a yearlong exchange to the University of Sheffield, England in her junior year and a three month International Education internship in Bucharest, Romania in her senior year. She worked in OSU’s Education Abroad office for two years as a student, and loved it so much that study abroad became her career. She has now travelled to over 25 countries (including city-states), with no intention of slowing down.
Shandin has lived in southern England for over two years, and loves the European lifestyle. She enjoys working with university students and helping them realize their goals to experience the world and challenge themselves in the study of their discipline. She looks forward to meeting you and ensuring that your program is safe, rewarding and fun!
What’s an OPC?
As part of your customized faculty-led program abroad, you will be led and supported by a CISabroad On-Site Program Coordinator (OPC). OPCs are experienced and well trained staff members, there to ensure the schedule goes according to plan. Each OPC attends an extensive training program that involves a range of modules – risk management, emergency response, safety, logistics’, cultural awareness, communication, culture shock, budgeting, social media, La Vida Local and customer service.
The primary role of the OPC is to facilitate the in-country implementation of the assigned customized program, by providing safety / emergency response and logistical support. During the program, the OPC is responsible for managing the day-to-day logistics of the assigned customized program and providing in-country support to both the faculty and students. Using personal travel experience, professional work experience (and where possible language knowledge), the OPC will help create a program environment that is safe and culturally engaging. The CISabroad OPC may or may not be an in country local. The majority of CISabroad OPCs are expats from the US, who have travelled, lived, volunteered, or worked abroad in the program destination.
The OPC is not a registered tour guide nor expected to provide tours of sites visited during the program. If the program is one that requires specific guided tours of various sites, these will be provided separately. The OPC provides a general neighborhood walking tour to help the group identify the nearest bank/ATM, pharmacy, laundry-mat, grocery store and other similar conveniences.
The OPC’s role allows Faculty to focus on the academic objectives and the students to make the most of their time overseas!