CONTACT
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Email: sonja.c.lind@gmail.com
LinkedIn: /sonjalind/
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QUALIFICATIONS
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- Experience working as a study abroad program administrator for seven years
- Experience providing international student support
- Experience teaching English as a second language and writing
- Experience living in six countries and traveling to six continents
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EDUCATION
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Ph.D. in Education | Graduated 2014
University of California, Irvine
Dissertation Topic: Supporting international students in the U.S.
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M.A. in English | Graduated 2008
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Emphases: Teaching English (TESL), Rhetoric and Composition
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Certificate in TESOL | Completed 2002
Trinity College London, UK
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B.A. in English Literature | Graduated 2002
Newbold College, Bracknell, UK
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California State University, San Bernardino
October 2019
– March 2021
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Director of Education Abroad | CSUSB
- Managed the operations of an office serving 200-300 outbound students per year, overseeing over 20 exchange programs and 10-20 faculty-led programs (pre-pandemic)
- Responded proactively during COVID, including email communication, decision-making, and sending three students abroad to South Korea in Spring 2021
- Supervised a staff of two study abroad coordinators and one student assistant
- Created and revised policy documents and procedures for education abroad
- Maintained all international exchange and study abroad agreements on SharePoint
- Coordinated a grant proposal application for the Stevens Initiative Virtual Exchange
- Coordinated the university’s first-ever implementation of Terra Dotta, a database/web system (http://goabroad.csusb.edu)
- Co-created and led pre-departure orientations for all outbound students
- Co-planned and led info sessions, with 100-300 students attending (virtual and in-person)
- Served as Education Abroad track lead for the CSU International Forum, December 2020
Note: In March 2021, this position was eliminated due to the impacts of COVID-19 and reduced campus operations
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California State University, Los Angeles
March 2017
– September 2019
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Education Abroad Coordinator | Cal State LA
- Managed study abroad programming as the sole Education Abroad Coordinator in the International Office
- Accelerated outbound applications by 193% and study abroad scholarship applications by 40-200%; for the first time in Cal State LA history, over 100 students study abroad
- Volunteered as Fulbright program advisor in Fall 2017, advising 12 applicants and 3 semi-finalists
- Planned and hosted study abroad fairs, with 100-500 students attending each
- Programmed and delivered over 10 info sessions per semester
- Co-created and co-led pre-departure and re-entry orientations for all outbound students
- Volunteered as on-site chair for Lessons from Abroad (LFA) Fall 2017 conference
- Delivered bilingual (Spanish and English) presentations at family orientation
- Assisted 15 faculty in developing itineraries and proposals for study abroad programs
- Served as the Alternate Responsible Officer, annually assisting over 70 exchange students (J-1) from over 20 countries with immigration, enrollment, admissions, housing
- Oversaw the development of first-ever mentor program for international students, including co-hosting afternoon tea meetings and weekend hikes
- Recruited, selected, and trained 4-6 student assistants; evaluate all assistants through bi-annual performance evaluations and regular one-on-one and staff meetings
- Conducted IRB-approved longitudinal research project on first-generation students who study abroad, with multiple faculty and four research assistants; presenting at NAFSA 2019
- Oversaw articulation between Television and Film department and University of Worcester
- Initiated new partnership between Cal State LA and Universidad de las Américas Puebla
- Collaborated with the Department of Risk Management to implement emergency preparedness policies and procedures for study abroad programs
- Read: “Departures and Arrivals: A Short History of a Study Abroad Job, and Why I Chose the CSU“
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Instructor, Seminar in Comparative and International Education January – May 2018 | Charter College of Education
- Taught M.A. course EDFN 5060: Seminar in Comparative and International Education
- Covered issues in comparative and international education (e.g., globalization, language policy, gender equity, international student mobility, refugee education)
- Observed in February 2018 as “an organized and effective instructor who draws from her own experience as an international educator”
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Schreiner University
July 2014
– March 2017
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Coordinator, Changing Global Society | Schreiner University
- Created first centralized study abroad program at Schreiner University
- Overhauled previously unorganized system, writing travel policy, creating pre-departure orientations and post-trip reflection sessions, and managing trip budgets
- Doubled study abroad participation rates among students in two years
- Hosted monthly cultural events like Diwali, Korean New Year, and Día de los Muertos to increase campus internationalization; 30% of all students attended
- Chaired Student Travel Committee and served on Diversity Committee
- Established and maintained social media to market programs: student blog, Facebook page, Instagram profile, and YouTube channel
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University of California, Irvine
September 2008
– June 2014
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Ph.D. Scholar | School of Education
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Co-Founder, International Students Subcommittee | Associated Graduate Students (AGS)
- Co-founded university’s first international student committee
- Collaborated with graduate center in planning international graduate student orientation
- Planned the annual global talent show, “One World Concert”
- Evaluated international student surveys and wrote campus-wide reports
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International Graduate Student Mentor | Graduate Division
- Mentored incoming international graduate students on matters beyond immigration concerns, including adjusting to the U.S., using public transportation, and career support
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Student Organization Officer | International Club (iClub)
- Developed and promoted social and cultural events to engage international students, hosting 1-3 events per month on and off campus
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ESL Instructor | International Programs, UC, Irvine Extension
- Taught English Conversation and Culture courses to non-matriculated international students (e.g., Reading and Writing; Idioms and Vocabulary; English Through Film)
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Student Diplomat | Olive Tree Initiative (OTI)
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California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
September 2006
– June 2008
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Freshman English Teaching Associate | Department of English and Foreign Languages
- Developed curriculum and taught Freshman English I and Freshman English II
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Teaching Associate Mentor | Department of English and Foreign Languages
- Mentored three Teaching Associates instructing Freshman English, on teaching techniques and curriculum development
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Writing Tutor and Mentor | Educational Opportunity Program (EOP
- Assisted first-generation undergraduate students with academic writing and study skills
- Received a College Reading and Learning Association Level 1 Tutor Certificate
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South Korea
February 2003
– February 2006
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EFL Instructor | Sahmyook University
- Taught undergraduate English language courses to university freshmen
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Teaching Staff Coordinator | Sahmyook University
- Supervised nine full-time instructors in teaching, grading, and course design
- Liaised between Korean administrators and instructors
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SELECTED CONFERENCES and PUBLICATIONS
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Cultures of Support: Student Affairs and International Undergraduate Students | March 2015
- Presentation, 2015 NASPA Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA.
Cultural Competence: Understanding and Interacting with Other Cultures | November 2014
- Workshop, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Kerrville, TX.
How Your Students’ Cultural Backgrounds Affect Classroom Interactions | November 2013
- Education 143BW: Math and Science Classroom Interactions, UC Irvine.
Exploring the International Undergraduate Experience | March 2013
- Panel, 2013 TESOL Conference, Dallas, TX.
Interactions and Support on an International Center Facebook Group | March 2012
- Poster, Doctoral Student Forum, 2012 TESOL Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Thinking Like a Traveler | June 2011
- Workshop, El Centro Cultural de México, Santa Ana, CA.
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TRAVEL
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- Lived in Norway, Kenya, Canada, England, South Korea, and the U.S.
- Traveled to 47 countries and 6 continents
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LANGUAGES
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- English (fluent)
- Spanish (intermediate, between B1 and B2)
- Norwegian (beginner)
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HONORS and AWARDS
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- Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service, August 2018, Cal State LA
- Global Leadership Certificate, May 2014, University of California, Irvine
- Pedagogical Fellowship, 2010-2011, University of California, Irvine
- International Merit Scholarship, Cal Poly Pomona
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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- Stevens Initiative’s 2021 Virtual Exchange Academy, March 2021
- NAFSA Management Development Program, May 26-28, 2019
- Mapping Short-Term Education Abroad Programs Certificate, NAFSA, August 2018
- Mexico as a Study Abroad Destination Workshop, U.S. State Department, May 22-25, 2017
- Health, Safety, Security and Risk Management, Forum on Education Abroad, May 11, 2017
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FUNDRAISING RUNS
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VOLUNTEERING
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- College Coach at ScholarMatch, August 2020 to now (one student)
- Citizenship Interview Practice Coach at Catholic Charities, June 2020 to April 2021 (two applicants)
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