CONTACT

LinkedIn: /sonjalind/

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working as a study abroad program administrator for four and a half years
• Experience providing data-driven international student support
• Experience teaching English as a second language for over five years
• Experience living in six countries and traveling to six continents

EDUCATION

University of California, Irvine

Dissertation Topic: Supporting international students in the U.S.

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Emphases: Teaching English (TESL), Rhetoric and Composition

Trinity College London, UK

Newbold College, Bracknell, UK

WORK EXPERIENCE

March 2017

– present

• Managed study abroad programming as the sole Education Abroad staff member
• Accelerated exchange applications by 80% and scholarship applications by <250%
• Planned and hosted biannual study abroad fairs, with 250-500 students attending each
• Programmed and delivered over 10 info sessions per semester
• Volunteered as the on-site chair for Lessons from Abroad (LFA) Fall 2017 conference
• Volunteered as the Fulbright program advisor in Fall 2017
• Hired and trained 4-6 student assistants in peer advising and research skills
• Served as the Alternate Responsible Officer, annually assisting 40-55 exchange students from over 20 countries with housing, immigration, and enrollment
• Delivered bilingual (Spanish and English) presentations at the Family-Student Orientation
• Accepted as only California representative for State Department-funded visit to universities in Mexico City and Puebla; established new exchange partnership
• Received annual Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service, August 2018, Cal State LA

Schreiner University

July 2014

– March 2017

• 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; 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, YouTube channel, and Instagram profile

University of California, Irvine

September 2008

– June 2014

• Conducted the university’s first and only dissertation on identifying and supporting the needs of international undergraduate students
• Conducted qualitative interviews and focus groups with 15 Asian undergraduate students
• Selected, trained, and evaluated research assistants
• Presented results to campus stakeholders for international student support

• 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

• Mentored incoming international graduate students on matters beyond immigration concerns, including adjusting to the U.S., using public transportation, and career support

• Developed and promoted social and cultural events to engage international students, hosting 1-3 events per month on and off campus

• Taught English Conversation and Culture courses to non-matriculated international students (e.g., Reading and Writing; Idioms and Vocabulary; English Through Film)

• Traveled on a diplomatic student trip to Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia to speak with leaders such as journalists, nonprofits, and think tanks about the Armenian Genocide

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

September 2006

– June 2008

• Developed curriculum and taught Freshman English I and Freshman English II

• Mentored three Teaching Associates instructing Freshman English, on teaching techniques and curriculum development

• Assisted first-generation undergraduate students with academic writing and study skills
• Received a College Reading and Learning Association Level 1 Tutor Certificate

South Korea

February 2003

– February 2006

• Taught undergraduate English language courses to university freshmen

• Supervised nine full-time instructors in teaching, grading, and course design
• Liaised between Korean administrators and instructors

SELECTED CONFERENCES and PUBLICATIONS

• 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 Mexico, Santa Ana, CA.

TRAVEL

• Lived in Norway, Kenya, Canada, England, South Korea, and the U.S.
  
• Traveled to 47 countries and 6 continents

LANGUAGES

HONORS and AWARDS

• Global Leadership Certificate, May 2014, University of California, Irvine
• Pedagogical Fellowship, 2010-2011, University of California, Irvine
• International Merit Scholarship, Cal Poly Pomona

LEADERSHIP

• Led one-month study abroad trip to Florence, Italy in Summer 2015
• Co-created exchange agreement with Colombian university and Schreiner University
• Co-founded international graduate student committee at UC Irvine
• Supervised and mentored teachers at Cal Poly Pomona and Sahmyook University
• Provided teaching workshops as a UC Irvine Pedagogical Fellow
• Planned and co-hosted International Education Week for 5 consecutive years