Ecuador Team

Program Director & Licensed Counselor

In her role as the Program Director, Kelley oversees the fall and spring semester programs in Ecuador. She provides leadership and guidance for staff and students in the program. She has a background in clinical services and acts as the licensed counselor on staff for student support and crisis response.

Director of Education, Professor

Janelle assures academic rigor, achievement of learning outcomes, and success for students and faculty in-country. She approves all course syllabi, faculty hiring, and comes alongside all of our students academically.

Director of Spiritual Life, Professor

Loren provides spiritual development and guidance for both students and staff, specifically through coordinating and teaching in weekly chapels. Loren also teaches Christian Spiritual Formation & Transformation and the Worldview & Global Religions courses.

Internship and Experiential Tours Coordinator

Sara coordinates and connects students to internship sites across the city, catering to multiple majors and student needs for the service-learning side of their academic experience abroad. She also supports short-term Study Tours.

Experiential Tours Coordinator

Admin & Logistics Coordinator

Resident Director

Abby is from Hawai’i and California. She graduated from Vanguard University. While at Vanguard, she became passionate about integrating psychology and discipleship. After graduating from her undergraduate experience, Abby moved with her husband Cole, to Wisconsin to continue their education. Abby serves as the Resident Director in Ecuador, providing leadership, guidance, and care for students and staff.

Resident Director

Cole is from Minnesota but moved to California for his undergraduate degree at Vanguard University. While studying, he became passionate about integrating psychology and discipleship. After graduating, Cole and his wife Abby moved to Wisconsin to continue their education. Cole recently graduated from Wheaton College with a master’s in Outdoor and Adventure Leadership. Cole serves as the Resident Director in Ecuador, where he provides leadership, guidance, and care for students and staff.

Resident Coordinator

RCs provide holistic care for students, specifically by living alongside students in apartments and setting up regular meetings with each of student. RCs are tasked with creating a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment by enforcing behavioral standards and managing living in community.

Resident Coordinator

RCs provide holistic care for students, specifically by living alongside students in apartments and setting up regular meetings with each of student. RCs are tasked with creating a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment by enforcing behavioral standards and managing living in community.

Resident Coordinator

RCs provide holistic care for students, specifically by living alongside students in apartments and setting up regular meetings with each of student. RCs are tasked with creating a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment by enforcing behavioral standards and managing living in community.

Director of Education, Professor

• Biology 100: Introduction to Biological Principles and Lab

Master’s Science Education

Janelle is a TCK (Third Culture Kid) who has a passion for developing young adults and who has a love for nature and Science and what they can teach about God’s redemptive work.

Director of Spiritual Life, Professor

• Christian Spiritual Formation & Transformation 320

• Biblical Worldview & Global Religions 340

Master’s in Theological Studies; Master’s of Divinity

A TCK (Third Culture Kid) from Ecuador, Loren is passionate about teaching the Bible within the context of Ancient Near East studies. He loves Chealsea FC, woodworking, naps, and hiking.

Professor

• Intercultural Communication 300

• CD 100: Community Development

Master’s of Education in Adult Ed, Community Development and Youth Work (University of Glasgow)

Master’s of Theology (currently) (Edinburgh Theological Seminary)

With years of experience including with refugees in Rwanda, asylum seekers in Scotland, and youth in the US, Robbie has been working in Community Development in Quito since 2020. He plays guitar and other stringed instruments, enjoys the outdoors, and such activities as hiking and biking, and is a life-long learner who reads voraciously. He is a husband and father of three.

Professor

• Social Entrepreneurship & Leadership 360

Master’s in Organizational Leadership

Aaron is the Director of Youth World, a mission organization in Quito and Area Director for One Collective. He has been teaching for Living and Learning since 2021 and brings invaluable experience in managing teams, and developing people professionaly. Other than is passion for leadership development, he is passionate about his family, which includes two children, rugby, and Ecuador.

Professor

• SPA 102: Elementary Spanish 2

• SPA 201: Intermediate Spanish 1

Master’s in advanced studies in Literature from the University of Barcelona

Focused degrees in Human Rights and Memory (CLACSO & FLACSO Brazil)

From Quito, Ecuador, María Fernanda is a clinical psychologist with a focus in women’s issues, a poet, an author especially in children’s literature, a workshop presenter with collaborative research and presentations in humanities, psychology, pedagogy, and human rights, a social/human rights activist, and an avid reader and writer of literature. She was one of the first to teach in Living and Learning’s Ecuador semester Spanish department, faithfully working with L&LI since 2016.

Professor

• SPA 201: Intermediate Spanish 1

• SPA 250: Readings and Advanced Grammar

Master’s of Pedagogy in Spanish Literature and Language

María José has been teaching Spanish to foreigners since 2014, and has been teaching with Living and Learning since 2017. She is a mathematician, a photographer and a social/human rights activist. She is a life learner who is currently seeking a degree in law. She lives with her husband and enjoys life with her little dogs.

Professor

• Spanish 400: Vision General de Literatura Latinoamérica y Cultura

Postgraduate studies and Licensure in Higher Education Science

A seasoned teacher, missionary, wife of a pastor, mother, and grandmother, Susana is passionate about reading, teaching, and discipling, especially in the church. She has been teaching for Living and Learning since 2014, with a holistic approach in intercultural experience in her teaching of upper-division Spanish in literature and culture.

Professor

• SPA 310: Advanced Grammar and Conversation

• SPA 320: Advanced Grammar and Conversation

Master’s of Education Management

Teaching since 1980, Aura brings invaluable experience to Living and Learning upper-division Spanish students. She enjoys being a mother and grandmother. Her love of literature, archeology, museums and cultural heritage comes through her passion for teaching young people, even as she enjoys her retirement.

Professor

• SPA 250: Readings and Advanced Grammar

• SPA 310: Advanced Grammar and Conversation

Licensed in Education Science

María Alejandra brings many years of experience working with NGO’s, training management teams, working with individuals with disabilities and teaching Spanish to North American adults. She loves to read, play games and sports, cook and laugh. She enjoys her time with family which includes grandchildren! She is passionate about walking with and caring for students as they learn a new language and culture, and as they deepen their relationship with the Lord, helping them to be assured of His care as they are far from home.

Professor

• SPA 101: Elementary Spanish 1

• SPA 102: Elementary Spanish 2

• SPA 320: Advanced Grammar and Conversation

Master’s of Education Science

Ruth has been teaching with Living and Learning International since Fall 2018. She is an avid reader on varied topics, including literature, history, psychology and spirituality. She loves to walk and hike in nature, to travel and to get acquianted with different cultures.

Professor

• SPA 330: Voces de Ecuador: Select topics in Ecuadorian Perspectives

Masters in New Applied Technologies in Education

Teaching in many capacities since 1995, Viviana has invaluable experience with students from different backgrounds and levels. She is the wife of a pastor/counselor and a mother of two young adult children. Other than teaching with Living and Learning (since 2022), she works with young adults who grew up in an orphangage training them in life skills, and she helped to establish a hybrid online homeschool program. She loves to read and teach.

Coordinator & Teacher Assistant

Grace is the Director of Quito Quest, a short-term teams program under Youth World in Quito, Ecuador. She is a TCK with years of intercultural experience and helps to provide a bridge between people of different cultural backgrounds. She loves Jesus, people, and adventure especially out in nature.