Meet the Team
For our Travel/Study tour leaders, home is where the heart is. Where is that, exactly? All over the world. Meet the team and travel 'home' with us:
Our Director
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Brett S. Thompson, '83 Travel/Study's fearless leader has been creating extraordinary travel experiences all over the globe for more than 20 years. With seven hometowns, six continents and 87 countries under his belt, this Stanford grad's passion for world travel has only one rival: his love of warm climes. Sorry, Antarctica, you'll have to wait. |
And the faces of Travel/Study
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Karen Alderete Just before Karen set off for college, her dad said: Don't be afraid to take risks. And so, this swimming, running, cycling, rock climbing and hiking enthusiast took his advice. Exuding positive energy from every pore, Karen leads many of our most adventurous adventures, getting up close and personal with wildlife wherever she goes. |
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Ana-Catrina Buchser, '00, MA '01 Hailing from Romania, Ana-Catrina was born into a family of artists who believed traveling is just as educational as going to a university. So she did both! After exploring Europe throughout her childhood, she ended up at Stanford for her undergraduate and graduate degrees, and now continues to explore the world with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not planning trips, Ana-Catrina directs plays in theaters all over the Bay Area and sings with Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale. |
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Emily Casperson Ever the explorer, Emily spent the summers of her childhood at the lakes in northern Minnesota searching for blue herons and beavers. After a high school trip to the Soviet Union inspired Emily to become a scholar of Russian culture and language, even the Land of 10,000 Lakes couldn't contain her. For the past ten years, she has journeyed with Stanford travelers to every continent in search of knowledge and adventure. |
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Kara Cronk As a child, Kara crisscrossed the country with her family, traveling to more National Parks than she can name and exploring every state save two. (We're betting all those road trips are what made even-keeled Kara such a great listener.) While this foodie loves immersing herself in the cuisine and culture of far-flung places, there's nothing that Kara enjoys more than the journey itself—and bonding with Stanford travelers along the way. |
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Laura Duede If you ask Laura what her time studying abroad in Thailand and Vietnam was like, she'll most certainly say: Life changing. This former Cal Poly lacrosse player launched her career at an NGO in Cambodia and now leads Travel/Study trips around the globe. When she isn't traveling, you'll find her biking the hills of San Francisco. |
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Kathleen Grey Up north or down south, alone or in a pack, when it comes to Kathleen's travels, we're not sure how to keep track! This Cal Poly alum has backpacked the W trek in Chile, cruised Alaska solo, and called Zanzibar home. What can we say? Ms. Grey is fearless and adventure-full. (And we love her that way!) |
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Lisa Hepps, '91 Bollywood, look out! Lisa isn't just an experienced tour guide and educator with more than 60 countries, five languages and a Stanford degree under her dupatta—she's an expert in the traditional folk dances of Punjab, India. When she's not performing with her dance company or on the move discovering delicacies in hidden corners of the world, this Oakland native finds her rhythm at home with her husband and two cats, Pelé and Koshka. |
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Elizabeth Player Jones The daughter of two Stanford alumni, Elizabeth was born on campus and has called the Farm home ever since. Her home-away-from-home? Planes, trains and automobiles. Of the exclusive, chartered variety, that is. Extensive experience managing luxury travel makes Elizabeth the perfect person to have around when comfort is key—every day and everywhere Travel/Study goes. |
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Leslie Kim, '98 Three of Leslie's obsessions: great food, scuba diving and fireworks (what can we say, she comes from a family of pyrotechnicians). As a Stanford undergrad, Leslie spent time overseas with the Stanford-in-Oxford program and backpacked around Europe. If you find yourself in a faraway land with her, stay close. She has a knack for discovering little-known gems in the unlikeliest of places. |
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KRASNA KLEINFELD While she's new to California, Krasna's love for travel has taken her around the world and back again. After studying in Brazil and Spain in college, Krasna moved to Buenos Aires to work at an award-winning travel company before heading back East for grad school. When she's not on the road, out to sea or high in the sky with Stanford travelers, Krasna is out and about in San Francisco taking photos and—at long last—learning firsthand that the West Coast is the Best Coast. |
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Nancy Kraemer Now here's a riddle: What do the Chicago Bears, 19th century American history, rugby and Rhodesian ridgebacks have in common? You guessed it: Nancy Kraemer. She loves 'em all. Her life loves can't be boxed in—and with 32 countries and six continents under her belt, it's safe to say Nancy can't be pinned down either. She's at her happiest when learning and doing things she's never done before. Though there is one thing she'll never be caught doing again: driving stick shift in San Francisco. |
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Anne Leicher Born into a family full of Stanford alumni, this Bay Area native got her first taste of Travel/Study as a traveler. After backpacking, mountain climbing and dancing her way across the U.S. and abroad, Anne took on her biggest challenge yet: leading wilderness adventure trips for teens. In addition to her formidable teen-wrangling talents, Anne has an eye for photography and an ear for the Spanish language. |
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Maribeth Rohman A lover of history, culture and art, Maribeth has spent much of her life wandering in and about museums everywhere from Palo Alto to Florence. Curious what hidden collections might be found in the back rooms of Stanford's famed museums? Maribeth knows. Want an art tour of Europe--in English or Italian? Maribeth knows. From painting and photography to designing and cake decorating, Maribeth knows it all. |
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Anna-Alycia Tucker, '13 She may be fresh off the Farm, but this '13 grad is certainly not new to traveling the world. Anna-Alycia spent her formative years in Venezuela and exploring her roots in Haiti. As a Stanford student, she jetted off to Brazil to learn and eat learn and eat (on repeat). Trying new foods and exploring new cultures is simply first nature. Coming in a close second: crafting, reading and cooking. |
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Maren Ewers Whitson, '00 Have you ever donned a Marie Antoinette costume for a Venetian ball? Reached the 19,340-foot summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in a blizzard? Snorkeled with thousands of fish in the Seychelles? This plucky Stanford grad and former Stanford Sierra Camp staff has—and she'd do it all again. Well, she could do without the blizzard. |
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Kay C. Williams, P'88 This proud grandmother of four grew up in Palo Alto, married a Stanford grad and sent her daughter off to the Farm. Passionate about education, Kay holds a teaching credential in English and German and has donated her time and talents to educational issues in her community for more than 17 years. Whether she's traveling to Japan, Germany or Kenya, you can count on her to have a good novel or two tucked in her bag. |
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