CIEE Support Structure

In the first case, you should always contact your CIEE Local Coordinator with any questions or concerns. Your Local Coordinator will contact you with their information prior to your student’s arrival.

The Support Team

In cooperation with your CIEE Local Coordinator, the CIEE Support Team works from the Portland National Office to assist with student concerns during the program year.

The support staff maintains close communication with your Local Coordinator to receive regular updates on student adjustment throughout the year. While the Local Coordinator is the first source of assistance locally, the support team is always available as a resource for participants, host families, and host high schools. The support team is trained and experienced in managing conflict, assisting with cultural adjustment issues, and providing support for emergency situations. Our staff is knowledgeable and experienced, and will be more than happy to answer questions, provide assistance, or discuss student concerns.

Meet the Support Team

Laragh Kavanaugh
Manager, Support

Laragh has a degree in Human Development and Psychology and has extensive experience living and working internationally while directing high school and college programs in Ghana and India.

Carissa Hoitenga
Support Coordinator

Carissa has a degree in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language. Prior to coming to CIEE, she taught university level ESL courses while completing her Master’s degree. She has drawn on her own experiences of living and studying in Spain and Puerto Rico in her work with international students.

Simeon Rangelov
Support Coordinator

Simeon is from Bulgaria and his passion for travel and exploring different cultures brought him to CIEE. He previously participated on a CIEE Internship program in the U.S., and he has prior experience working for a multinational company, where he assisted exchange students from around the world.

Alan Boyd
Support Coordinator

After graduating with a Russian Literature and International Relations degree from the University of Kansas in 2005, Alan started traveling around the globe. Alan participated in a CIEE study abroad program in St. Petersburg, Russia and then eventually found his way to Istanbul, Turkey where he lived for five years. While there, he worked as an English teacher in a private school and helped to prepare university students for the TOEFL exam. In his free time Alan enjoys playing the drums and learning new languages. He is fluent in Turkish and Russian.

The support team can be reached by calling 1-800-448-9944. Office hours are between 9am-5pm EST. Staff are also available 24 hours per day, seven days per week for emergency support through our after-hours emergency call system, which can be reached by dialing the above number and following the prompts for emergency service.

In addition to CIEE, you may contact the U.S. Department of State should you have any unresolved issues at 1-866-283-9090 or jvisas@state.gov.

Whitney Rosenberg
Support Coordinator

Whitney has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and study abroad experience in England. She recently moved home from China after living there for six years while teaching English to all age levels.

Raquel Burgos
Support Coordinator

Raquel is from Southern Spain and her CIEE travels began as Intern in 2006, she has been involved with CIEE ever since. After receiving her degree in Business Administration at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide in Seville, she returned to the U.S. in 2009 working in various CIEE roles and eventually found her new home in Support.

Peter Robbins
Support Coordinator

Peter has used his fluency in Mandarin Chinese to lead educational travel programs for high school students throughout China and to work as an interpreter for journalists at the Beijing Olympics. He recently spent a year teaching English to kindergartners in Taiwan. In his spare time he enjoys hiking, playing guitar, and ultimate frisbee.

Willaine Cabal
Support Coordinator

Willaine was born and raised both in Manila, Philippines and San Diego, California where she got a degree in International Studies and a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. In college, she studied abroad for a semester in Granada, Spain and lived with a host family. From 2007 to 2009 she lived in Seoul, South Korea working as an English teacher as well as coordinating the English language program at Yonsei University. Willaine also enjoyed teaching English as a second language to international students in Los Angeles and San Diego prior to coming to CIEE. In her spare time, she enjoys appreciating different works of art, reading, working out, and traveling.