Summer Programs: ASA Summerfuel

Behind every Summerfuel program is a team of experienced and dedicated staff members working hard to ensure a memorable and rewarding summer experience. From resident advisors (RA’s) to heads of house and program directors, Summerfuel staff are committed to providing you with the resources and opportunities to make your summer unforgettable.

Summerfuel is particularly proud of the longevity of its program directors and senior staff. These program leaders provide continuity and consistency on each program. They are consummate professionals who have committed themselves to work with students. Summerfuel’s program directors average 10 years of Summerfuel experience.

New York Office

• Marcia Evans, Founder
  
  Educated at Mt. Holyoke College, Columbia University and the London School of Economics, Marcia has taught at the secondary and college levels in both Europe and the US. As the founder and Director of Summerfuel, Marcia oversees the conceptualization and implementation of all of Summerfuel’s programs.
• David Evans, President
  
  David completed his BA in History at Colgate University and worked in advertising in London and New York before joining Summerfuel in 1996. David directed the Oxford Experience for 4 years and directed the Barcelona program for 10 years. He works year round in the Summerfuel’s New York office where he oversees marketing and strategy.
• Mary Lynn Alton, Vice President
  
  Mary Lynn has BA’s in both Architecture and Political Science from Rice University and currently works in the NY office directing all of Summerfuel’s Campus programs. She has served as the Director of the Oxford Experience (six years) and Summerfuel at UMass-Amherst (three years). Prior to joining Summerfuel, Mary Lynn spent several years as Assistant Director of Admissions at Rice University.
• Marta Ramos, Vice President
  
  Marta received an honors degree in Linguistics and Translation from the University of Granada, Spain. Marta is a native of Spain and has directed the Spanish homestay program for the last fourteen years. Marta oversees language and study abroad programs in France, Spain and Italy, from Summerfuel’s New York office.
• Anne Fenton, Academic Director
  
  Anne graduated from Wesleyan University with high honors from the interdisciplinary program College of Letters, and earned her MA in Classics from St. John’s College. She has taught English and French, and worked as a literacy coach in the Santa Fe public schools. Anne directs Summerfuel in Nice and serves as the Director of Human Resources and Academic Programming at the Summerfuel office in New York.
• Marissa Bates, Associate Director
  
  Marissa graduated cum laude with a degree in Religion and Geology from Amherst College. She served as a Resident Advisor at Leaders for Social Change at Yale University during the summer of 2011, and currently works as an Associate Director at Summerfuel’s headquarters in New York.
• Ben Kaberon, Associate Director
  
  Ben received his BA in Politics from Brandeis University in 2007, and currently works as an Associate Director for Summerfuel in New York. Ben previously worked as an English teacher in Andalulcia and Valencia, and started his own school on the island of Mallorca, for which he now advises and consults. He has worked at the Summerfuel program in Barcelona since 2008, starting as a Resident Advisor, and currently as a director.

Summer Staff

• Jessica Allen, CAP Program Director
  
  Jessica holds a BA in Economics from Amherst College and a Master of Science in Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education. After completing her BA at Amherst, Jessica joined Teach For America where she excelled as both as both a teacher and administrator at Bronx Latin School. Jessica has directed CAP programs for four summers.
• Jane Gabin, CAP College Counselor
  
  Jane Gabin received her Ph.D. in English from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her B.A. in English from Queens College in New York. After working as an instructor at Chapel Hill Senior High School and Duke University, Jane transitioned into college admissions at UNC, where she served as the Senior Assistant Director and director of international admissions for 10 years. She subsequently worked as a college counselor at United Nations International School and Little Red School House/Elizabeth Irwin School in NYC. She is currently Director of College Guidance at The Frisch School in Paramus, NJ. Jane recently published her third book, American Women in Gilded Age Britain. She also writes the "Ask the College Counselor" column at www.insideschools.org.
• Alyssa Holan, Director, Summerfuel in Barcelona
  
  Alyssa received her BA from Knox College, MA from Loyola University Chicago and PhD from Michigan State. She currently lives in Seville and teaches American university student studying abroad. Alyssa first joined Summerfuel in 2007 and has spent a significant amount of time living, traveling and conducting research in Spain. She previously directed the Michigan State Program in Spain and returns to direct Summerfuel’s Barcelona program for the fifth year.
• George Kinzel, Director, Summerfuel at UMass
  
  George has a BS in Human Resource Management with a Minor in Theater Arts from Binghamton University and also earned an MA in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He currently works at Bloomsburg University as the Assistant Director of Residence Life for Human Resources, Programming and Campus Leadership. The summer of 2012 marks his 16th summer with Summerfuel.
• AJ Kohlhepp, Director, Summerfuel at Berkeley
  
  AJ has extensive experience as both an instructor and administrator at independent schools and summer programs. He earned his BA in political science at Trinity College and his PhD in British Literature at University of Texas at Austin. He currently teaches English and coaches squash, football and baseball at Berkshire School. AJ returns after serving as a director at Summerfuel Berkeley in 2011.
• Matt Lawrence, CAP College Counselor
  
  Summer 2012 will be Matt’s fourth summer as an ASA CAP college counselor. Matt completed his BA at Stanford University, his Masters in Education Policy at Harvard University and is currently completing his PhD at Yale. Matt spent five years as Assistant Director of Admission at Stanford University before joining the college counseling office at Milton Academy outside of Boston.
• Brad Miller, Director, Summerfuel in Florence
  
  Brad completed his AB in Classics at Harvard University, his ML at the University of Florida and his MEd at Stanford University. Summer 2012 will be Brad’s eleventh summer with Summerfuel, and he has worked with student programs for the last fifteen years including leading trips in Rome and Tuscany. He is currently Assistant Director of the Marist College abroad program in Florence.
• Michelle Morales, CAP Program Director
  
  Michelle received a BFA in photography and art therapy from the School of Arts, and has extensive experience working with non-profit and educational organizations. She previously worked as a program coordinator for the Girls Education and Mentoring Services, and as the Executive Director of ECHO prosocial gallery Inc. Michelle returns in 2012 to director Summerfuel’s CAP program at Columbia University.
• Michel Remy, Academic Director, Summerfuel in Nice
  
  Michel is Professor of English Literature and History of Art at the University of Nice and a leading authority on British Surrealism. Michel has extensive experience organizing academic programs, including oversight of the Smithsonian’s summer art institutes in southern France and his position as Director of the International Summer University (UIE) at the University of Nice. This will be Michel’s 16th summer with Summerfuel in Nice.
• Paul Saville, Director, Summerfuel at Oxford
  
  Educated at Glasgow and Oxford (MLitt), Paul has worked with Summerfuel as Program Director in Oxford since 1992. Paul was a faculty member of St. Clare’s College (Oxford) since 1972 and headed St. Clare’s Liberal Arts Programme for international students for over 20 years.
• Dan Sheff, Director, Summerfuel at Yale
  
  Dan teaches Spanish and coaches boys soccer and basketball at Middlesex school and has varied experience organizing school trips abroad and serving as a dorm parent and coach. Dan earned a B.A. in Spanish at St. Lawrence University and received his M.A. from Middlebury College. He returns to direct Summerfuel at Yale for a third year; he has previously directed Summerfuel in Barcelona.
• Catherine Simpson, Assistant Director, Summerfuel in Spain
  
  Catherine received her BA from the University of Georgia Honors Program and completed her PhD at SUNY-Stony Brook. She is currently an assistant professor of Spanish at the University of Georgia. She first joined Summerfuel in 2002 as Assistant Director for the Barcelona program, and she has been Assistant Director and Academic Coordinator for Spanish in España for the past eight years.
• Tiffany Trotter, Director, Summerfuel at Stanford
  
  Tiffany has over ten years of independent school experience and is currently a history teacher at Philips Exeter Academy. She has degrees from Stanford and University of Chicago and is currently working on her dissertation. Tiffany has previously served as a senior staff member at Summerfuel’s programs at Princeton and Berkeley, and currently directs Summerfuel at Stanford.
• Willem Vroegh, Director, Summerfuel at Berkeley
  
  Willem graduated from Miami University of Ohio and then completed his MEd at Smith College. He has thirteen years teaching experience and sixteen years of Summerfuel experience at Stanford, UMass and Oxford. He returns to direct the Berkeley program for the tenth summer.