My Story
My hometown is East Grand Forks, Minnesota, where winter temperatures can reach 40 below! It’s a great place to grow up with some of the nicest (in fact there is a special “Minnesota nice”) people you will ever meet. It’s no wonder I ended up in the Southwest, land of sunshine! Feeling that warmth and seeing that big blue sky every day, I never grow tired of it!
Hobbies/Interests/Passions: Running, crossword puzzles, writing/journaling, hiking, visiting lesser-known archeological sites across the Southwest, traveling. (Internationally and locally too, I love road trips!)
Love for all animals and especially my blue heeler, nickname ZoZo, full name Aozora, Japanese for “Blue Sky” (named by a Japanese exchange student we were hosting, and a perfect homage to my love of our endless blue skies!).
- Previously lived in: New York City, Washington DC, Lincoln Nebraska
- # Countries Visited: 99 countries… Favorite: impossible to say!
- Most visited place: Abu Dhabi, UAE
My Mentors
When I was an undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I joined a women’s mentoring group, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of strong, supportive women in my life who have served as role models, bosses, colleagues, and friends.
Special shout out to Daria, a woman who taught me everything I know about this industry, who is a modern day superwoman, and who is still one of my favorite people!
Why Menaul?
I am passionate about international education and preparing students to be global citizens. My background is in scholarship promotion/management, mostly at the higher education/professional levels.
I worked at the Department of State on cultural exchange/citizen diplomacy programs for emerging leaders, and then at the Institute of International Education (IIE) for 7+ years. While there, I managed outreach, recruitment, and selection activities for a variety of large-scale global programs, universities, and institutions.
When I moved from New York City to Albuquerque, I was seeking a community, a balanced life, and more personal connection with students. I found that at Menaul. I like that we are small and supportive and family-like.
Ms. Hille
One of my favorite parts of my job is coordinating study abroad opportunities for our students. I first traveled outside the US when I was in high school, and it truly is a lifechanging and defining moment where you learn to go outside your comfort zone and understand a glimpse of the complexity of the world. I love being able to create opportunities like that for our students.
Meeting our future Panthers at various expos and student events around the world is the best. And having the privilege of witnessing their development as young women and men during their time at Menaul. It makes graduation really special – I get to see the before Menaul and after Menaul transformation.
To Families Considering Menaul:
- We are great for students who want to be part of a caring and supportive community.
- Students who want to be contributors and leaders in a place that will celebrate you as individuals.
- Who want to challenge themselves academically, enjoy the outdoors, try new things, and make new friendships!
Ms. Hille has a B.A. in International Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and M.A. in International Affairs, George Washington University