Meet the Alumni Council

Ana Arthur

IV Study Abroad Alumni Council President

Ana Arthur graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2019 with a degree in International Studies and a concentration in Social Justice. During her time at VCU, she spent a year abroad in Bradford, England and Aix-en-Provence, France. Spending time with IV study abroad truly helped shape her relationship with the Lord and the importance of Global Missions. Currently, she lives in Madison, WI and is on staff with InterVarsity as the program coordinator for Urbana 22. When she is not working, she enjoys coffee shops, photography and traveling.

Aubrey Nguyễn

IV Study Abroad Alumni Council Secretary

Aubrey graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2021 with degrees in International Public Relations and English Linguistics. During her Sophomore year, she studied abroad in Groningen, the Netherlands. While abroad, she participated in InterVarsity’s Global Leader’s Internship, attending Launch Barcelona and Journey Italy. This transformative experience solidified her love for the culture, languages, and people of the world, leading her to pursue her masters in Teaching English as a Second Language. After graduation, she hopes to move abroad to love, serve, and live life with both the beautiful and broken parts of people and culture.

Cassie Geil

This is Cassie, she graduated from Clarkson University with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 2021. Cassie studied abroad at TU Delft in the Netherlands for both the fall and spring semesters of her junior year. During her time abroad she was a part of InterVarsity's Global Leadership Cohort and participated in Journey Italy. Through IV study abroad programs and local community abroad, Cassie’s faith journey ignited into far more than she had thought possible. She experienced the importance of community, learned and practiced different ways to connect with God, and most importantly began to see life as a journey more than a series of destinations. Cassie now lives and works in Las Vegas, with no lack of people and communities in need of God’s restorative love, she is thankful for everything study abroad did to equip her to impact people in her new home.

Emma Choo

Emma is a full-time foodie and traveler based out of Vancouver, Canada! For her undergraduate degree, she studied Sociology and Law & Society at the University of British Columbia, allowing her to develop her growing joy of learning about the world around her through different perspectives. In her third year, Emma went abroad to Manchester, UK where she went to Launch London and Journey Ireland. These two IV Study Abroad programs broadened her perspective to see that God works and moves in every and any situation - especially when things don’t go as planned. Her favorite funny memory on Journey Ireland was staying at a monastery and eating their homemade mac ‘n cheese made with bleu cheese and their homemade pizza that has stuffed cheese crusts! Who knew they made such delicious foods at a monastery!

James Surdam

James graduated from The George Washington University in 2016 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. He studied abroad at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, and participated in Intervarsity Study Abroad programming, including the Journey Ireland pilgrimage. IV Study Abroad programs helped James connect with Christians abroad and expand his love of international missions. James currently lives in New York City where he enjoys running and exploring parks.