Portland Staff | Carpe Diem Education

Meet Our Leadership Team

While our headquarters (HQ) is in Portland, Oregon, our administrative team operates around the globe constantly, where we are all dedicated to providing a positive and supportive experience to students and families. From initial inquiry and application to post-semester alumni engagement, our mission is to provide the best possible outcomes for students, families, Overseas Educators, and the communities with whom we engage.

Most of our HQ staff have led multiple programs overseas, and enjoy connecting to the field through program development, staff support, and deepening relationships with in-country partners. With diverse experiences and interests, our HQ team is united in our commitment to being a caring, compassionate, and professional team.

As a community and as individuals, we strive to live in a way that reflects our values of growth and transformation.

Ethan Knight

Executive Director & Founder

Ethan founded Carpe Diem in 2007 after having worked with a gap year organization for almost a decade. During his tenure in the gap year field, Ethan has led groups in India, Bali, Central America, New Zealand, and has developed programs in East Africa, Indonesia, South America, India, and Central America. Ethan speaks fairly fluent Spanish, although Swahili and basic Hindi were previously in his repertoire. Ethan’s been inspired by his mother who worked as a social worker for her entire career, with 5 years being internationally in Cambodia.

Having graduated from Catlin Gabel School, a progressive high school in Portland, Oregon, there was great emphasis put on graduating from college in four years, and he became the putative black sheep of his class for being the first of his troupe to take a gap year. Consequently, about 90% of his class ended up on the 5 or 6-year college plan . . . and all are much happier for it (and doing amazingly interesting things).

Ethan’s passion for experiential international education came from his own gap year experience. As he says, he “followed the herd” from high school onto University and after one year found himself depressed and with a deficit of meaningful interactions … and so decided it was high-time to bale from classes and dive into the bigger peaks of life.

On his gap year, Ethan traveled to India, Nepal, Tibet and Thailand – he trekked the Annapurna circuit, meditated for 10 days in noble silence, volunteered in a community kitchen, renewed his faith in humanity, lived in a thatched hut for a month during monsoon, and in general caught that pervasive of “travel bugs” – giardia . . . he also fell in love with travel.

After taking his own “gap year”, Ethan returned to Willamette University and quickly graduated in 2001 with a dual degree in English and Philosophy and a minor in Environmental Science. Ethan has been a speaker at the City of Portland’s Tri-County Diversity Conference, the National Honor Society, the International Baccalaureate program for the state of Colorado, IECA & HECA, the International Partnership for Service-Learning, and many high schools and alternative education programs. He has led countless leadership training seminars, founded Carpe Mundi (Carpe Diem’s non-profit wing), and much more.

In 2012, Ethan left Carpe Diem to found the Gap Year Association, the only membership-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing the gap year movement. He recently retired from GYA in January of 2022 and continues to co-chair the Standards and Accreditation Committee.

Adam Aronovitz

Director of Partnerships & Purpose

As an infant, Adam spent his first summer visiting his family in Athens, Greece and unknowingly caught a relatively common disease called ‘Itchy Feet’ which has forced Adam to constantly seek adventure, cultural immersion, and awe-inspiring vistas. When Adam was 21, he set foot on the SS Universe Explorer and circumnavigated the globe by sea, cementing his passion for cross-cultural exploration and education. He loves nothing more than supporting students and families to support them on their personal journeys of growth and discovery. Adam has led for 11 seasons with Global Routes to destinations such as Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Grenadines, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania, Costa Rica, Hawai'i and Ecuador. He has more than 25 years under his belt as an educator, ranging from running summer camps, leading for Global Routes, Crossroads, and Outward Bound, teaching in the Boston Public Schools, and leading health and nutrition education programs across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

During those rare moments when he is not leading, directing, or developing programs with Global Routes and Carpe Diem Education, Adam is on a mission to solve the world's greatest health and environmental problems through his work as the Co-Founder of The Cookbook Project. Adam earned his Bachelor’s Degree in International Political Economy at Tulane University in New Orleans and his Master’s Degree in International Relations at London’s University of Westminster. Adam is a Food Education Scholar and Certified Health Counselor from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. He is a certified teacher in history, English, math, and ESL. Adam is a Propeller Accelerator Fellow and has served on the Board of Directors for Odanadi USA, and the Community Advisory Boards of the Tulane Prevention Research Center, the Healthy School Food Collaborative, Farm to School planning commission, and Tulane Young Alumni. Adam has traveled, volunteered, worked, and adventured in more than 80 different countries, and enjoys spending time connecting with the world with his community, playing with his two dogs Hoogli and Dorje, rock climbing, yoga, wilderness backpacking, learning new languages, sailing, and adventures in the Himalayas. When stationary, he resides in the Puna District of Hawai'i Island.

FUN FACTS

Anne has worked as a cook at both a French language immersion camp in Northern Minnesota and at an organic farm camp on the coast of California.

Anne was the winner of the annual concerto competition in college and performed as a Bassoon soloist with the orchestra.

One of Anne’s favorite meals is freshly popped popcorn and Annie’s Macaroni & Cheese … together.

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder

Anne Koenning

Director of Operations

Prior to joining the Carpe Diem HQ team, Anne worked in the admissions offices of two other experiential education organizations for four years. Born and raised in Oberlin, Ohio, Anne grew up in a small town and moved west to attend college at Lewis & Clark in Portland, Oregon. Anne majored in Sociology and Anthropology in school and spent much of her time exploring the Pacific Northwest, studying the Bassoon and playing in the college orchestra. During her junior year, Anne participated in a Semester in India with the National Outdoor Leadership School which is where her love of international travel and experiential education began.

After graduating from Lewis & Clark, she came upon Carpe Diem and had the opportunity to intern at HQ for six months where she became familiar with the ins and outs of program administration and what goes on behind the scenes of making transformative experiences possible for students. Since completing her internship in the Carpe Diem office, Anne has lived in Lander, Wyoming and Boulder, Colorado and is thrilled to be living back on the West Coast.

While working in the administration of a similar international education organization, Anne had the opportunity to lead groups of students along the Silk Road from Beijing to Kashgar in China and throughout Myanmar. In her role, Anne loves having the opportunity to connect with students and their families as they prepare for an international semester experience. She also works closely with the Operations Team to ensure that the behind the scenes operations continue running smoothly. When she's not in the office, Anne can be found cooking, enjoying time with friends in Portland and beyond, attending bluegrass shows and spending time with her backyard chickens.

Brian Jewett

Director of Finance

Brian was born into a family of travelers in Eugene, OR. He spent many summers camping and backpacking across the Pacific Northwest with his family and his Boy Scout Troop. Brian is an Eagle Scout Award recipient and it shines through in his leadership abilities. As a participant in Eugene’s International High School program, Brian acquired the skills to understand, communicate with, respect, and value cultures of the world. Brian developed his thirst for travel when he was 9 as his family spent 10 weeks traveling across the country together in their motor home visiting national parks, historical sites, and amusement parks. He then dove into the world of overseas travel while spending a semester abroad in Japan during his junior year of High School. He gained a much better understanding of Japanese language and culture as all of his classes were conducted in Japanese. Since his initial dive he has continued to explore the world by visiting Mexico, Europe, Uganda, Tanzania, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. He traveled to SE Asia to help scout for Carpe Diem Education's program there and then co-led the semester in the fall of 2009.

Brian started his college career by moving to San Francisco to soak up the melting pot of culture and attend SF State University. He returned home two years later to complete his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with minors in Business Administration and Japanese Language at the University of Oregon. After graduating in 2003, Brian moved to Portland where he started working in coffee shops throughout the region. For the last 6 years he has juggled and transitioned through being a barista, manager of a coffee shop, behind the scenes help for Carpe Diem, Overseas Educator, and now our Office Manager.

When Brian is not traveling or working, he can often be found outside getting his hands dirty in the garden. While in the garden Brian becomes lost in the sights, smells, and sounds that surround him. He also enjoys spending time with family, cooking, riding his motorcycle, home construction, and spending as much time outdoors as possible.

Education, service, and community have long been themes in his life and we're proud and honored to have him working in the office with us!

FUN FACTS

In an effort to get to know the US a bit better, Heather took a cross-country bicycle ride the summer after she graduated college. Pedaling from San Francisco to Washington DC she got a wonderful glimpse into parts of the country she had never explored before.

One of Heather’s favorite travel activities is exploring produce markets and buying new and interesting fruits to taste.

Heather’s travel “comfort” items that make living out of a backpack that much easier are her yoga mat(to stretch out after long bus/plane rides) and a thermos (so she can always have a cup of tea).

Heather Diamond Vaught

Senior Program Director: Central America, South America, Italy & Greece

Heather first discovered Carpe Diem in 2008, when she was looking for a way to combine her passions for experiential education, travel, and outdoor adventure. She grew up in a small suburb of Chicago and didn't know about Gap Years when she graduated high school. However, a semester in South America her sophomore year in college opened her eyes to the transformative power that the combination of travel, independence, and education can have. She spent another semester abroad, this time interning as a cultural exchange teacher at a K-12 school in India, and knew she would continue to seek out experiences that pushed her comfort zone for a long time to come.

After finishing her BA in International Affairs at the University of Colorado-Boulder, she moved to Costa Rica for a year and a half, where she worked at an Environmental Learning Center, facilitating workshops and service projects related to conservation and education and fine-tuning her Spanish. She moved back to the US to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Environment, Education, and Community at the University of Washington, but was still searching for a way to incorporate international exchange into the mix. Carpe Diem was the perfect fit!

Since starting with Carpe in 2008, Heather has had the amazing opportunity to lead programs in Central and South America, India, the South Pacific, and Southeast Asia. In addition to working for Carpe, she also completed a yoga teacher certification program in India and an MS in Leadership for Sustainability Education at Portland State University. Since transitioning from the field to Carpe Diem's Portland, Oregon office, she spent a year as a Latitudes Director, before taking on the role as Program Director for Carpe's Latin America programs. She loves helping others find amazing opportunities abroad, and facilitating opportunities for joy, laughter, and adventure.

Doug Zaideman

Latitudes Year Coordinator

Doug joins the Carpe Diem HQ staff as the Latitudes Year & Outreach Coordinator after having spent several semesters working in the field as a Carpe Diem Overseas Educator. Since joining the Carpe Diem team in 2016, Doug has had the opportunity to lead programs in Central and South America, the South Pacific, India, and Hawaii all with incredible student groups and co-OEs! As the Latitudes Year & Outreach Coordinator, Doug enjoys working with students, families, foreign contacts and the HQ staff in a whole new capacity. Having personally volunteered with many of the organizations Latitudes Year students will work with, he is excited to support students on what are sure to be life changing experiences.

Born and raised in suburban Chicago, Doug’s family laid the groundwork for a love of nature at an early age thanks to their keen interest of escaping the city to the Northwoods of Wisconsin, canoeing in the Boundary Waters and taking road trips all over the country. As a teenager, he participated on adventure travel camps that first showed him the power and benefit of group experiential education. Whilst traveling internationally on his own throughout Southeast Asia and South America he became inspired to pursue work in the field of outdoor education, return to those roots in experiential education, which has led him to this point. Getting to help facilitate experiential education programs has been a dream come true for Doug, who knows first hand how the world serves as both the best teacher and classroom.

Colorado has been Doug’s home-base most of his adult life, and when not leading incredible trips, he can usually be found playing outside hiking, snowboarding, fly fishing or flinging a frisbee through the beautiful Rocky Mountains. He has pursued interests in permaculture, teaching English, cooking, sustainable local development, SCUBA, meditation and environmental tourism across the globe. Some of the coolest experiences that this adventurous lifestyle has provided Doug have been swimming with swarming manta rays and a whale shark on his birthday off the coast of Mozambique; tuning in to the rhythm of the Amazon traveling down its waters by boat and hammock; and exploring mystical caves in Laos and Vietnam!

FUN FACTS

Katz's quest for perfection led her to become a Roti Enthusiast during her time in Bali. Each day, she took on a delicious adventure to perfect her own version of the traditional roti, savoring different varieties until she cracked the recipe for the perfect roti.

Katz's love for the beach and nature is evident in her family's connection to the outdoors. They named their three children: Sky, Summer, and Star, reflecting their deep bond with nature.

During her solo adventure in Bintan, Indonesia, Katz often surprised locals who couldn't believe she was traveling alone. Everywhere she went, she was warmly offered double welcome drinks, double servings, and seated at tables set for two, adding a humorous twist to her solo journey!

Katz Triviño Kaharian

Enrollment & Outreach Coordinator

Katz has always been driven by two core passions: making a positive impact and exploring the wonders of the world. For years, she has dedicated herself to giving back, volunteering with children and youth, sharing her faith, and nurturing creativity through music, arts, and language. Whether she's on a volunteer mission or participating in local outreach programs, her goal is always to leave a lasting, positive impact.

Her adventurous nature led her to immerse herself in the rich culture and cuisine of Bali for several months (who could resist!). Living and working in Singapore and exploring nearby countries only deepened her appreciation for diverse cultures and experiences.

Today, Katz continues her adventures with her family, discovering the beauty of their birthplace, the Philippines, and sharing their love for the beach, nature, and water sports. Her dedication to making a difference inspires her to seek out new opportunities wherever she goes.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a major in Business Economics and is currently pursuing a Master's degree. She brings years of experience in executive support and over a decade of expertise in global and local management, focusing on operations and customer service.

Beyond her professional roles, she finds joy in tutoring ESL students and expressing her creativity as a visual designer.

Madeline Willett

Director of Social Media

After a transformative high school exchange in Patagonia, Argentina, Madeline attended the University of South Carolina with the intention of "majoring" in study abroad. Throughout her studies, she spent a year in Spain and a summer performing research on the effects of experiential education on identity in South Africa, funded by a Magellan Research Grant.

Since, she's worked for several international education companies for both inbound and outbound students, performing roles as guide, cultural immersion coach, advisor, and operations management. Along the way, she's been a leader for international programming for both adults and students and worked as an English teacher in Vietnam.

Madeline comes to Carpe Diem after several years of experience as an advisor to gap students, a marketing and operations specialist, and entrepreneur. In her free time, she can be found frequenting local businesses at home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, trying to catch up with the rest of her running group, or mentally rewriting the scripts of the latest movie release.

Cornerstone Safety Group

Cornerstone Safety Group is an industry leading group of experts that combine essential health, safety and risk management services and consulting for the travel and experiential education industries.

With expertise in all three fields and a team of industry-leading experts as advisors, Cornerstone provides resources, mentorship, training, and community to travel and experiential education organizations and their leaders. We are proud to get to work with the incredible team of professionals at Cornerstone, as well as the community they foster in this work.

Dave Dennis

Chief Advisor, Risk Management

Dave is co-founder and Executive Director of Cornerstone Safety Group. He is also the founder and President of Resilient Solutions, a risk management and emergency response consulting firm serving travel and experiential education organizations since 2011.

He has a risk management master’s degree from Norwich University, has spent the past 27 years in domestic and international travel operations, and has advised over 60 organizations in risk management practices and training. Dave is also the Secretary of the Gap Year Association’s Standards and Accreditation Committee and has spent time as an ambassador with the Responder Alliance focusing on emotional well-being and the stress continuum.

Before starting Cornerstone, Dave was the Vice President of Health, Safety and Risk Management at some of the largest organizations in the travel and experiential education industries.

Cornerstone Safety Group

Josh Dubansky, M.D.

Chief Medical Advisor

Dr. Dubansky is the co-founder and Medical Director of Cornerstone Safety Group. He is a Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physician with special expertise in Wilderness Medicine. Dr. Dubansky is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Nevada School of Medicine and serves as Medical Director for the Northstar California ski clinic, three national forests and several outdoor adventure companies.

Dr. Dubansky received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2010, then trained in Emergency Medicine at UCSF-Fresno where he created and completed an area of concentration in Wilderness Medicine Education in 2014. Dr. Dubansky’s experience includes designing and implementing EMS field scenarios and mass casualty drills, lecturing extensively to medical students, EMTs, nurses, physicians, and National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service Rangers. He has also developed National Park Service EMS protocols as part of UCSF-Fresno’s ParkMedic and Wilderness Medicine Programs.

Dr. Dubansky is also a co-founder of Tahoe Wilderness Medicine, where he still leads outdoor adventure trips. He has taught for or helped run numerous outdoor programs, including NOLS, Cal Adventures at U.C. Berkeley, Cornell University Outdoor Education, California Canoe and Kayak, ARTA River Trips and Healing Waters San Francisco. Dr. Dubansky volunteers as a National Ski Patrol physician and is a diplomate of the Wilderness Medical Society’s Diploma in Mountain Medicine program.

Cornerstone Safety Group

Maureen MacConnell, PMHNP-BC, PSY-M

Chief Mental Health Advisor

Maureen MacConnell, PMHNP-BC, PSY-M, is a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner providing mental health consultation and training in over 60 countries globally. She has advanced degrees in Clinical Psychology and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, and is pursuing a Doctorate in Education in Human and Organizational Learning. Maureen joins Cornerstone with fifteen years experience as a mental health clinician both domestically and internationally. She believes in providing continuous, adaptive support for travelers and is passionate about navigating the complexities of international healthcare.

Cornerstone Safety Group

Mike Armstrong

Risk Management Advisor

Mike has worked for experiential learning and adventure companies around the world for 30+ years. Beginning as an outdoor educator in Oregon, Idaho, and California with the Pacific Crest Outward Bound School (now NWOBS), he later served in senior leadership. He went on to work as an Instructor for Outward Bound Australia in 1995-96 and as the Head of Operations for Outward Bound Hong Kong from 2018-2022. Currently in a role at the American Red Cross as the Disaster Program Manager for Western North Carolina and as the Risk Management Consultant for Outward Bound International, Mike also travels the world to consult on risk management in outdoor adventure businesses and regularly presents at conferences on cultural risk tolerance and risk management. He is also a member of numerous boards, including Risk Management Committees in the USA, Hong Kong, China and Outward Bound International. His expertise resides in operations, logistics, safety and risk management and team building. An avid mountaineering and rock climbing guide, sea kayak guide and white-water rafting guide, he has personally climbed and paddled all over the world. A personal accomplishment of his, Mike has mastered 50 first ascents in the US and a first ski descent in the Fairweather Range of Alaska. Mike moved from Hong Kong to Asheville, North Carolina in 2022. In his spare time he loves spending time with his family, exploring the crags of North Carolina,traveling, riding his bike, staring at maps and reading books on safety and risk management.

Cornerstone Safety Group

Margaret Kelso

Risk Management Advisor

Margaret, along with her role with Cornerstone Safety Group, is the Executive Director of Talisman Programs, a camp in Western North Carolina serving adolescents and young adults with ADHD and on the Autism spectrum. She also currently serves on the Association of Experiential Education Accreditation Council. She formerly held the positions of Director of Operations and Director of Risk Management and Compliance at Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness (2021-2024), Health Director at Open Sky Wilderness Therapy (2017-2021, and Program Director, Case Manager, Staff Mentor, and Head Guide at Alaska Crossings (2010-2016) and has worked with commercial rafting, canoeing, and kayaking companies. She is formerly the Best Practices Committee Chair on the Outdoor Behavioral Health Council Board.

Margaret has enjoyed traveling and exploring the world and has also had incredible opportunities to live in Minnesota, Alaska, Colorado, and now is based in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband, two beautiful children, and dogs.

Cornerstone Safety Group

Michael Habicht, MD, DiMM, FAWM

Medical Advisor

Michael Habicht, MD, DiMM, FAWM is an emergency physician in South Lake Tahoe, California. He began his outdoor and travel career as a backpacking and rock climbing guide before going to medical school and emergency residency at the University of California, Irvine. Today, he serves as the Medical Director for Heavenly and Kirkwood Professional Ski Patrol, an instructor for the Diploma in Mountain Medicine course for the Wilderness Medical Society and served in El Dorado County Search and Rescue for 10 years. He continues to travel and climb around the world with ascents including Alaska’s Denali, Ama Dablam in the Himalaya, Kilimanjaro, and countless climbs and backpacking trips all across California with his family. He has trained extensively in travel medicine, high altitude medicine, and has a special affinity for traveling with children and teens as a father of two adventurous boys who have hike and climbed across the world with him.

The Portland Team

Meet Our Leadership Team

Ethan Knight

FUN FACTS

FAVORITE QUOTE:

Ethan Knight

Executive Director & Founder

Adam Aronovitz

FUN FACTS

Adam Aronovitz

Director of Partnerships & Purpose

Anne Koenning

FUN FACTS

FAVORITE QUOTE:

Anne Koenning

Director of Operations

Brian Jewett

FUN FACTS

Brian Jewett

Director of Finance

Heather Diamond Vaught

FUN FACTS

Heather Diamond Vaught

Senior Program Director: Central America, South America, Italy & Greece

Doug Zaideman

FUN FACTS

FAVORITE QUOTE:

Doug Zaideman

Latitudes Year Coordinator

Katz Triviño Kaharian

FUN FACTS

Katz Triviño Kaharian

Enrollment & Outreach Coordinator

Madeline Willett

FUN FACTS

Madeline Willett

Director of Social Media

Dave Dennis

Cornerstone Safety Group

Dave Dennis

Chief Advisor, Risk Management

Josh Dubansky, M.D.

Cornerstone Safety Group

Josh Dubansky, M.D.

Chief Medical Advisor

Maureen MacConnell, PMHNP-BC, PSY-M

Cornerstone Safety Group

Maureen MacConnell, PMHNP-BC, PSY-M

Chief Mental Health Advisor

Mike Armstrong

Cornerstone Safety Group

Mike Armstrong

Risk Management Advisor

Margaret Kelso

Cornerstone Safety Group

Margaret Kelso

Risk Management Advisor

Michael Habicht, MD, DiMM, FAWM

Cornerstone Safety Group

Michael Habicht, MD, DiMM, FAWM

Medical Advisor

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