JEN LAGEDROST

University of San Diego, B.A., English, Literature & Writing (minor in French); San Diego State University, M.F.A., Creative Writing (Poetry)

While attending the University of San Diego, Jen studied French language, theatre, and archaeology in France; art and culture in Mexico; and religious diversity in India. Between college and graduate school, Jen worked for a dude ranch in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains and on the Grand Teton slopes of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort before obtaining a BUNAC visa to live and work abroad in New Zealand. There she made Kiwi coffees as a barista on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu and wrote and traveled the North and South Islands before exploring the eastern coast of Australia, including a sailing trip through the Whitsunday Islands. While pursuing her M.F.A., Jen studied poetry translation and the art of the book, learning traditional typesetting, letterpress, and bookbinding techniques from around the world. She also taught Creative Writing and worked as an editor for Poetry International.  Her chapbook Negative Splits has twice been a finalist in Minerva Rising’s Dare to Be chapbook contest. A post-collegiate runner and certified yoga instructor, Jen has been a volunteer coach for Girls on the Run and has attended and helped lead yoga retreats in Bali, Thailand, and New Zealand. Last winter, Jen completed her Permaculture Design Certification with Earthcare Education Aotearoa in New Zealand and wrote for Tupelo Press’ 30/30 Project, a poetry-writing challenge that rendered a collection of poems based on Maori folklore and place names involving water. Jen is currently based in San Diego, where she works with the sustainability-focused organization The 1to1 Movement, manages her own business as a freelance editor, and is an ASA-certified sailor. Jen is part of Putney Student Travel’s outreach team and has led our Cultural Exploration Australia, New Zealand, & Fiji and Community Service Fiji programs. She is fluent in French.

DAVID LITTLEJOHN-CARRILLO

Columbia University, B.S., Mechanical Engineering

While at Columbia, David focused on Aeronautical Engineering within the Mechanical Engineering discipline. An active member of the Columbia University Whitewater Kayaking Club (and president from 2011–2014), he took every opportunity to explore the area around New York City and introduce the sport to those new to paddling. This past year, David cycled from New York to Seattle, road-tripped the West Coast of the U.S., and explored his native Mexico. Over the winter, he worked a ski season in the French Alps, where he focused on improving his French, as well as his skiing and snowboarding skills. David is half English and half Mexican, grew up in Italy and Oman, and has traveled extensively through Europe, Central America, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia. This fall, he will begin a master’s program in Advanced Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London. David is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, and French.