Meet Our Staff

Lauren McCabe grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and from a young age she had a desire to learn about the world through travel.  In 2005 she received a B.A. from the George Washington University in International Affairs, with concentrations in International Development and Contemporary Cultures and Societies.  As a college student, she had her first experience with cultural immersion when she volunteered to teach English for a summer in a small Mexican village.  Living with a family and immersing herself in this tight-knit community deepened Lauren’s belief in the power of travel to change lives.  As a junior, Lauren spent one semester studying with indigenous communities in India, New Zealand, and Mexico, and another semester in a cultural immersion program in Madurai, South India, where she lived with a family and conducted field research on women’s spaces. 

After college, Lauren received a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English in a small town in Argentina.  While living in South America for a year, she had the opportunity to travel across Argentina and Peru, exploring the diverse landscapes and cultures of both countries.  Since college, Lauren has also returned to South India twice to work for a study abroad program and to study the Tamil language.

Currently, Lauren works at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, California, where she coordinates a Service Learning program and teaches yoga.  Her students’ projects include cleaning up a local river, making organic jam for a local food pantry, and spreading awareness about the environmental and health impacts of disposable plastic.  In her free time, Lauren loves hanging out at the beach, hiking, and sharing meals with friends.