Base Camp: Montana
Faculty for Fall Semester, Southern Africa 2003
Faculty for Spring Semester, South America 2004

Jennifer Royall is a lifelong educator whose Traveling School history began in 2003. Successfully running semesters in southern Africa and South America, Jennifer fell in love with the power of The Traveling School’s mission, believing students learn best when the material is relevant and accessible and that the power of engaging in another culture can broaden personal points of view, enrich global understanding and transform lives. In 2008, Jennifer joined the administrative staff and later transitioned to the Head of School, becoming Executive Director in 2016.

Prior to The Traveling School, Jennifer spent nearly 20 years in the classroom. With a M.Ed. from Lesley College and a BA in Political Science from Duke University, she first learned the importance of incorporating outdoor education, community engagement and rigorous academics at the Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, CA. Later, as a middle school teacher, she endeavored to broaden the traditional classroom by infusing Montana’s natural wonders and its people. Jennifer earned National Board Certification in 1999 and received recognition for her teaching efforts with a Milken National Educator Award In 2001.

Additionally, Jennifer’s professional experience in the outdoors includes two decades of leading biking, hiking and river trips with teens and adults throughout the Rocky Mountain West and internationally in wild settings of New Zealand, Europe, Mongolia and Tahiti. Whenever possible, Jennifer and her husband have traveled extensively searching for suitably exciting whitewater for kayaking, the perfect waves to surf in Mexico and Central America, great ski spots all over the West, and remote waters for sea kayaking in Alaska.

Base Camp: Montana
Faculty for Spring Semester, South America 2010
Faculty for Fall Semester, Southern Africa 2011, 2012, 2013

Aunge Thomas graduated from Montana State University in 2004 with a B.S Degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Bio-resources engineering. Throughout college she worked with MSU Expeditions, a freshman outdoor orientation program, helped develop Wild MSU, a club for outdoor enthusiasts, and helped establish Engineers Without Borders-MSU. Upon finishing college, Aunge was a raft guide in the summer and a ski instructor at Big Sky Resort in the winter. Aunge taught at High Mountain Institute in Colorado, in addition to teaching with The Traveling School in South America and Southeast Africa. In her free time Aunge loves to explore the Gallatin Valley on her road bike, skis, kayak, or on her porch with a book and a good cup of coffee. Aunge believes in the power of teaching students to think outside the box to understand interconnectedness of the world today. The Traveling School imparts passion among students to seek knowledge about the aspects of the global community through unique and experiential educational settings.

Base Camp: New York
Board Member since 2020

Chris grew up in Western New York and spent summers on a lake in Muskoka, Canada where she first discovered her lifelong love of travel. As the mother of three daughters (one a TTS alumna), she is deeply committed to empowering women and is a firm believer that travel fosters wisdom and compassion. Chris works as a small business attorney and a non-profit consultant with a focus on helping mission-driven organizations thrive.

Base Camp: Maryland
Board Member since 2021

Kim works for MITRE, a non-profit science and engineering company. Growing up in a Southern Californian beach town, she encountered beachgoers speaking many different languages. This piqued her curiosity, eventually resulting in her earning a Ph.D. in Linguistics from UCSD. In 1975, her family hosted a Vietnamese refugee family, while her best friend’s family were recent immigrants from Iran. Bouncing between the three households, she developed a deep appreciation for the complexity of identity and culture. These twin concepts, intertwined with language, continue to fascinate her. In 2014, Kim’s daughter Lena joined a TTS semester in South America which reignited her passion for science and gave her the self-confidence to earn degrees in Physics, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Science. Seeing the powerful impact of TTS, Kim is committed to enabling more young women to have this opportunity.

Base Camp: Colorado
Board Member since 2023
Alumna, Spring Semester, South America 2012 (TTS19)
Alumnae Council Member, 2018-2022

Helen is an environmental social scientist pursuing a PhD at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she earned her MS in Environmental Studies. Her research focuses on the intersections between human migration and environmental change, and her primary project is based in Bangladesh, where she is studying the relationships between mobility, gender, development, and climate change adaptation. Helen has worked in nonprofit and international development in Myanmar, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC. She is an avid cyclist and races with a WTFNB (women/trans/femme/nonbinary) gravel cycling team. Originally from the rural mountains of Tennessee, Helen can trace her windy and wonderful path to her transformative TTS semester in South America.

Base Camp: Montana
Board Member since 2021

Meredith has been traveling internationally since high school and has ended up in a career that puts living and working overseas front and center, currently serving as the Project Director for a malaria prevention project based in West Africa. Outside of the US, Meredith has lived in France, Italy, Zambia, and Cambodia, and is relocating to Cote d’Ivoire for her next job with Population Services International, a health NGO. Through her travels to 45 different countries (and counting!), Meredith has developed a deep appreciation for what traveling and experiencing different cultures can bring to someone’s life and she brings this excitement for travel and cross-cultural engagement and learning to her role on the Board.  Meredith has a BA in Sociology from Emory University and a MA in International Economics and Development from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.  Besides traveling, Meredith loves to spend time with her husband and three kids hiking, biking, camping, swimming, or just generally enjoying nature.

Base Camp: Cape Town, South Africa
Board Member since 2024 

Base Camp: Seattle, Washington
Board Member since 2024

Ben Gardner is a Professor at the University of Washington, specializing in African Studies, environmental politics, and cultural studies. With over two decades of experience in academia, Ben brings a wealth of knowledge on the intersection of social justice, environmental sustainability, and global development. His research and teaching focus on how communities around the world are affected by and respond to global environmental and economic changes. He loves introducing students to new ways of looking at the world and has been recognized with the UW distinguished teaching and outstanding undergraduate mentor awards. 

Ben has been actively involved in several initiatives aimed at promoting more equitable forms of development and policy-making both in the United States and internationally. His leadership in these areas is underpinned by a deep commitment to reciprocity and transnational collaboration. Ben has developed and led community-service and study abroad programs for high school and college students for many years. He believes in the transformative power of place-based education and hands-on learning.

As a member of the TTS board of directors, Ben offers a strategic perspective grounded in an understanding of global systems, combined with a passion for creating impactful, community-driven solutions. His work aligns closely with the mission of TTS, ensuring that our efforts are both globally informed and locally relevant.

Base Camp: Oregon
Board Member since 2023
Alumna, Spring Semester, South America 2010 (TTS15)
Alumna, Fall Semester, Southern Africa 2011 (TTS18)

Cassy’s sense of adventure, love of traveling, and appreciation for experiential education came from her time with The Traveling School both as a student and a gap year intern. She studied Elementary Education and Psychology at Corban University and has held camp management, programming, and hospitality positions. She now works in career and technical education, focusing on strengthening and sustaining k-12 industry relationships in the Willamette Valley. She acts as a liaison between school districts, businesses, and workforce partners to create work-based learning opportunities that provide real-life on-the-job experiences for students. She’s committed to helping young people discover the opportunities available to them, while equipping them with the skills and confidence to succeed in those. She has a heart for non traditional approaches to education and is eager to serve The Traveling School in this capacity. In her free time, Cassy enjoys doing outdoor activities, eating food with people, doing anything creative, learning about home improvement and gardening, or planning her next adventure.

Base Camp: North Carolina
Board Member since 2023

John discovered TTS while volunteering at a local high school, and couldn’t wait to tell the family at dinner that night. Next thing you know his daughter Anne is in TTS22 and John became a passionate supporter of TTS and everything it stands for. He is a recently retired IT professional and travels widely, having visited all continents except Antarctica. He’s also worked as a radio disc jockey, a newspaper editor and a piano technician — career movements that offer a different form of travel, if you will, and a commitment to lifelong learning. John grew up in the Hudson Valley area of New York and enjoys yoga, hiking and skiing.

Base Camp: New York City
Board Member since 2023
Alumna, Spring Semester, South America 2011 (TTS17)

Zoe was a Traveling School student in Central America. Her time with the TTS stoked an already-strong desire to travel and gave Zoe the confidence to do it alone. Throughout college and law school, Zoe took trips across the world at every break and enjoyed creating memories—from working on an oyster farm in Australia to becoming a scuba instructor in Honduras. Zoe has a B.A. from Rice University and J.D. from the University of Texas. She likes to spend her free time sailing, scuba diving, and exploring new places.