Mission
Linden Educational Services, Inc. assists regionally accredited U.S. universities in their efforts to recruit, enroll, and serve international students. We strive to be professional, knowledgeable, friendly and competent with all whom we meet, and to contribute to international understanding.

History
Linden Educational Services began in 1982 when several admissions officers (Bill Smart, Joann Stedman, Ann Goss, Elaine Burgess, Gary Hoover, Joe Silny and Tony Pallett, Ed Devlin and Karen Lowe Raftus) asked Linda Heaney to a) obtain permission from the Singapore government so they could host a University Fair; and b) handle the logistical arrangements for a tour to Southeast Asia. Since this group had traveled with IIE/Hong Kong the two previous years, they knew what they wanted and what to expect. Interestingly enough, the outline of briefings, visits and a public fair in each city have continued throughout Linden’s history.

Linden Staff
Linden staff members are professionals in international education, experienced overseas travelers and active members of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. While the trip itself may only last two or three weeks, the staff plans the programs throughout the year. They continually assess hotels, venues and advertising strategies and are available to answer questions and to suggest possible recruitment strategies. Each Linden Tour is led by at least one tour leader who is responsible for the professional program and tour logistics.

Kathy Harrington, Co-Owner and Executive Director, joined Linden full time in June 2004 and has led tours to Asia and India. Before joining Linden, Kathy lived in Brazil for more than 20 years, where she directed and taught in a large English as a Foreign Language (EFL) program and was the educational adviser with Associação Alumni in Sao Paulo. Kathy also worked at Ohio University, where she was the Associate Director of the Intensive English Program and was responsible for developing and implementing ESL programs for students and training programs for teachers, as well as recruiting students to the program. She is an active member of NAFSA.

Darryl Calkins, Co-Owner and Executive Director, joined Linden in January 2005 as the tour leader for Middle East and India. Darryl was previously the Dean of Undergraduate Enrollment at California Lutheran University. He has worked in international & domestic admissions at Elmhurst College, Loyola University-Chicago, Washington University and Pepperdine University. He holds a leadership position with NAFSA as the representative to the Council on Public Affairs for the National Admissions Committee, was a member of the CIE Committee and led one of their tours to Latin America.

JoBeth Brudner is Executive Director of Consultants for Educational Opportunities (CEO), an independent counseling service in Buenos Aires, Argentina. From 1988 to 1998, she was the coordinator of the U.S. government advising centers throughout Argentina and represented Latin America on the NAFSA: Association for International Educators OSEAS Leadership team from 1993-1996. Utilizing her thorough regional knowledge and excellent contacts, JoBeth leads Linden's tours to Latin America.

Gregory T. Walker worked for 11 years as an international admissions officer at three U.S. universities and has led Linden Tours to Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East since 1996. Currently a flight attendant for American Airlines when he isn't leading a Linden group, Greg is an active member of NAFSA and has consulted with the College Board, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), AMIDEAST, and a number of international corporations.

Deborah Hefferon is an independent consultant in international education and cross-cultural training in Washington, D.C. She has led Linden Tours to Asia, India, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America since 1990. She also works with several non-profit organizations such as the College Board, AMIDEAST, ACCELS, as well as the U.S. Department of State. She has consulted in more than 50 countries and has lived in Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Haiti, Malaysia, Morocco, Scotland and Thailand. She presents regularly at NAFSA conferences.

Jesse Jurgens, our Events Coordinator, joined Linden in July 2008. Originally from California, Jesse is a graduate of Santa Clara University, where she majored in Political Science and Spanish and minored in International Studies. Her international experience includes exchange programs in Cordoba and Buenos Aires, Argentina and teaching English as a Foreign Language at an institute in Santiago, Chile. Before coming to Linden, Jesse worked as a substitute teacher in Grand Rapids Public Schools in Michigan.

Brett Ratchford, our International Marketing Coordinator, joined Linden in August 2006 and handles marketing and publicity for all tours. Originally from Michigan, Brett is a graduate of UW-Madison, where he majored in International Studies and Journalism. His international experience includes living in Taiwan for 3 years as an ESL teacher, riding his bicycle and camping throughout much of southeast Asia, and, more recently, co-leading our Asia, China, and Latin America tours.

Advisory Committee
The Linden Tour Advisory Committee provides advice to the professional staff on the design of the tours and guidelines for tour participants. Comprised of international admissions officers who have participated in several Linden Tours, the Advisory Committee is also responsible for the selection of tour members.

The Advisory Committee:
Heather Augar, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Csilia Samay, Loyola Marymount University
Michael Gaynor, Villanova University
Joe Nairn, Rochester Institute of Technology
Debbie Hefferon, Consultant
Kay Thomas, University of Minnesota
Sandy Gault, University of Missouri - Kansas City
David Schmidt, University of the Pacfic

Linden Tour Statistics
Since 1982, Linden has organized 116 recruitment tours for U.S. universities to Asia, India, the Middle East and Turkey, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as 28 overseas programs for small groups. Nearly 1,000 individuals have represented 440 U.S. colleges and universities to almost half a million students in 66 cities around the world. On most tours, 85% of the universities and 65% of the tour members are repeat clients.