Meet the trip leaders

2009 Spain leaders, left to right: Kate Pallin, Lane Golden, and Bergen Kay

BERGEN KAY: Trinity College, B.A., American Studies with minors in Women´s Studies and Spanish Studies. Bergen has dedicated herself to travel and studying Spanish. She has traveled through Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. She spent a college semester abroad in Barcelona, Spain, and one in Morelia, Mexico, where she volunteered with non-profit arts organizations. After graduating from college, Bergen worked in public relations in New York City. When not at work Bergen volunteered with children at Bellevue Hospital. Bergen has spent this past year traveling through Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. While in Argentina she spent a month volunteering at a children's center outside of Buenos Aires. Bergen loves music, reading, traveling, yoga, outdoor sports, and exploring cultures through food. During high school, Bergen was a student on a Putney Language Learning program in Spain where she fell in love with Spanish culture. She is fluent in Spanish.

KATE PALLIN: Hamilton College, B.A., Hispanic Studies; Middlebury College School in Spain, M.A., Spanish. At Hamilton, Kate worked as a tutor at the Writing Center, directed Hamilton’s Community Service organization, and was a captain of the women’s varsity crew team. She wrote her senior thesis on the creation of a feminine space in the culture and politics of Spain after the death of Dictator Francisco Franco. She spent a summer in León, Spain, living with a family and studying at the Universidad de León. She returned to Madrid to complete her Masters degree in Spanish. She became especially interested in Spanish art, architecture, and film. While in Spain Kate lived with a Spanish family and competed as a member of Madrid’s rowing club. In her free time, she traveled extensively throughout Spain and Europe enjoying the vast culinary differences at each stop. Since finishing her Masters degree, Kate has dedicated herself to sharing her two loves with students: rowing and Spanish. She currently teaches Spanish at the Fairfield Country Day School in Fairfield, CT. This past year Kate directed and coached the Old Lyme Rowing Association’s summer rowing programs in Old Lyme, CT. Kate is fluent in Spanish.

LANE GOLDEN: Tulane University, B.A., cum laude, Spanish, International Development, and Latin American Studies. Lane's interest in Spanish began as a child in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas, and has continued since then. He traveled twice during high school to study in Spain, in both Santander and Salamanca. While at Tulane, Lane studied abroad in both Argentina and Spain, where he had the opportunity to live in a homestay with a local family and in university dorms with fellow students. During college, Lane was actively involved in the Kappa Alpha Order Fraternity, as well as the Tulane Squash Team, serving as Captain his senior year. Lane is an active outdoorsman who enjoys to bird hunt, fly fish, and snow ski around the world. Next fall Lane will begin his first year of law school at Tulane University. Lane is a Putney Student Travel alumnus. During high school he participated on a Language Learning program in Costa Rica. Lane is fluent in Spanish.