Bringing the Team Together in Budapest to Celebrate 10 Years of CAS Trips

“There’s nothing like bringing a team together in person – the energy levels are higher, the professional development is more insightful, and the connections made are truly meaningful. I’m really grateful I was able to meet the trip leaders that make CAS Trips the incredible company it is.”

Natascha, CAS Trips Marketing Manager 

As 2023 marks ten years of CAS Trips, we felt there was no better time to bring the whole team together to celebrate our success, introduce new trip leaders, and plan for an exciting future ahead! With an international team operative in countries around the world, this was the first time we could gather our entire internal crew, our Trip Leaders and Managers from around the world under one roof since 2019. We spent four days in Budapest discussing how we can continue excelling in our mission to Educate, Challenge and Inspire. 

Having all the wonderful people that make CAS Trips possible together in one place was also humbling and made us appreciate how lucky we are to have such a diverse and multi-talented group of individuals on board. Making a genuine, sustainable impact through transformative cross-cultural experiences takes effort on the part of all of us. We are so glad to work with a group of dedicated folks who allow us to harness the power of experiential learning and bring long-term benefits to the communities and environments in which we operate. 

In the months ahead, we will highlight our incredible Trip Leaders, showing how their diverse experience and expertise allow us to continue inspiring students and challenging the status quo of educational travel. For now, we wanted to share a bit more insight into what made our experience in Budapest so special. 

Sharing stories and inspiring one another 

Bringing everyone together in Budapest offered the perfect opportunity for our team to share stories and learn the unique traits that one another contributes to CAS Trips. Dominika, is our Destination Manager and brings a degree in education to our international team of travel experts. She grew up in New Jersey, where she worked in the local system teaching English to students worldwide. Since relocating to Prague, she has continued her mission to create sustainable, global learning experiences for students. For her the CAS Trips Summit was a chance to get to know her colleagues better and make memories together.

“My most memorable experience working for CAS Trips would definitely be connecting with all of our international trip leaders in person at the Budapest summit. It was great to have everyone come together to share their stories and unique perspectives.”

The unique energy of an international team 

Another beautiful thing that happens when we all get together is the fact that we get to celebrate each other’s diverse educational and cultural environments. Olivia, our Operations Coordinator, comes from a background in political science and economics. Keenly aware of how dependent we are on each other as a global community, she thrives in international environments and loves working with people from all over the world.

“The top benefit of working with an international team is the diversity of perspectives and life experiences. Our team is dynamic, so the jokes never stop, and the office is always a good time.”

Discovering what we are capable of achieving together 

Gathering together is also a chance to learn about how we each got to where we are today. Kristyna, our Professional Development Officer, grew up attending an International school in Abu Dhabi and has thus witnessed the potential of a cross-cultural education firsthand. 

For her, the summit was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about where her colleagues came from. 

“I grew up as an expat in a foreign country in a very diverse community and also went to an international school. The personal experience of an international school environment helps me daily in my work. When you are an expat and go to an international school, you, more often than not, live in a bit of a bubble and that bubble seems to be very similar everywhere.”

Welcoming new members to CAS Trips 

As our team continues to expand, the summit was also a wonderful opportunity to bring new members into the fold and make them feel welcome. Lamija, our Operations Assistant, recently joined CAS Trips and loves creating activities that immerse students in local culture and prove how and why CAS can be meaningful and fun simultaneously. For her, the summit was a chance to bond and get excited about future projects and collaborations. 

“I haven’t been with CAS Trips for a very long time now, but my overall experience has been extremely positive. The team makes me feel challenged and supported, and I feel like I have known everyone forever. It is truly an amazing team!”

Celebrating our dynamic team of experts 

In addition to our founders, Simon Armstrong and Callum Rielly, the CAS Trips core team consists of Program Director and Sustainability Manager, Neil Brinckerhoff and Operations Manager, Kamila Repikova. Neil brings an in-depth understanding of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and is dedicated to researching the critical global issues affecting the Destinations where we travel. Kamila, meanwhile, ensures our operations run smoothly, led by her passion for understanding and learning from other cultures. A Czech native who has completed studies in Spanish philology, her enthusiasm to ensure every CAS Trip creates an impactful experience is felt throughout our programming around the world.

Putting it all together 

Since our foundation in 2013, we have been dedicated to developing an original, holistic methodology that focuses on pushing the boundaries of experiential learning to positively impact students’ character development while maintaining an uncompromising approach to Sustainability. We are tremendously grateful to have this group of educators, travelers, and community builders, who allow us to do what we love. 

Stay tuned, because in the months ahead, we will also be highlighting many of our incredible Trip Leaders, providing some insight into how their diverse experience and expertise allow us to continue inspiring students and challenging the status quo of educational travel.