Meet Julie and Vid who manage our semester or yearlong opportunities in the SJSU Exchange, CSU IP, or ISEP programs. 

Julie Lucas, M.A.

Senior Study Abroad Coordinator
Direct: (408) 924-6057 | Email: julie.lucas@sjsu.edu
Book An Appointment 

Program Portfolio: SJSU Exchange Programs (Europe, Latin America, and Africa), CSU IP (all locations)

Advising Liaison: College of Engineering, College of Social Sciences, MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center

Bio: Julie is a proud Chicago native! She studied abroad in Granada, Spain her junior year of college and earned a B.S. in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After graduation, she moved to Salamanca, Spain where she taught English and worked with students studying abroad in Spain. She then completed her M.A. in International Education Management at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Before moving back to California, she worked with outbound study abroad students at a nonprofit organization in Chicago.

Fun Facts: Julie enjoys practicing yoga, dancing salsa, and spending time outdoors. She loves weekend hikes and traveling to new places.

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Vidalino Raatior, Ed.D.

Coordinator, Study Abroad & Exchanges
Phone: (408) 924-2684 | Email: vid.raatior@sjsu.edu
Book An Appointment

Program Portfolio: SJSU Exchange (Asia and Oceania), ISEP Programs (all locations)

Advising Liaison:  Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment (CAPISE), Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Connie L. Lurie College of Education, UndocuSpartan Student Success Center

Bio: Vid is a native Pacific Islander from Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). He studied abroad in the US eventually earning a B.A. in communications from the University of Guam, M.A. in school administration from University of San Francisco, and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D) from University of Hawai’i. During his 20-year career in higher education Vid has held a number of roles as International Student Advisor, Assistant Director of Study Abroad, Associate Director of the Center for Multicultural Learning, Director of the Pacific Islander Student Center and a STEM-focused initiative at Santa Clara University, University of Hawaii at Hilo, and University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC).

Fun Facts: Vid lives in the Santa Cruz area, loves his kids and when he's not working he engages in equity-focused initiatives.   

Meet Courtney and Erin who manage our summer and winter opportunities including the Faculty-Led Programs (FLP), Summer School Abroad (SSA), or the Alternative Break Programs (ABP) programs.

Courtney Anne Jackson, M.A.

Program Specialist
Phone: (408)924-2613 | Email: courtneyanne.jackson@sjsu.edu
Book An Appointment 

Program Portfolio: Faculty-Led Programs (FLP), Summer School Abroad (SSA) programs

Advising Liaison: College of Business, Undergraduate Advising and Success Center, Black Leadership and Opportunity Center (BLOC)

Bio: Courtney is a proud Northern Californian. She was born in Oakland and raised in a rural community in the Sierra Nevada Mountains called Quincy, CA. Courtney studied abroad in Rome, Italy her junior year while earning her B.A. in Cultural Memory and the Arts from Whittier College. After graduation, she worked supporting international students in San Francisco before getting her M.A. in International Education Management at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, where she studied abroad in Chile. Courtney spent 6 years working in international education in Washington before joining the SJSU SAA team.

Fun Facts: Courtney enjoys competitive swimming, museums, and archaeological sites. She also loves traveling to new places in search of street art and the world’s best mac and cheese.

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Erin Kelly-Weber, M.A., M.P.A.

Senior Program Specialist
Phone: (408) 924-5916 | Email: erin.kelly-weber@sjsu.edu
Book An Appointment

Program Portfolio:  Faculty-Led Programs (FLP), Summer School Abroad (SSA), Global Internships (coming soon), Alternative Break Programs (ABP)

Advising Liaison: College of Health and Human Sciences, College of Humanities & Arts; PRIDE & Gender Equity Center

Bio: Erin was born and raised in New Jersey but calls Chicago her second home after having studied and worked there for 12 years. Erin studied abroad in Santiago, Chile during her junior year of college and earned a BA in Anthropology and International Studies with a Spanish minor from Northwestern University. Throughout her 10+ years of working in international education, she has supported university and high school students on study abroad programs both in the U.S. and overseas, and has studied or worked in 12 countries. Erin earned a Master of Arts in International Education Management and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey. She is passionate about fostering cross-cultural communication and creating accessible and equitable international education opportunities for every student. 

Fun Facts: Erin is thrilled to continue living her CA adventure at SJSU! In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, practicing yoga, spending time with her two cats and learning about different languages and cultures.

Meet Dr. Zartoshty who serves as the Interim Director of the Study Abroad & Away office and supports our faculty in developing global opportunities through the Faculty-Led Programs (FLP), Fulbright Scholars, and other faculty exchange programs. 

Parinaz Zartoshty, Ed.D.

Interim Director, Study Abroad & Away (SAA)
Director, International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)
Phone: (408) 924-6144 | Email: parinaz.zartoshty@sjsu.edu
Appointment via email

Bio: Parinaz is originally from Tehran, Iran and earned her Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Government/International Relations and her Master’s degree in International Relations from Boston University. She recently completed her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership at SJSU. Parinaz entered the field of international education after having worked for Amnesty International, UNICEF and other smaller nonprofits, both in the US and internationally. She speaks several languages including Farsi, French and German. Parinaz studied abroad in Paris, France and has also worked abroad in the Middle East. Parinaz is passionate about international education, whether it is welcoming students at SJSU, sending SJSU students abroad, facilitating cultural exchange virtually, or empowering faculty to foster those cross-cultural connections.

Fun Facts: Parinaz loves hiking, reading and of course traveling. She loves all international cuisine, but especially Japanese, Mexican and Korean food.

Meet our student staff who can share their study abroad experiences with you or answer your general questions. 

Diana Vazquez

Major: Anthropology
Study Abroad Experience: CSU IP: Language and Culture at Universitat Tubingen, Germany (Fall 2019)
Phone: (408) 924-2608 | Email: spartansabroad@sjsu.edu

Bio: coming soon

Jeremy Quero

Major: Engineering Technology
Study Abroad Experience: SJSU Exchange - Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands (Spring 2023)
Phone: (408) 924-2608 | Email: spartansabroad@sjsu.edu

Bio:  I am an Engineering Technology focus on Manufacturing Systems and my minor is Business. I’m just another student from SJSU that likes to play video games, listen to music of any genre that is catchy, watch movies and shows specifically anime, and go on adventures. I studied at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (RUAS) for the spring 2023 semester. Going on the program was definitely an experience that any student should do. I did something out of my comfort zone, I got to understand the culture of the dutch and the many other cultures that were present, and most importantly I got to travel across Europe with the friends I made in Rotterdam. To any student who reads this, Shoot your shot and take a risk because this is something that is bigger than you are and helps you evolve individually as a person. Read more

Rahel Adebabay

Major: Global Studies
Study Abroad Program Experience: Ireland, SJSU Exchange – University College Dublin, Ireland (Spring 2023) 
Phone: (408) 924-2608 | Email: spartansabroad@sjsu.edu

Bio: I am a first-generation Ethiopian-American college student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies and three minors in Philosophy, Legal, and African American Studies at San Jose State University. I want to utilize my educational background to work towards my vision of building a prosperous, united Africa, emphasizing creating strong educational infrastructures.

Through this program, I came intending to gain a new perspective on the world. Traveling to another country and experiencing a non-American curriculum made me decenter from the American political perspective. Read more