Anna Kayes

Anna’s love for history and travel was sparked at an early age thanks to family vacations– from traveling to Greece for reunions to following the Tour de France through the French Alps to walking the ancient streets of Pompeii– leading her to study anthropology and archaeology at the College of William and Mary. She pursued a career in archaeology, excavating at Maya sites in Guatemala deep in Tikal National Park and as a curatorial assistant at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, before moving to India and Thailand to teach English.

Discovering the field of international education during her time abroad, Anna joins the team with a decade of experience in program design, production, facilitation, and leadership in international cultural exchange. She has directed and led student programs for Putney Student Travel, National Geographic Student Expeditions, and New York Times Student Journeys, with an emphasis on outdoor education and growth through immersion in nature. Playing on the varsity soccer team in college, she has also coached girls’ soccer domestically and internationally in India, Thailand, and South Africa, finding sport to be a powerful vehicle for cross-cultural connection among women and girls. Inspired through coaching and travel to tell stories elevating the perspectives of women, she recently completed a film program at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies at the Maine College of Art. She spends her free time in San Diego hiking, paddleboarding, and learning to surf, and is currently working on a feature documentary about gender integration in the Marine Corps.