Directors' Profiles

David Denman and John Nissen, the Co-Directors, and Carla Fabian, the Residence Director, are seasoned educators who have worked in schools, colleges and varied educational programs in the United States and abroad. They are acutely aware of the academic and developmental hurdles that young people must clear en route to success in college and life.

David Denman, Co-Director

In his 50 year career, David has taught at every level. Formerly the Master Teacher for the national organization of Quaker Schools and colleges, David is an acknowledged advocate of young people. His lifelong commitment has been to nurture in them autonomy, responsibility and self-esteem. His own four children distinctively embody those characteristics.

Presently, David is an educational consultant serving young people and their families nationwide. David is co-author of a widely praised book about the developmental needs of young people. He deeply believes that more of them should take "time out" from what he calls "the frantic race to the college degree." Sojourns Abroad embodies David's convictions about the need of young people to learn in other ways than merely in classrooms.

David has a Master of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and studied at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

John Nissen, Co-Director

John is the former Vice President and Dean of Students at the American University in Paris. Prior to that he directed the admissions offices at Rhode Island College and at Bennington College and was Assistant Dean at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. He also served as College Counselor at the International School in Geneva, Switzerland.

At present John directs the College Placement Office at Landmark College in Vermont and is a consultant to the International Programs Office of the Faculty of Dentistry at New York University. John is the founding Director of the International Seminar Series' Service-Learning in Paris and Service Learning in Barcelona programs, unique four week summer community service and study opportunities for secondary school students.

John has a BA and an MA from Providence College in Rhode Island, where as an undergraduate he was president of the student body.

Carla Fabian, Residence Director and Siena Sojourn Site Director

Carla seems to have been born to travel. During her years as an undergraduate at Duke University, Carla spent a memorable semester in Florence which kindled a passion for the land of her Fabiani ancestors. After Duke Carl taught World Literature at Miami Country Day School in Florida and led student trips to the UK, the USSR, the Galapagos Islands and the Yucatan Peninsula. Then she traveled for a year and a half in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina. Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, becoming fluent in Spanish.

Later, Carla lived with indigenous families and coordinated community service teaching internships for students in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. She has also traveled extensively in Africa and in Central and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. In all, Carla has sojourned in nearly 50 countries! Hiking in the Andes, trekking in the Himalayas, walking the 450 mile Camino de Campostella across the top of Spain and climbing to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro have taught Carla the joys of a life of action and the importance of savoring life's simple pleasures.

Carla is ebullient, idealistic, deeply principled and undiscourageable. Fluent in Italian as well as Spanish, she is an ideal mentor and an admirable role model for young people.

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