Rebecca Pugh

My passion for study abroad started while studying in 1987 with the Experiment of International Living –Student in International Training (SIT) in a Peace & Irish Studies program. For three months I lived in Dublin with a host family, while studying the troubles in Northern Ireland and Europe’s perspective of the world wars and Vietnam. Then we spent a month in Northern Ireland interviewing and studying the various political parties.  This was my first immersion in a society that had terrorism as a part of their daily life. 

After graduating from college with a B.S. in English Literature, from the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse, I joined the U.S. Peace Corps. I was assigned to the small island of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia, where I wrote the Yap State 7th Grade Social Studies textbook on the 18 islands within Yap State. This book is still used today. Living with three different host families in Yap enlightened me to the shared similarities of all peoples. On my way home to Naperville, I took six months traveling the opposite way around the globe, exploring Indonesia, Bali, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal and London.

Working at the Center for Global Education since 2014 with a dream team committed to study abroad, international students and the globalization of our campus is my ultimate career. I support our English Language Institute, incoming International students, outgoing study abroad students, and D-Term study tour students.  I grew up a block from North Central College and am the fourth generation in my family to be involved with NCC.  Presently, my husband, daughter, son and I live two miles from NCC campus.