90. Students Help Students Transition Best! A Chat About the SPAN Student Ambassador Program Guide With Lina Paumgarten and Amy Shuflin Artwork

Educators Going Global

Our mission is to inform both veteran and aspiring international educators about working overseas - What it’s like and how it's changing, Where to find more information, Why "going global" is so attractive and How and When to work through the recruiting process. We do this via targeted episodes where we give informational interviews as well as sharing personal vignettes related to all aspects of international education. We work to tell the full story so you are really in the know about international schools. We invite you to travel, teach and connect with us!

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Educators Going Global

90. Students Help Students Transition Best! A Chat About the SPAN Student Ambassador Program Guide With Lina Paumgarten and Amy Shuflin

October 31, 2025 • Audrey Forgeron and David Carpenter • Season 3

How does your school support new students? Do your students lead the way as transition ambassadors? And wouldn’t it be great to have help with this process?

In this second episode, Lina and Amy unpacked SPAN's Student Ambassador Guide, which you can access to help incorporate the program into your current transition support efforts!

Amy worked for 17 years in Venezuela and Malaysia. She is currently the SPAN Resource Lead. She is passionate about schools caring for the needs of the full community and has integrated transitions care into her various roles. She has a B.A. in Youth Ministry, an MEd. in Curriculum and Instruction and is a Youth Mental Health First Aider. Amy enjoys meeting people, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Lina previously served as a Counselor and Wellness Coordinator in Chile. She is now working on her PhD in Psychology, focusing on suicide prevention in international education. Lina likes to explore the outdoors, stay active, and spend time with friends, family and her dog. She believes in the power of embracing our full humanity through life’s inevitable changes, which are also an opportunity for growth.

Guiding Question: “How can schools build or enhance a Student Ambassador Program rooted in positive transitions-care?”

Recorded: July 13, 2025.

Resources:

Safe Passage Across Networks - SPAN

Safe Passage (Book) by Dr. Doug Ota

International School Counselor Association - ISCA

Life Without Nico by Andrea Maturana

Amy: Finding My Voice, LinkedIn

Lina: linapaumgarten.com, Instagram, LinkedIn, LINDEN Global Learning & Support,

Categories: Transitions | School Lif

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.