About Us
As a way to combine adventure, travel, education, and cultural exploration, Go Inspired took form. Refusal to give up what we deem as the “good things in life” in order to enter the work force, Go Inspired was a way to combine our zest for life with our passion for working towards a healthy global community.
We believe that peace in action can come in many forms but that self-exploration and cultural exchange sit at the heart of it. When we challenge ourselves to go beyond our comfort zone positive change takes place. In the spirit of adventure, we invite you to join us in whichever program resonates with you and hope that you find it as passion-invoking as we have. After all, it’s about going inspired and then going on to inspire others.
Our Objectives
- Go Inspired is a cultural exchange company that looks for unique, creative opportunities to explore the world. We offer an array of courses, workshops, volunteer placements, and trips abroad as a way to complement classroom learning, build language confidence, enhance professional development, provide humanitarian aid, and to facilitate self-growth.
- Having lived, traveled, studied and worked abroad we understand the challenges that come with foreign travel. Go Inspired is committed to safety and to providing the tools necessary to having a successful experience. We offer personalized service and are here to assist you in achieving your learning and travel goals.
- We make travel easy. Find a program that suits your interest and let us do the rest. Confused about which program is the one for you? Let us help. We will work with you to figure out which program will meet your goals and help you get there.
- We believe that the rewards of traveling go beyond booking a ticket and staying at a hotel, so we strive to provide a multicultural environment, and group accommodations, where relationships can form and cultural exchange can happen.
- Go Inspired offers secondary school trips that aim to build globally conscious youth with an opportunity to complement classroom learning.
Why Travel With Us
- Our passion is traveling. Our team is comprised of people who absolutely love to explore new horizons, meet new folks and learn about other cultures. We understand the joys and frustrations that come along with traveling. That is why our programs are created with having our participants experience the “joy” rather than the frustrations.
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We’ll take care of the details. We help you get there and back and take care of all the small things in the middle that contribute to an amazing trip. Our representatives are always there so if anything ever comes up, we are available 24/7.
- Price and Value. We believe an unforgettable travel experience doesn’t have to break the bank. Therefore we are always aiming to offer the most competitive prices in the business.
- Unique trips that allow participants to spend time in another country (without doing a full semester/year abroad). Our programs and courses are designed to be unique so participants experience the place and not just visit. Our workshops help our participants live and experience life in another country alongside people from other countries.
Our Team
Margo Kopec
Co-Founder
After Margo graduated with a BA in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Connecticut, she worked for international publishing companies in California and New York. Her thirst for adventure first brought her to The Italian Riviera living and working with an Italian family. Then she moved to a small city on the coast of Spain five years ago where she earned a Master’s degree in Peace, Development and Conflict Resolution from the Universitat de Jaume I.
Her work in both television and radio stations in the US and Spain gave her yet another experience out of her “comfort zone”.
She began teaching English in Castellon to university students, children and adults and realized that many of them were looking for opportunities to go abroad.
So Go Inspired began with the idea that if unique and affordable opportunities were available, people would take advantage of them. This was a dream of Margo’s to be able to offer experiences to people around the world in order for them to get a flavor of other cultures and other ways of living. Margo has been lucky enough to travel to over 35 countries and hopes to experience several more. In her free time, she enjoys different cultural experiences, hiking, new cuisine and relaxation through different varieties of yoga. She has her Master’s degree in Education.
Brigitta Brandt
Co-Founder
A favorite line of her father’s “We’re on an adventure!” has become Brigitta’s life motto. As a student, Brigitta found herself under the spell of academia but appreciates that in the words of internationally renowned peace activist Colman Mccarthy, “you can earn all A’s and then go out and flunk life.”
She has seen first-hand how experiential learning can enrich life and enliven spirit. As part of her undergraduate degree, Brigitta first studied abroad at the University of the Virgin Islands and has been a nomad ever since. She has a Master’s degree in International Peace, Development and Conflict Resolution from the Universitat de Jaume I in Castellon, Spain and is currently working towards another Master’s in Counseling and Psychology from Goddard College in VT, USA. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia and has spent time exploring Europe, Canada, the US and the Caribbean. Brigitta loves Spanish plazas, Roman ruins, Canadian friendliness, New England landscape, Austrian mountains, Caribbean beaches, French vineyards, and Armenian cuisine.
In what is left of her spare time, she enjoys camping, reading, yoga, gardening, cycling, and discovering the secrets of language. She is excited that Go Inspired fosters adventure and that she can share her infatuation for travel and learning with others.
Manuel Escrig
Web Designer and Technology Officer
Adventurer could be the best wayto describe Manuel. Since he relinquished his stable career in Spain, he has been on a continuous quest in exploring new countries and cultures. He has lived in Ireland, England, France, USA and Switzerland and has visited 31 countries with plans on seeing many more! Manuel’s passion for travelling and taking photos around the world helps him keep in mind all the cultures he experiences. An avid swimmer, clarinet player, wine lover and cook enthusiast, Manuel is Go Inspired’s answer to a Renaissance Man.
He has a degree in Software Engineering from Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) in Ireland and Universitat Jaume I (UJI) in Spain. His love for adventure and experience of seeing the world along with his expertise in computers brought him to Go Inspired. Through his knowledge he wants to help give others the opportunity to explore the world. Go Inspired is thrilled to have him on board with all the skills and experiences he brings with him.
Jorge Ratia
Summer Program Assistant in US & Spain
Jorge Ratia is the youngest member of Go Inspired’s team. He is an open, well-traveled person and we are super excited to have him aboard our team. He is always up for new experiences. He is a big fan of photography, musical instruments and everything related with sports. He has also taught himself how to play the guitar. He is fluent in 3 languages (Spanish, Catalan & English) and has an intermediate level of French. He works on the ground for Go Inspired in the summer programs in the US & Spain and serves as a liaison between the students and Go Inspired. He is also in charge of the summer programs public relations and is responsible for updating the blog and social media. Jorge embodies exactly what Go Inspired stands for. "When I met Margo some years ago, she made me understand how magical learning languages is by traveling, so that‘s why now I’m interested in visiting every country in the world and learning about its culture. I lived a few months in the USA and in England, and I can tell you there’s no better experience in your entire life. Now, I want to share my experience with everybody in Go Inspired." Jorge is now studying a Public Relations and Communications degree in Barcelona.
Jennifer Shannon
US Program Coordinator
The travel bug began when, as a freshman in high school, Jenn traveled with her Bethel High (CT) French class to France, Italy, Monaco and Switzerland. There she spent 10 days learning about the culture, exploring the sights, and indulging in the cuisine! It wasn’t until the summer after graduating college that she had her next opportunity to travel again. (Well unless you count US Spring Break in Cancun!!!). She backpacked for 5 weeks throughout Europe with her younger brother. A few years later, she spent another 5 weeks backpacking through Europe and Israel with her future husband.
Now with two young daughters, her travel has become solely domestic. But she looks forward to the future when she can share her love of travel with them.
Jenn has a Master‘s in Social Work and a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Connecticut. She is also fluent in Sign Language and has worked for American School for the Deaf, Connecticut Community Care, Inc. and the Connecticut Commission on Aging. Jenn brings with her a wealth of experience and we are so glad she is on Go Inspired’s team.
Maria Di Noia
Italian Program Coordinator
She just graduated in Architecture, with a Master’s degree in International Architectural Design at Florence University.
She spent her last academic year in Porto, Portugal, where she came in contact with the amazing Portuguese people and culture and learned the Portuguese language.
she is passionate about good food, architecture and photography, art, music and nature. She loves to travel and she is always curious about new places and different ways of living. The more she travels the more she rediscovers the bond with her roots, from the of south Italy and Florence, her beloved hometown.
Maybe it’s because of her big family that she is a smiley and outgoing person. We are excited to have a Florentine native on the Go Inspired team.
Gosia Kotomska Morris
Program Coordinator
Globetrotting has also defined Gosia’s life – she started at the age of 10 when her family decided to move to Chicago from Poland. During her studies in New York she began working with the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America (PIASA), which inspired her to learn more about her homeland and return to Poland in order to study Polish history and culture in Cracow. After a few cold winters, she left Poland to live in Oaxaca, Mexico for a year, where she focused on improving her Spanish and exploring the rich cultural heritage of the region as well as its lovely coast.
One of Gosia’s main motivations for perfecting her Spanish was to be able to do a Master’s degree in Peace, Conflict and Development Studies in Spain. That’s also where she crossed paths with Margo and Brigitta, and had the unique opportunity of getting to know a very diverse group of people from all over the world. Upon finishing the MA program, she put her knowledge and skills into doing research for the Institute of Studies on Conflicts and Humanitarian Action (IECAH) in Madrid. Currently, she is in England after being back in Poland where she taught English, American Culture and Global Issues at Warsaw University of Technology.
