Welcome Blaine!

We are excited to introduce you to our new program coordinator: Blaine Sickles!

I want to start off by saying how grateful I am for my family and my faith. They have both been a guide and a support throughout my whole life. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and attended Ohio Wesleyan University where I majored in History. I would later obtain my Masters in Library and Information Science from Kent State University. After working with the Columbus Metropolitan Library for almost 5 years I made the move to become a college admissions counselor for Wright State University. With this role, I had the privilege of traveling across the state of Ohio in order to meet with and coach prospective high school students as they began their college search. All of these experiences helped to prepare me for my career in placement. I enjoy the matchmaking process and the relationship building that comes with placement services. And I am excited to begin my new journey with Stage-Global as a Program Coordinator.
What have you seen of the world so far, and which country is on top of your bucket list?I have traveled to ten countries including Norway where I still have distant relatives. I have also visited 33 of the states within the United States of America. I do hope in the future I am able to travel to all 50 states within the United States. In terms of international travel,  I would be grateful for the opportunity to return to the beaches of Normandy in France in order to appreciate all of World War Two history.
What has been your most remarkable experience abroad?When I had the opportunity to visit both Normandy, France and Dunkirk, France I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to pay my respects to all of the Allied soldiers that gave the ultimate sacrifice for the world we live in today. I grew up learning about these battles but it was a completely different experience being able to see them in-person. And having a local tour guide really helps one appreciate and understand how the war still affects the culture and landscape of the surrounding areas decades later. Of course there are many other battle sites across the world that I would be grateful to visit. Including Gettysburg, Vicksburg and Yorktown here in the United States. But my visit to the beaches of Normandy has certainly been my most remarkable experience abroad.