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Our team is comprised of Americans and South Asians who have all participated in many study abroad programs and are committed experiential educators. Years of experience have given us a vast array of contacts and deep insight into the cultures and communities in which our programs operate. Our leaders are committed to embracing different learning styles. They support students as they process and articulate their experiences and encourage students to shape their own learning. Passage staff and students are treated like family; but we also retain the professional touch that comes from our many years of experience conducting study abroad programs. We are committed to providing the best cultural immersion by drawing from our many years of experience and vast array of contacts with deep insights into the cultures and communities in which our programs operate.
Vidhea Shrestha  Vidhea founded Passage International (previously known as Passage Project), along with Sam Chapin, in 1997. Of Nepali parentage she was schooled by Irish nuns in Darjeeling, India through college and was a product of international education. She coordinated, managed and created new educational programs that bring foreign students to study in South Asia. Having lived in several communities where Passage works, she understood the need for building long-lasting, reciprocal relationships.
Vidhea had eclectic interests and skills, ranging from photo and text editing to organising music events, that helped her facilitate learning adventures from our students.
She was the Director Of Programs in Passage International.
Vidhea's death, on December 17, 2009, leave many around the world saddened and yet uplifted for having known a gem. People, both young and old, were automatically drawn to her dynamic personality. Our loss is unimaginable but we will keep on keeping on and even with her passing away we know she will continue to be by our side.
Sam Chapin, President  Sam lived in Nepal until 2004. He first came here as a student in 1990. Having coordinated and later created Passage Project along with Vidhea Shrestha, he also managed event productions, including the Milarepa concerts, and is the founder of Vinapa Digital Media Services Kathmandu, digital audio and video studio. A native of New York Sam has been living in the Indian subcontinent for more than 21 years. He began studying at Indian universities and stayed on to witness the incredible transformation of India over the last two decades. He is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College, where he specialized in Tibetan studies. He has traveled extensively in Nepal, Tibet and India. Sam most recently served as the country manager of India for Cadforce, a Los Angeles based architectural services company. He was responsible for running Cadforce’s Indian operations. He also led capital raising to expand their operations, ultimately facilitating the recent acquisition of Cadforce by an Indian based company. Currently he is the co-founder and head of Indian Operations for Airawat Advisors, an India focused strategic advisory and capital-raising service that was founded in 2008. He is also the co-founder and Managing Partner of Malabar, Indian Exports and the co-founder and President at Passage International. Sam manages and coordinates the programs in India.
Yanik Shrestha, Director Of Programs  Yanik has been working intermittently with study abroad programs since 2002. Besides coordinating Kathmandu-based components of both group and Personal programs, he has assisted in guiding several treks in Nepal and India, for Passage as well as for other trek operators.
He has traveled in the UK, Holland, Germany and extensively in Nepal and India. He participated in the 'No Education: No Freedom, No Opportunity' seminar in Germany, organized by GTZ, on 'whether education should be liberalized or not'.
Taking a keen interest in photography and the arts he has deep passion for music and a background in radio. He worked in Hits FM 91.2, Kathmandu for over 5 years. A person with varied interests, he took up a role in a Nepali teleserial focusing on social issues in Nepal. He had the opportunity to work with two of Nepal's most acclaimed comedians Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya during the project. On occasion he acts as the Master of Ceremonies for social events, has modeled for TV advertisements and magazines, while also finding time to write. His most recent article on the Kathmandu Jazz Festival was printed in ECS Living. According to VOW (Voice of Women) magazine he was voted one of the 2007 Most Eligible Bachelors!
Dynamic and a people's person, Yanik's cross cultural upbringing, warm, friendly nature and 'can do' attitude is a great asset to Passage.
Tsering Choden, Marketing & Administrative Director
 Tsering is a product of Loreto Convent, Darjeeling. She went on to study in Wynberg Allen, Mussoorie and graduated from Miranda House, Delhi University, New Delhi. With an interest in writing, since her school days, Tsering received the opportunity to be part of WAVE, a youth magazine. She continued her creative pursuits by working as a radio presenter in one of the first FM stations to be established in Nepal – Hits FM 91.2. Tsering is the Editor of Y! Magazine - a quarterly magazine started by her old colleagues from WAVE in the hope of re-defining a ‘youth’ magazine. She is also part of the Motley Mix team – a bilingual, multi-genre mix of podcasts from Nepal covering a varied range of topics and themes. Tsering occasionally finds time to travel and explores her interest in photography along the way
Tsering joined Passage International in May 2008. At Passage International she takes care of the administrative section as well as marketing programs to interested students. She says her personal journey in discovering Nepal has been heightened with her association with Passage International. She believes that the charm of an experiential education is that the journey does not have to be over and the destination is not always predictable, further adding, “You come to Nepal with your own expectations; you will leave with so much more.” |
