The people behind every Michigan placement

Regional Manager

Lisa Murphy

Lisa Murphy is a dedicated Regional Manager with Great Lakes ISE, where she connects global students with caring American host families. With over a decade of experience in educational and cultural exchange, Lisa is passionate about building bridges across cultures and creating life-changing experiences for both students and host families.

She oversees student placements across the Great Lakes region, ensuring every match is made with care, compliance, and commitment to mutual growth. Lisa works closely with schools, families, and local coordinators to ensure successful placements and enriching experiences for all participants. Her leadership style is driven by empathy, reliability, and a deep belief in the power of people-to-people diplomacy.

In her role, she also trains and mentors local representatives, coordinates community outreach, and promotes intercultural understanding in schools and neighborhoods throughout the region.

When she's not placing students, Lisa enjoys exploring small towns, connecting with families, and cheering on her students as they thrive in their American journeys.

Area Representative

Alexis Throop

Alexis Throop is a dedicated Area Representative with Great Lakes ISE who truly enjoys helping others and being involved in her community. She volunteers at her local library and looks for opportunities to lend a helping hand wherever she can.

Family is incredibly important to Alexis, and she understands the value of creating a home where people feel welcomed, supported, and included. As an Area Representative, she brings that same caring spirit to the students and host families she works with — helping them navigate their exchange experience, build connections, and create memories that can last a lifetime.

Alexis is proud to be part of the Great Lakes ISE team and to help bring cultures, families, and communities together.

Area Representative

Tiffany Kavan

Tiffany Kavan is a caring and compassionate Area Representative with Great Lakes ISE who has a heart for helping others. She works as a Certified Nursing Assistant, where caring for people and making a difference in their lives is part of what she does every day.

Tiffany also enjoys giving back to her community and has experience supporting and helping care for teenagers. When she's not working or helping others, you may find her in the kitchen — baking is one of her favorite things to do!

Her kindness, patience, and caring nature make Tiffany a wonderful part of the Great Lakes ISE team. She looks forward to supporting exchange students and host families as they build relationships, experience new cultures, and create memories that reach far beyond one school year.

Area Representative

Michelle Owens

For Michelle Owens, student exchange is more than a program — it is something she has welcomed into her own home and heart.

As a former host family and now an Area Representative for Great Lakes ISE, Michelle understands firsthand how meaningful the exchange experience can be for both students and families. She knows that opening your home can also open the door to new traditions, new perspectives, and relationships that can reach far beyond the exchange year.

Michelle has a big heart for young people and brings valuable experience working with teens, including respite care and raising two boys of her own. She is also active in her community through volunteering at her church.

What stands out most about Michelle is her genuine love for student exchange and her desire to help others experience the connection, growth, and unforgettable memories that come from bringing cultures together.

Area Representative

Barbara Duncan

Barbara Duncan is an Area Representative with Great Lakes ISE who believes some of the best memories are made in the simplest moments.

Family is incredibly important to Barbara, and she brings that same sense of connection and belonging to the students she supports. She loves spending time with her exchange students — whether they are attending group events together, exploring the community, or simply heading out for ice cream and enjoying time to talk and laugh.

Barbara has also opened her own heart to student exchange through hosting, giving her a personal understanding of just how meaningful these relationships can become.

For Barbara, being an Area Representative is about more than checking in — it is about showing up, building relationships, and helping students feel like they have someone in their corner while they are far from home.

Area Representative

Amber (Nicole) Telfor

Amber (Nicole) Telfor is an Area Representative with Great Lakes ISE, bringing creativity, energy, and a whole lot of heart to everything she does.

By day, Amber serves as a Director of Activities at MediLodge, where she loves creating meaningful experiences and bringing people together. Her creative side also shines through her love of photography and designing, whether she is capturing a special moment or turning an idea into something memorable.

Family means the world to Amber, and that same love of connection carries into her work with exchange students and host families. She enjoys spending time with her students, joining in family activities and events, and — of course — never turning down an opportunity to go out for soft-serve ice cream!

For Amber, student exchange is about more than experiencing another culture. It is about the people you meet, the memories you make, and the relationships that can turn people from different parts of the world into family.

Area Representative

Angela Gesinski

Angela Gesinski is an Area Representative with Great Lakes ISE who brings her whole heart to the people and experiences that matter most to her.

She is deeply devoted to her family, has a huge love for animals — especially her precious little Pomeranian — and enjoys exploring, going on adventures, and discovering new places. That curiosity about the world is one of the many reasons student exchange means so much to her.

Angela is passionate about helping students and host families create experiences that are meaningful, welcoming, and unforgettable. When she commits to something, she gives it 100 percent, offering encouragement, support, and genuine care along the way.

For Angela, student exchange is about opening your world a little wider, embracing new experiences, and forming connections that can stay in your heart long after the journey is over.

Area Representative

Kelly Pelshaw

Kelly Pelshaw is an Area Representative with Great Lakes ISE who brings enthusiasm, energy, and a genuine love for connecting with people.

Kelly is deeply committed to the students and families she works with and takes pride in being someone they can count on throughout the exchange experience. She has a warm, outgoing personality and loves staying active, trying new things, and making the most of every opportunity.

When she isn't supporting students and host families, Kelly enjoys hunting, fishing, attending community events, and getting out to experience life.

One of the things that makes Kelly special is the fun and excitement she brings wherever she goes. She has a way of turning ordinary moments into memorable experiences and helping students and families feel comfortable, included, and ready to enjoy the adventure.

For Kelly, student exchange should be more than a year away from home — it should be a year filled with connection, laughter, new experiences, and memories worth keeping.

Area Representative

Shelly Zimmerman

Shelly Zimmerman is an Area Representative with Great Lakes ISE who brings more than 10 years of student exchange experience to the families and students she supports.

Creative, detail-oriented, and hardworking, Shelly has a natural ability to keep things organized while still making the experience feel personal and welcoming. She truly enjoys working with students and their families and values the relationships that grow through the exchange journey.

Outside of student exchange, Shelly loves spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, and heading out to fish whenever she gets the chance.

Her years of experience, strong work ethic, and thoughtful approach make Shelly someone families and students can rely on from beginning to end. For Shelly, student exchange is about creating meaningful connections, supporting each step of the journey, and helping families build memories that last.