Troy Peden, 35, works for GoAbroad.Com.
He has a COOL JOB as Co-Founder and Editor.

His Gig:
Troy Peden is one of the founders of GoAbroad.com. After college he realized that his degree in criminal justice wasn't going to lead him down the career path he wanted to follow. "I knew I wanted a career helping people, but in criminal justice, the people you help don't always want to be helped," he said. He also studied Deaf Education at Illinois State University and worked with handicapped refugees in Europe. This led to his involvement helping students who want to gain international volunteer/work experience.

GoAbroad.com was launched to fill an information void in the area of international student travel. GoAbroad.com provides a one-stop information center for students wishing to travel internationally. The site was created to link prospective travelers with organizations providing international opportunities.

A Day in the Life of:
Peden works out of his home in Winter Park, Colorado. He receives between 50 and 1,000 emails a day. "We respond personally to all of the emails," he said. Most of what he does is edit programs that companies send to post on GoAbroad.com. These companies range from the PeaceCorps to tour groups in Peru who want to recruit college students to volunteer/work for them on location. He also writes the website's newsletter and travel writing columns. He works about 12 hours a day.

Career Path:
Internships and volunteer work are invaluable Pheden says. "What's great about studying abroad is that you can go abroad for a week or a year. It depends on what you want to do," he said. "You can go for a one-week archeological dig or a six-month teaching program in Japan. The more experience you get the better off you will be," he said.

Peden has held numerous international internships in college and beyond. He found out about the internships by reading travel magazines and books. Now, there are several Internet sites, including GoAbroad.com where students can get information on studying abroad. He suggests going to campus career service offices, volunteer offices or study abroad offices to see what programs are available at your school.

Peden earned a Master's Degree in International Studies (MSS) at the University of Colorado at Denver and continued his studies in a doctoral program in Education Policy. In addition to being the former Study Abroad Coordinator at the University of Colorado at Denver, he has directed several non-profit international organizations. His extensive travel has included study, work and volunteering abroad throughout Europe and Russia, Latin America, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Peden and his wife have developed a street children relief project in the Philippines and have visited regularly to administer the project.

High Five:
"Talking to people from every corner of the world. Hearing testimonies from people who have had a good experience abroad."

How Cool is This?:
Peden has studied five languages: Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Waray.

Down Low:
"Keeping up with the volume of business on the Internet without getting too big."

Words From the Wise:
"Get as much International experience as possible. Volunteer abroad. It shows you are patient, flexible and committed."

Education:
BA in Criminal Justice from Illinois State and a Masters in International Affairs from University of Colorado in Denver.

For more Information:
Association of International Educators
GoAbroad.com