Meet the People Who Make Your Journey Possible
Behind every transformative experience abroad is a team that believes in your potential. At Next Step Connections, we are educators, explorers, and connectors — united by a shared mission: to help you learn, grow, and thrive through real-world experiences.
We take you beyond the possible
Our team is made up of passionate professionals who have lived, worked, and studied across the globe.
We understand what it means to take that next step — to move to a new country, adapt to new cultures, and embrace learning in all its forms.
Together, we design programs that blend personal growth, academic rigor, and professional development, empowering students to build the skills and confidence to succeed anywhere in the world.
Leadership Team
Jérôme Le Carrou
Founder & Executive Director
A native of France, Jerome founded Next Step Connections at 25 in 2008 in China, inspired by his own learning experience as an intern in Shanghai in 2006. He has been leading the organisation since then. He also serves as Asia coordinator for Association Progrès du Management (APM), a leading organization for French-speaking CEOs’ focusing on leadership development with over 9000 members. Jerome holds a B.A in Languages, Literature, and Foreign Civilizations from Université de Rennes 2 after an exchange year at Utah State University as part of ISEP Program. He furthered his education with Executive Education in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. He pioneered virtual internships in 2016. His impactful work earned him recognition among the ASEAN Network’s 30 influential leaders in Asia. Since 2012, he has embraced wellbeing and adventure as a way of life, regularly embarking on Himalayan mountain expeditions driven by his passion for blending education, technology, and consciousness.
Aaron J. Clark (P.A)
Regional Director of Operations
An international education professional with a career spanning 15 years abroad designing and managing academic experiential learning programs for three of the world’s premier international education organizations has prepared Aaron (affectionately referred to as P.A by students) for his role as Next Step Connections Regional Director in Asia.
A native of the USA, Aaron received a B.A from the University of Hawaii Manoa in Asian Studies, specializing in Southeast Asian Studies. I spent over 4 years abroad at Mahidol University, in Thailand during both his undergraduate and graduate studies. This firsthand experience offers insight and understanding of the student experience, the process, challenges and benefits of studied abroad, especially Thailand.
He is passionate about international education and immersing students in the local culture.
Asking him what the most gratifying part of his career has been he said it is the opportunity to develop experiential learning programs that promote in others the same love and appreciation for Asia, that he feels in his own heart.
Samantha Malang
Operational Manager & Business efficiency
With a strong suit in process efficiency strategy, Sam is an adept Operational Manager,
Business Facilitator, and Integrator. Boasting ten years of experience, she’s resolute in her
personal mission to elevate and innovate business systems and processes. Hailing from the
Philippines, Sam’s passion-driven nature harmonizes seamlessly with Next Step
Connections’ values and ambitions. Her contributions play a pivotal role in shaping the
company’s spiritual framework and operational implementation.
Program & Admissions Team
Maricar Ramos
Program Team
I’m Maricar Ramos, an education graduate with a strong background poised to contribute to the Program Team. Specialized in optimizing processes, streamlining procedures, and crafting unique educational experiences that smoothly blend innovation and inspiration. My passion lies in uncovering creative methods to support and educate others, driving positive impact and growth.
Ria Lestari
Admission Team
Hi, I’m Ria from the Admissions Team based in Indonesia. With a solid foundation built over 10 years in hospitality and virtual assistance, I bring versatile skills in customer relations, multitasking, and remote support. I utilise this expertise to manage student admissions and create connections with Asian companies for internship opportunities.
Jihan Davincka
Admissions Team
Hi, I’m Jihan, an IT professional with a background in project management, business analysis, and data analytics. Graduated in Computer Science from the University of Indonesia.
As part of the admissions team, I handle student inquiries and admissions for our remote and in-person internship programs. I also reach out to companies across Asia to secure internship vacancies. I’m passionate about connecting talented students with valuable internship opportunities, contributing to their professional growth.
Resident Directors & Coordinators
Abha Jaiswal
Resident Director India
Abha is an experienced learning specialist skilled in managing the complete learning cycle including identifying learning needs, planning and executing experiential programs, identifying and managing learning partners, managing budget. She is also a skilled student mentor and advisor. Abha has organised numerous internships and study tours in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kerala.
Hallie Bradley
Resident Director South Korea
Hallie hails from the United States and guides students in the country she has called home for a decade. She have been featured on CNN, the BBC and the Samantha Brown show as an expert on trends in Seoul and travel in Korea. She started The Soul of Seoul a site to promote travel and culture in Seoul and Korea.
She has written for Forbes Travel Guide, The Korea Times and Groove Magazine. She promotes travel through an optimistic lens and shares off the beaten path places and hot spots that locals and travelers need to see in Seoul.
Vincent Tan
Resident Director Singapore
Vincent Tan, a Singapore-based tourist guide, has not only taken the baton from his father but also forged a unique path of his own. He is dedicated to his calling and passionate about his chosen mission: people. He works with our team as a local guide and resident coordinator in Singapore, but his qualities and responsibilities extend far beyond that of your standard tour guide. He guides students on site but also on their individual experiences abroad, thus serving both as a mentor and as a guide for life-changing experiences.
With over a decade of experience in tourism, Vincent is a real people person who treats everyone like his family, and really takes care of them.
Floriensa Wiyono Daryanto
Resident Director
Having a 10+ years experience interning and working professional in Indonesia, New Zealand, China, and Hong Kong, in various industries such as education, consulting, retail, and FMCG makes me realise how amazing an international internship can lead to multiple job offers overseas. This aspire me to help students and young professionals to be able to develop their career and be standout from the peers.
In 2017, I was awarded as one of the inspirational alumni from Petra Christian University as The Fighting Dreamers and Best Achievers. In addition, I also won the scholarship award from Mandiri Bank and Petra Christian University as the University representative for international program.
A Global team on a mission.
One Team. One Mission.
Our strength lies in our diversity. Spanning Asia, Europe, and North America, our team members bring unique perspectives — but share a common goal: to empower students through transformative learning and cross-cultural connection.
Every mentor, coordinator, and director contributes to building a global community where students can learn from experience and grow beyond boundaries.
Your Journey Starts Here
Every great experience begins with a conversation.
Get to know the people who will walk alongside you — from preparation to transformation.
