Meet the Team at EdOdyssey

Director of Institutional Partnerships

Kyle Simmons

kyle@edodyssey.com

 

Originally from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Kyle studied history as an undergrad at The University of Southern Mississippi, where he traveled abroad for the first time studying for a semester in Pontlevoy, France.  The experience was the high water mark of what educators strive to make their study abroad programs:  Authentically immersive, academically enriching, personally transformative, and world-changing.  

Building on this personal travel experience, Kyle’s passion for educational travel has grown endlessly since joining the field and helping others realize their own special journeys.  This first began at The University of Mississippi, where Kyle served as a graduate assistant in the Study Abroad Office while earning his Master’s in history.  There, helping advise outbound study abroad students and welcoming incoming international students to campus, Kyle found his calling for international ed and has worked in the field ever since.

Now calling Chapel Hill, North Carolina home, Kyle spends his time away from the desk joining friends for trivia, watching as many movies and reading as many books as possible, playing music, and always planning his next trip.  You can often find him tinkering around the garage, enjoying his many hobbies, which recently include woodworking, pottery, and gardening.

A Fun Fact About Kyle:
I have two adorable, infuriating cats, Olivia and Sebastian (more often Liv and Bas), whose names come from the Shakespeare play Twelfth Night, selected by my wife who is an English professor.

Kyle’s Favorite Travel Memory:
One of my absolute favorite trips so far was a summer in London, which was bookended by two weekend experiences at the Emirates Stadium, home of my favorite soccer club, Arsenal.  I arrived in London just in time to catch the final match of the Premier League season, which Arsenal won easily 5-0, and the weekend before I returned home, I attended a concert there, where I got to see my favorite band, Arctic Monkeys, standing on the actual pitch of my favorite club.  Between those weekends, I also celebrated my anniversary with my wife in Nice, France, and chaperoned a student art program in Italy.  It was truly a bucket list trip, and one I’ll never forget.