language immersion
our team
t r a v e l with purpose
d i s c o n n e c t to reconnect
f o c u s on what matters
b e of service
Paul Cumbo
Co-Founder & Principal
Paul's experience in the developing world began in college assisting a medical research study in the Nepal Himalaya. He has led hundreds of students and colleagues in immersive service learning ventures in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and the Navajo Nation. His travels have also taken him to Patagonia, the Scottish Highlands, Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, India, and all but a few states in the U.S.. Along with Adam Baber, he co-founded the Companions program at Canisius High School.
A veteran educator with more than twenty years of experience coaching and teaching, Paul holds a BA in English from Canisius College, an MS in Educational Leadership from St. Joseph's University, and an M.Litt in Creative Writing & Literature from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He served for three years as an adjunct for the Jesuit Schools Network, leading the Seminars in Ignatian Leadership, of which he is a graduate.
Paul is the author of four books and is represented by agent Sheryl Shade of Shade Global, Inc. His award-winning novels have been praised by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Writer's Digest, and ForeWord. His consulting company, PJC Editorial, provides editorial, writing, and training services for a client roster including Fortune 500 corporations and global nonprofits, including Harvard University, McKinsey & Co., Boston Consulting Group, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Deloitte, Roche, Genentech, and the World Economic Forum.
In his 20's, Paul held certification as a Wilderness EMT through the Wilderness Medicine Institute of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Paul lives in Amherst, N.Y. with his wife and three children.
Adam Baber
Co-Founder & Principal
Adam, a veteran leader in Jesuit secondary education, currently serves as Principal of McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, New York. Prior to this, he was Assistant Principal of Canisius High School in Buffalo. Along with Paul Cumbo, Adam co-founded the Companions / Compañeros Program at Canisius, leading several groups of students on immersions in Texas, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and the Navajo Nation.
His travels have taken him throughout the United States and Europe, as well as Africa, India and the Middle East. A graduate of Bowdoin College with an undergraduate degrees in History and Music, Adam taught for several years before earning a Master's in Educational Leadership from the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University.
As Principal at McQuaid he has overseen updates to the school's curriculum and educational technology, launched new efforts at inclusivity and diversity awareness, and steered the institution through the recent covid-19 pandemic. He lives along Conesus Lake outside Geneseo, where he spends his free time hiking, cycling, reading, and writing.
Jen Christopher
Seminar Facilitator
For the past 14 years, Jennifer Christopher, a native of the Pacific Northwest, has taught both English and Theology at Gonzaga Preparatory School in Spokane, WA. She assists Camino Institute as a facilitator, primarily of our Young Women's Online Seminars.
Before going back into the classroom full-time, Jen spent 8 years as an assistant Campus Minister where her heart for walking with young women as they navigate high school and beyond began to be realized. A desire to help young women realize their inherent self-worth, value, and beauty has become an integral part of her professional life.
Additionally, Jen serves as an adjunct instructor with the Jesuit Schools Network Seminars in Ignatian Leadership. In all these capacities, Jen works with creativity and zeal to transform people’s experiences of education, leadership, and faith.
Jen and her husband Jeff recently became empty nesters after sending the second of their two daughters off to college. In her free time, Jen is an avid reader, hiker, runner, camper, dog walker, and Gonzaga basketball fan. Having spent many summers at pristine Priest Lake in North Idaho, Jen continues to enjoy outdoor experiences and all of the paths they offer.
William Wolf
Seminar Facilitator
Building upon nearly a decade of experience teaching young men in Jesuit high schools, Will instructs courses in world history and American politics. Will has split his career teaching between Canisius High School in Buffalo, NY and Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, MD where is a current faculty member. He holds an undergraduate degree in history from Xavier University and a master's degree in education from Canisius College. He is a graduate of the Seminars in Ignatian Leadership offered by the Jesuit Schools Network.
Will has developed a background leading service immersion trips through experiences in Los Angeles, CA, Cincinnati, OH, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. In wake of travel restrictions caused by Covid-19, Will extended his immersion leadership into providing virtual experiences for his students. His immersion experiences resonate with his effort in providing his students a global education of the world around them beyond the walls of their classroom.