Our Team
Champions of International Education for Student-Athletes
Kris Brackmann
Director of SAA Programs
Kris is the Director of Spain programming and also oversees the marketing and operations of all SAA programs, including partnerships and student enrollment. The former Seattle Times Athlete of the Year graduated from Claremont McKenna College where her basketball team won four SCIAC league championships and made four NCAA DIII appearances. With a passion to live abroad and discover more of this beautiful world she moved to Spain in 2017 and keeps in shape by competing in her other favorite sport, beach volleyball. Kris loves being able to stay connected to student-athletes and introducing them to new cultures.
Josh Erickson
Director of Custom Programs
Josh is a co-founder of Beyond Sports and Student-Athletes Abroad. He oversees SAA custom Faculty-Led and Service Learning trips, managing partner relationships and program delivery across all programs and sports to ensure a smooth transition from program planning to execution. Josh is a former college basketball player and coach who lived abroad in Costa Rica for five years managing program operations and international staff. He was the Head Coach of the Costa Rica Men's National Basketball Team, the Costa Rica Women's National Team and top professional teams in the country.
Annika Wachtman
Director of Marketing
Annika oversees marketing for all Beyond Sports brands. She is a former GLASS Mentor and is a co-founder of the program. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Annika lived in Costa Rica for almost two years while helping build the foundation for GLASS. Annika is passionate about mentorship and service and has experience coaching high school varsity basketball, youth softball and leading summer basketball camps. Annika is a former collegiate basketball player and graduated from Capital University with a degree in Public Relations and International Studies.
Silvia Betancourt
Costa Rica Director
Silvia is the Director of all Costa Rica programming. Silvia is one of Costa Rica's most accomplished athletes having played Division I soccer and basketball in the United States. She received all-conference honors on the field and in the classroom. Silvia has represented her country on both the Costa Rica National Soccer and Basketball Teams. Prior to joining our organization, she directed programs for Special Olympics of Costa Rica and continues to manage the Beyond Sports - Special Olympics partnership as a member of Special Olympics' Board of Directors.
Nawaal Weitz
South Africa Director
Nawaal is the Director of all South Africa programming. Nawaal has traveled the world through the game of softball as a member of the South Africa National Team. She studied Sports and Recreation Management at the University of the Western Cape. Nawaal joined us from The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a global non-profit which supports 20 inspiring sport for development organizations in South Africa and more than 150 organizations in 35 different countries across the globe.
Kayla Reeves
Enrollment Coordinator
Kayla joins the team as an Enrollment Coordinator. She is a former collegiate basketball player from the University of Nevada, Reno, where she was a Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athlete. After college, Kayla was a graduate assistant with Gonzaga University Women's Basketball team for two years while earning her Master's in Sport and Athletic Administration. Her coaching career then took her to Puget Sound and Pepperdine University, where she served as an assistant coach in the women's basketball programs.
Ben Ellis
SAA Fellow
Ben is our inaugural Student-Athletes Abroad Fellow. He is currently a grad student and captain of the men’s golf team at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan. Ben has earned three individual collegiate tournament victories, all-conference honors, and has been named a NAIA scholar-athlete twice. Ben is an alumnus of SAA, having interned in Cape Town, South Africa in the summer of 2023.
Speak with Ben by filling out this form here!