Better Know a Program Consultant: Mark Ruggiero

One of our main goals with Explorations is to give everyone an opportunity to meet the fine folks who work at Explorica to help teachers take their students on educational tours across the globe.

This week’s featured Program Consultant is Mark Ruggiero.  Here’s some of our favorite excerpts from our recent interview with him:

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Syracuse, New York and lived in the area until I was 12 years old.  My family moved to Amherst, New Hampshire in the mid 1990s.

Where did you go to college?

University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT.  Go Huskies!

Where have you traveled?

The Caribbean, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Japan, France and soon to be Ireland!

Which Explorica tours have you taken?

Italian Highlights in July 2008

Favorite breakfast cereal?

Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  After eating all the cereal, I love to drink the milk-leftovers…

If aliens were to contact earth tomorrow, would they be more E.T. or Independence Day?

When I was young, E.T. really freaked me out.  I’m probably going to have to go more in the direction of Independence Day on this one.

If you could live anywhere else in the entire world, where would that be and why?

Cape Town, South Africa.  It is one of the most beautiful cities in one of my favorite countries.  The backdrop of Table Mountain over the skyline is incredible.  It’s also on the ocean and I love being by the sea.

Coke or Pepsi?

Both.  No, seriously.  I like Diet Coke over Coke and Pepsi over Diet Pepsi.

Don’t ask me why but I’ve always been like that.

How far will UConn make it in the tourney this year, and why?

Which team?  I have the luxury of saying that both of our basketball teams are perennial national powerhouses.  We did win both the men’s and women’s championship in 2004 after all (the only school to do so!).

Our men’s team will make a deep run this year.  However, the loss of our point guard, Jerome Dyson, is going to make it difficult.

Our women’s team will go all the way.  They’re undefeated and have a solid team this year.

If the Rocky Mountains have the better slopes, how come most US Olympic skiers hail from the Northeast?

Good question!

While Steamboat Springs, Colorado may hail itself as the home of the most US Winter Olympians, their “champagne powder” isn’t as demanding as the boilerplate conditions that we have here in the Northeast.

It’s often said that if you can ski the hardpack and icy conditions here in the Northeast, you can ski anything.  We are also graced with some wonderful schools and racing clubs.  In fact, Bode Miller, a New Hampshire native and Olympic medalist, used to race against racers in my division when I was younger.

Needless to say, he won.