Christine Megariotis

B.A. International Affairs, B.A. Geography with a minor in Geographic Information Systems, magna cum laude,George Washington University

Christine has worked with Dragons since 2013, instructing two courses in Indonesia and three courses in Nepal.  The 2018 – 2019 year will be her second year as the On-site Director in Indonesia. Christine first encountered Indonesia in 2011 when she moved to Jambi, Sumatra as a VIA Global Community Fellow. What Christine realized, as she pored over maps of China and Southeast Asia, was that she knew very little about the sprawling archipelago, part of one of the most bio-diverse regions and the most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world. That realization was all it took to arouse her curiosity and Christine knew she had to get there to satiate it through hands-on experience. That was a decision Christine will never regret as it led her through one of the most challenging, exciting, and fulfilling experiences  of her life.

Christine lived in Sumatra from 2011 – 2013  working with KKI-Warsi, a local NGO concerned with climate change, community forestry, and low-carbon development. She worked on projects cooperating with indigenous groups, villagers, and all levels of government to develop participatory community conservation projects, impact natural resource management policy, and increase public awareness of sustainable development. When she wasn’t working, she developed a deep love for durian, spicy Padang food, and learning Indonesian while watching the monsoon rains. At the end of her fellowship, she still didn’t want to leave Indonesia so she started working with Where There Be Dragons so she could educate others about her adoptive home. At Dragons, she found a community of driven educators and courageous students, who inspired and challenged her to keep learning and to see the world through a multitude of perspectives.

In 2009, Christine received her B.A., magna cum laude, in both International Affairs and Geography, with a concentration in Economic Development and a minor in Geographic Information Systems from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Before working with Dragons, she managed geographic programs for the 2010 Census and was later a technical writer at the U.S. Census Bureau. She has also worked as a teacher’s assistant in NJ public schools, an Indonesian translator, and a financial research analyst.  

A proud NJ native, Christine is as comfortable navigating the concrete jungle as she is the real jungle. She is a bibliophile, map enthusiast, street food connoisseur, scuba diver, and aspiring polyglot. Christine loves volunteering in her community, eating ice cream, her nephew Rainer, ballroom dancing, and (when in internet range) taking free online courses on topics ranging from supply chain management to jazz history. Christine is a certified Wilderness First Responder. She speaks Indonesian and Spanish and can make people laugh at her in Nepali, Mandarin, and French. She has instructed in Nepal and Indonesia and served for two years as the On-Site Director for the Princeton Bridge Year program in Indonesia.