Eli Fisher

Princeton Bridge Year On-Site Director, Indonesia

B.A. Religion, Oberlin College

Eli grew up in Connecticut and was fortunate to enroll in summer backpacking trips where he developed a passion for outdoor and experiential education. After high school, Eli attended Oberlin College in Ohio where he majored in Religion, with a focus on South Asian religions. During his time at Oberlin, Eli had the opportunity to continue traveling, including participating in an intensive Spanish course in Peru, studying in South India for a semester, and helping to create an arts education program for elementary-aged students in Western India.

Following his time at Oberlin, Eli received a Shansi Fellowship to teach English at a university in Yogyakarta, Indonesia for 2 years. While in Yogyakarta, he taught conversational English and academic writing to both undergraduate students majoring in English, and students in a master’s program in religious and cross-cultural studies. Outside of the classroom, Eli studied Indonesian, worked at a local radio station, and had the opportunity to explore the vast Indonesian archipelago along with other countries in Asia. Following his time as a teacher, he returned to Indonesia to work as the manager of a conservation-focused experiential education program in the jungles of Southeast Sulawesi. Since the fall of 2020, Eli has been leading summer and gap semester programs in the Southwestern & Northwestern U.S., Hawaii, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Belize, and Panama.

When he’s not leading trips, Eli loves to see live music, scuba dive, dance, and go on hikes with his two dogs, Jax and Isla.