Lela (Young) Rendall

A Career In Higher Education

My career studying history through place began as a docent at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in Virginia. In Orkney — like at Monticello — you experience the scope of human history as well as the opportunities (and challenges) we face.

For more than twenty years, I’ve worked inside higher education — teaching legal writing, representing the University of Tennessee as a member of the Office of the General Counsel, and serving as an administrator in the Provost’s office. That combination of teaching, legal, and administrative experience is what shapes how I build every Northern Horizons program: with an eye for academic rigor, institutional compliance, and the practical realities of getting a group of students safely engaged in an overseas program.

Learning Shaped by Place

Having married into a large Orcadian family, I see Orkney both through the lens of an islander and an international visitor and carry a personal connection to the islands. With that blended perspective, and my background in higher education, law, and compliance, my goal is simple: share this captivating island with students, faculty, and administrators. Others who have worked with us describe the “Orkney magic” they feel when visiting.