Encouraged to study French following his aunt's adventures as an au pair, Robert fell in love with the connections and cultural understanding that come from immersive travel.  Having lived in France for two years, spending some time as an English Language Assistant,  and countless trips back with students, he relishes the opportunity to extend similar experiences to others today, transforming French from a fun class in school into an integral part of young peoples' personal stories!

A former French teacher in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at South Salem HS in Salem, OR for 13 years and father of three little francophones, he enjoys spending time with family and being active, Oregon weather permitting!

At eight years old, during a camping trip in the Canadian Rockies with her grand-parents, Tia fell in love with the French language. Since this découverte, she participated in a Rotary International Exchange at 17 years old, meeting her French family in Savignac de l’Isle; Tia lived in Montpellier as a university student; taught English at the secondary level in Nîmes with TAPIF; pursued a Master’s in French at Portland State University and a MEd in Secondary Education, World Language. She is a French educator with a Principal Residency Certificate, and has led students to many corners of France with Putney Student Travel. Today, Tia resides in Bellingham, Washington with her family, facilitating cross-cultural exchanges between anglophone and francophone speakers for Andégo programming. She finds a lot of joy helping others find avenues to visit and to live abroad. Tia also enjoys speaking French to her daughter, cooking for friends, swimming in the bay, hiking in the mountains, and growing wildflowers in her garden. She is so happy that you found us - bienvenue à Andégo !! 

Scott's love for French began in high school when he was shown by his teacher that learning a new language is more than just another way to speak- it is a way to think, feel, and be. Since then, Scott says that he is very grateful to have been able to live in Paris, Bordeaux, and Annecy, where he was enrolled as a student in a French High School following a literary track. He continued his education at the University of Oregon studying Psychology, French, and Global Health. Scott's time abroad opened his eyes to how language connects us; opening up a new world of relationships, opportunities, and understanding. Scott is beyond excited to be there as a resource in your journey and cannot wait to see where language takes you.  

Michelle’s interest in international travel began in college when she studied abroad in Spain. During that time, she was able to travel to several European countries. Her love of language has been a constant throughout her life, beginning in 8th grade Spanish class, followed by a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish from Willamette University, where she also earned a degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Teaching. She uses her Spanish daily as a Dual Language Spanish immersion elementary school teacher.

Michelle is married and has two young adult children, both of whom served as language assistants with Andégo Internships Abroad in Viry-Chatillon and Angers, France. Because of their experiences, she has a deep understanding of the joys, wonders, and challenges of living in a foreign country and looks forward to supporting interns as they navigate their experiences.

Arika first fell in love with the French language thanks to her quirky and fun high school French teacher. After a class trip to Lille, she knew French was something that would always be in her life. She studied French and International Studies at the University of Oregon where she was inspired by her professors. Arika spent an undergraduate semester in Poitiers, France and came back with an even stronger passion for the language. Encouraged and inspired by her university advisor and professor, she spent two years in Orléans assistant teaching through TAPIF. This is where she found her passion for teaching. She is now the French teacher at Central High School in Oregon, and looks forward to sharing her experiences with students.  

Diana's family moved to Oregon from Mexico when she was six years old. She heard the language in her first grade classroom all day long and would go home and ask her dad for help figuring out what she heard throughout the day. Her first grade teacher supported her and, according to one of her classmates, she planned some activities for the class to learn colors and numbers in Spanish since she didn't know much English.Though she didn’t know it then, that was the beginning of her interest in other languages and cultures.

She is now a Spanish teacher at Sprague High School in Salem, Oregon where she has taught many levels including Heritage and AP. In 2015, she encouraged her students to be immersed in the Costa Rican language and culture through hosting and traveling. She is now excited to offer students similar experiences in France and Spain.

Katie got the travel bug at the age of 15 while going to France with her high school French class. Katie went on to become a high school French teacher  herself, teaching for 13 years in Oregon and now in her third year in New Mexico. Katie studied abroad in Nantes during university and participated in the TAPIF language assistant program twice, once in Île de la Réunion and once in rural Normandy. She loves French history and culture, French cuisine, and has visited many francophone nations. She is pretty sure teaching high school French is the best job on the planet (except for cheese taster).   

Kim's love of French and language learning began in elementary school when one of her French-loving teachers took it upon herself to share the language and culture with her third grade class. After choosing to study the language for 4 years in high school and travelling to France with her high school teacher, she decided to seize the opportunity to study French in college and study abroad. Having participated in immersion programs in Chicoutimi, Quebec and Paris, France, she says that she is forever grateful for the knowledge, experience, and confidence that educational travel gave her as a student. Now, as a French teacher, she enjoys finding similar experiences to share with her high school students and her own young children. 

Born and raised in the scenic region of Haute-Savoie, France, Anaïs moved to the U.S. in 2019 to pursue her passion for soccer and explore new academic and cultural horizons. Now, six years later and completing her degree in Business Management, she brings her international perspective and love of travel to her role with Andégo.

Her time in the U.S. has opened the door to unforgettable experiences, personal growth, and lifelong friendships, all of which fuel her passion for helping others step into similar life-changing journeys. As a local coordinator in Washington, Anaïs is excited to support young students as they begin their own global adventures, just as she once did.

Outside of soccer and work, Anaïs enjoys hiking, being in nature, dancing, and getting lost in a good book.

Molly, currently a student at Boise State University, has had international exchange be a part of her family for generations, dating back to her great-grandparents.  It’s something she has loved to be a part of. Over the years she has had the privilege of building connections with students from countries like Sweden, France, Spain, Australia, Germany, and Norway. Her family has personally hosted two international students, and it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience. Learning about their cultures, and day-to-day life is so fun and interesting. She is excited to now contribute to this wonderful opportunity from a new perspective, helping both students and families create lasting memories and cultural connections. 

Gretchen, a student at Trinity Western University in British Columbia, has always enjoyed exploring international culture through language, the arts, and music. Growing up, she had a love for all things Parisian and French—but it wasn’t until she spent a year in France as an Andégo Teaching Assistant in Candé that her French-speaking skills truly flourished and her adoration for the language and country was solidified. From hosting an international student with her family during high school to being welcomed into homes by host families in France, Gretchen has developed a deep appreciation for the relational nature of cultural exchange. Whether it is hearing French spoken in Canada, or meeting French tourists while traveling, she is passionate about welcoming and loving others through connection across cultures. 

Chloe first ventured abroad as an exchange student in France at sixteen. For her, the experience was like nothing else. She remembers how exciting it was to watch her language skills grow, how each day offered her opportunities to get to know not just the culture of France, but the people: her host family, her friends, neighbors, and fellow exchange students. Her experience abroad showed her how special cross-cultural learning can be, and how languages can be a door to new experiences and friends. She was inspired to continue self-studying foreign languages (Spanish, German, Japanese, Korean...), and to join the cultural exchange club at the University of Washington, where she served two years as Director of Events. She has since grown even more passionate about helping others discover new cultures, learn new languages, and make new friends from all over the world! 

As Social Media Curator for Andégo , she is excited to show others how fulfilling, and fun, living abroad can be. She hopes that, through her outreach efforts, others will be inspired to discover Andego and begin their own unforgettable journey!

Melinda was the inspiration and propelling force behind our program.  As founder of ANDEO International Homestays, a local non-profit that impacted hundreds of students, families, and teachers alike for more than 40 years, Melinda was the first to help Robert send students from South Salem High School on this amazing journey spurring him to create Andégo.

Founder & Directors of our French partner organization, "Terre des Langues", Pascal & Béryl work closely with our French partner schools and local families to provide placement, communication, and support to all of our participants.

Our partner organization in Mexico, Nacel, works closely with our Mexican partner schools and local families to provide placement, communication, and support to all of our participants.

Gredos is a unique school with campuses in Spain, Costa Rica, and Cameroon.  Andégo works with Gredos to facilitate short-term international homestays while furthering our joint mission and embrace of the power of intercultural exchange. 

Gredos is a worker co-operative, the teachers, administration staff and service personnel are co-operative members. Gredos Schools are secular, with an ideology that encourages tolerance and freedom of ideas, instilling educational values based on a respect for human dignity, promoting interest through discovery and study in both the scientific and humanistic fields.