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Melinda Samis
Director / European Programs Manager
Melinda founded International Summerstays (now ANDEO) 27 years ago in Portland, Oregon. She was a high school exchange student to Australia, speaks Spanish, and has hosted many students from South America, Asia, Europe and Africa.
Memorable experience abroad: ”Being in a small village in France on September 11, 2001 and having all the neighbors stop by to extend their heartfelt wishes for my country.”
Patty Hayashi
Assistant Director / Asian Programs Manager
Patty has worked at Andeo since 1994. She has a B.A. in Japanese Studies and lived in Japan for 8 years, including one year with a great host family in Tokyo. She has also stayed with families in Mexico, France and Germany.
Memorable experience abroad: “Celebrating New Year’s Eve with thousands of kimono-clad Japanese at Suwa-jinja, the main shrine in Nagasaki.”
Andrea Bailey
Outbound Programs Manager
Andrea speaks German, Spanish, and French, and has tested her language skills while traveling around Western Europe, Central- and South America. She graduated with an M.A. in Applied Cultural Sciences, and spent a study abroad trimester in New Zealand.
Memorable experience abroad: "Participating in a Te Huinga, the annual gathering of Maori students in Auckland, and being part of a traditional wedding celebration in a small village in La Pampa, Argentina.”
Helen Lawrence
Program Coordinator for American School Groups Abroad
Helen Lawrence taught high school Spanish for 28 years, including 18 years at Lincoln High School in Portland. She has traveled, worked, and studied in Spain, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and Argentina.
Memorable experience abroad: ”Being lucky enough to visit mystical Machu Picchu twice in one lifetime!”
Kellie Irish
Outbound Programs Coordinator
Kellie lived in Japan for four years – one year with a wonderful host family. She has a BA in East Asian Languages and Cultures with Japanese. Her love of culture and adventure has taken her to 22 countries on 4 continents.
Memorable experiences abroad: ”Relaxing in a Japanese hot spring during a snowfall after a long day of snowboarding; watching the sunrise in the Serengeti.”
Masumi Lint
Asian Programs Coordinator
Masumi received her B.A. in International Relations from the University of Shizuoka in Japan, and recently graduated with her M.A. in TESOL from the University of Idaho. She has visited several countries in Europe and enjoyed two homestay experiences in England. She also shared a homestay in Idaho for one year with housemates from China and Saudi Arabia!
Paulene Paredes
Programs and Homestay Placement Coordinator
Paulene has always had a deep passion for travel and working with youth. She grew up in Sequim, WA where her family began hosting students from Japan and Norway when she was a freshman in high school. She has visited Mexico, Puerto Rico and Peru, where she stayed with a host family for three weeks. She studied at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA and she is currently studying Spanish.
Most memorable travel moment: “Hiking to the top of Wayna Picchu (the peak behind Machu Picchu) and staring at the awe-inspiring, magical city below.”
Donna Garton
Long-Term Hosting Programs Coordinator
Donna’s first international homestay experience was as a volunteer in a small village in Nepal. As a student, she participated in research trips to Bolivia and Sierra Leone, and then spent five years teaching English in Japan, Russia and Turkey. She received her M.A. degree in Peace Studies in England in 2007. Donna loves working with people from different countries and cultures and spends her free time coaching refugees on how to prepare for their citizenship test.
Memorable experience abroad: “Failing miserably but hilariously to milk my host family’s water buffalo ‘Dora’, with the whole village looking on and laughing hysterically.”
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