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Patty Brownlee
Founder & Director
After finishing her degree in Intercultural Relations and living and working abroad, Patty founded Global Immersions, Inc. in April 2000. For over 25 years she has been working in the field of international education and has developed intercultural skills programs for schools, colleges, universities and organized individual and customized homestay programs for students of all ages from around the world.
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Prior to founding Global Immersions, she was a partner and co-founder of Quarters Across Borders, a homestay services company and Culture Connection, an intercultural training and consulting company, both based in Boston.
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Patty is originally from Colorado and Arizona and has always had a passion for learning, people and travel. She studied in England and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Turkey and the United States.
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Her teaching and training experience spans students of all ages and backgrounds. During her time in Austria this work included, being a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in two technical high schools, creating a multicultural arts program implemented in secondary schools as well as designing and implementing an executive level exchange program as an integrated component of the English language curriculum Management Center Innsbruck, a university of applied sciences. This business program was the springboard for the Global Immersions customized experiential learning program, Fluency Business English, designed for executives from Siemens and other multinational companies. To immerse herself in Austrian culture and daily life, she lived with two host families in different regions of the country.
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For two years, Patty taught an undergraduate International Business Management course focusing on cultural aspects and case studies at Northeastern University in Boston. In addition, Global Immersions, Inc. has participated for several years in the Northeastern Co-op program where Patty has mentored and provided an opportunity for the students to gain experiences in a small business and the intercultural field.
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Patty has spent considerable time in Turkey, first traveling there in 1993, and has an in-depth understanding of the culture. She and her family continue to travel within the U.S. and abroad and learn about new cultures whenever the opportunity arises.
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Patty holds a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Drawing from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University. Patty is a native English speaker and speaks German and basic Turkish.
Gen Ueda
Groups Program & Japanese Specialist
Gen was born and raised in Kanazawa, Japan where he graduated from a technical college in 2011. He participated in two study abroad programs in summer 2006 to Vermont and in 2007 to Dunedin, New Zealand. He stayed with a host family for a year in Dunedin and recalls having one of the best host families. The unforgettable experiences he had in New Zealand influenced him a lot and shifted his future goals to the field of international education and cultural affairs.
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​After returning from New Zealand, Gen completed two internships in Japan, including an Exchange Program Organizer at a local city hall. In 2010, his family hosted a student from Singapore for two weeks, and he gained a further and deeper understanding of homestay.
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​In 2011, Gen moved to Boston, MA to study at Northeastern University. He graduated from in May 2016 with a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs with the concentration in Latin America.
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Gen is a huge fan of international travels. At least once a year he finds time and travels to exotic places that he has never been. He describes his recent trip to Eastern Europe and Turkey as breathtaking and plans to visit more countries soon.
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Gen joined Global Immersions Homestay in the fall of 2015 to complete the required six-month internship for the Northeastern Co-Op program. He returned to Global Immersions after graduation to complete an O.P.T. in the role of Group Programs Coordinator and the liaison for all of our Japanese clients and visitors.
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Gen is currently based in Japan and started English Cores, a small business focusing on English education and study abroad consultation and language instruction (English/Japanese). He provides intercultural and consulting services to Global Immersions Homestay for all of their Group Programs and Japanese clients and visitors. Gen is a native Japanese speaker and speaks English fluently.