What inspired you to work for SLImmersion?
I spent 10 years in the hospitality industry, learning what it truly means to care for people and create meaningful experiences. After a while, I felt ready for a new challenge—one that still centered on human connection.
SLImmersion was the perfect fit: it combines the same passion for service with the joy of helping learners grow, discover French culture, and feel supported throughout their journey.
Describe a typical day at work.
Not a day goes by without a new challenge. We’re a small yet highly versatile team, so I switch from teaching lessons to advising our students and designing the perfect immersive stay for them, to developing new programs for future learners.
Every day brings something new to learn, and that’s what I love about it.
The SLImmersion Team in the Ancrages forum in Marseille - 2025
Why do you do what you do?
I’m passionate about customer service and human connection. Helping students face real-life situations with confidence and giving them the tools to understand and be understood in French is incredibly rewarding. Seeing them grow, feel supported, and enjoy the learning process is what motivates me every day.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is learning something new every single day.
That’s the challenge that comes with changing careers. Each student, each immersion stay, and each new project brings a fresh perspective and a new lesson. This constant sense of discovery keeps me motivated, curious and genuinely excited about the work I do.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
I’ve lived a life of travel and exploration, so I deeply understand the curiosity and excitement that come with learning a new language and culture.
This international background helps me connect with our students, support their challenges, and design immersive experiences that truly reflect what it feels like to discover France from the inside.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
Our online lessons are dynamic and personalized.
Coming from a fast-paced hospitality background, shifting to a role that involves more desk work brought its own challenges.
I had to learn to slow down, plan ahead and become more structured in my daily tasks. Little by little, I’ve developed new routines and tools that help me stay organised and focused, while still keeping the energy and responsiveness I gained from my previous career.
What are some current projects you are working on?
I’m currently developing new group travel experiences across France and Quebec, as well as working on our new learning solution, Immerse Language, which helps students learn French through cultural discovery on their phone, computer or tablet.
At the same time, I continue supporting our students with personalized guidance to help them find the perfect program.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
I’d tell my pre-travel self to stay open to every new experience, even the ones that seem intimidating at first.
Travel has a way of surprising you: the people you meet, the cultures you discover, and the unexpected moments that shape who you become. The more curious and flexible you are, the more meaningful each journey becomes.
Embracing uncertainty is often where the best memories and the most growth happen.
Why should someone choose SLImmersion over competitors?
It's all about giving the best customer service, with a smile
Someone should choose our organization because we genuinely care for every student—we know them by name, follow their journey closely and make sure they feel supported at every step.
We carefully select our partners to ensure high-quality experiences, and our customer service is personal, responsive and attentive. On top of that, the diversity of our immersive stay destinations allows each learner to find the program that truly fits their goals and interests.
What is SLImmersion’s mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is to offer meaningful French immersion experiences that help learners truly connect with the language and culture.
Since 2012, we’ve created tailor-made programs that combine personalised lessons, guided conversations and authentic daily life with a private tutor. Whether in one of the most beautiful regions of France or through our online immersive platform, we work every day to design welcoming, high-quality stays that support each student’s goals and make their learning journey unforgettable
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I hope participants leave our programs having discovered the “real” France—the places, people and everyday moments that aren’t always found in guidebooks.
More than anything, I want them to feel confident using French in real-life situations. Our immersions give them the chance to practice naturally, make genuine connections, and experience the language as it’s truly spoken. If they return home with new skills, new memories, and a deeper understanding of French culture, then we’ve succeeded.
Our immersions are all about discovering the most beautiful parts of France — while speaking French
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
Traveling abroad is essential because it opens us to the world and reminds us that humanity has many different facets. But that, at the core, we are not so different after all.
In a time when we increasingly fear those who look or sound unfamiliar, meeting others, discovering their cultures, and understanding their daily realities becomes more important than ever. Travel encourages empathy, curiosity, and a sense of shared humanity that we can’t build by staying in our comfort zone.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel, to me, is about stepping into the world with curiosity rather than fear. It’s choosing to meet others with openness, embracing the idea that being surprised—and even challenged—is part of the experience.
When we travel with the intention to understand rather than judge, every encounter becomes an opportunity to grow. Meaningful travel is not just about seeing new places, but about letting people and cultures reshape the way we see ourselves and the world.
What hopes do you have for the future of international education?
I hope we return to a vision of international education where the goal is to develop curious, critical, and open minds. I want a future where everyone—regardless of background—has equal access to opportunities that allow them to grow, choose their path, and shape their own future.
Education should remain a right, not a privilege, and it should never be reduced to teaching some people how to be productive and others how to lead or dominate. True international education must inspire understanding, empowerment, and fairness for all.
