Where we’ve come from
AFX Student Exchange was started when Elisabeth Thomas, a mère de famille in Paris, was looking for an exchange program for her daughter. What she found was a host of organisations offering generic programs to many different countries. Elisabeth had a feeling that if her daughter was well matched with an Australian host family and correspondent, the benefits of the exchange would be far greater.
Unable to find anything that offered the experience she was after, Elisabeth contacted her friend Ben in Melbourne. Ben had participated in an exchange in Bordeaux with his high school Melbourne Grammar School from which he came back passioné with France and French. Elisabeth charged Ben to find the ideal host family for her daughter.
Elisabeth’s daughter Vinciane was the first student to benefit from the personalised approach taken in organising her exchange.
Word spread, demand grew and in 2001, Elisabeth and Ben established AFX.
Since, AFX has grown and we now offer a range of programs between Australia and France. The one thing that hasn’t changed? The care and attention we put into every student’s needs to create their perfect French experience.
OUR COMMUNITY
We have a large community of local representatives, in France and Australia helping us deliver great programs the all way.
Meet some of them below.
Kristen Cargill
High School Program Coordinator
Originally from New Zealand, Kristen participated in student exchange programs to New Caledonia and France while in high school. She continued her French studies throughout the university and received a double major in Marketing and French.
Kristen has recently joined us after spending 2021 living and working in the south of France with her French husband.
We are thrilled to have her join our team, to share her experiences and passion for French with all our students and families.
Vinciane Thomas
General Manager
Tom Jepson
Operations and Systems
Sophie Benardeau-Short
VIC Representative
French teacher, coach, and cross-cultural facilitator, Sophie has been sharing her time between France and Melbourne for 30 years. After studying cinema in her native Paris, Sophie taught for 7 years at the University of Melbourne before launching Le Petit Journal, Victoria's first online daily French and cultural news outlet. With a background as a writer for SBS and ABC Radio Australia, Sophie has always been keen to facilitate exchanges between the two countries and to help people learn a new language and culture. Adèle BOUET
Partnerships Coordinator
After having worked as a journalist, Adele spent nine years living in Australia before packing up her bags again and returning to her home country of France. During the years she spent living in Melbourne, Adele worked at the Alliance Francaise de Melbourne as well as working closely with the French embassy, spearheading the development of educational resources and programs at Campus France Australia. Adele sat on the Berthe Mouchette poetry examination board for many years consulting and advising Australian students who were considering to study in France. Adele organised many educational, cultural and linguistic events to further support students while in this role. Much of her career has been dedicated to bridging the gaps between the two countries. Owen Hanson
NSW Representative
Owen developed a passion for language learning (French and Latin) at high school and completed a double major in German and French, followed by Honours in French at the University of Newcastle. After a year as a teaching assistant in Grenoble, he gained his Diploma of Education and went on to a long and successful career teaching French in the Australian secondary Education system. He then went on to become the Head of Languages of the prestigious Sydney school, Cranbrook School. If you apply to go on a rprogram with AFX, and you live in the Sydney area, chances are that you will meet Owen during your family interview, an incredible opportunity to get advice from a very skilled francophone and francophile education expert ! Camilla Morrone
High School Program Coordinator
Born and raised in Italy, in Milan, Camilla has always been passionate about learning foreign languages and travelling abroad.While in high school she attended multiple language immersion programs in English-speaking countries. But her first experience living in France was during her Master's degree, studying International Management and Applied Foreign Languages, living in Brittany.
After graduating, she decided to move to France permanently where she worked as a language teacher in multiple high schools before joining the AFX team.
Thanks to these experiences, Camilla is a precious guide for our participants and their families, knowing exactly what it means to be an international student in a foreign country.
Melissa Bac
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Born on the beautiful island of Mauritius, where everyone is born speaking French and English fluently, Melissa has always had a soft spot for Australia, where part of her family lives. With a background as a Copywriter & Journalist, Mélissa decided to follow her passion for languages and went on to teach English and French in schools for special needs students before joining the AFX Team.
Melissa's love for teaching along with her natural gift for language, make her a fantastic support and a great advisor for our participants.
