Brooke Biethan

International Marketing Manager for Study Group – Long Island University and Fairmont Private Schools

Brooke has more than 8 years of experience in the international education sector. After completing her undergraduate degree in Art History, her interest to learn Spanish led her to Costa Rica, where she lived for over two years. While there, she taught English and coordinated department events at Universidad Interamericana. In 2009, she spent time in Milan, Italy to complete a culinary internship.

Brooke has worn many hats at Study Group since 2007. She began at the New York Embassy English language center as an ESL instructor, then Internship Coordinator and Resident Assistant. After successfully completing her graduate studies in Communications from Columbia University, she returned to Study Group as International Admissions Manager for Private High Schools. In September 2011, Brooke was appointed to the International Marketing Manager position.

She has travelled to 12 countries and has taught students from over 45 countries. She is a native English speaker, is fluent in Spanish and has familiarity with French and Italian. She is fascinated by other cultures and enjoys working with people from around the globe.

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Airess Brake

Recruitment Manager, International Study Centre – Royal Roads University, Canada

Airess studied Second Language Teaching Methodology at undergraduate level. She taught high school French as a Second Language and Leadership. Airess then moved into administration in private education, working in program creation, marketing and director positions in Vancouver, Canada.  Prior to joining Study Group in 2012, she was University Pathways Director at a large ESL school.  She built the program from the ground up, partnering with North American universities and colleges to form seamless entrance from students’ ESL studies to post-secondary studies.

Her current role with Study Group is as Recruitment Manager for students who live in, or who have already come to, Canada.

Airess has a Bachelor of Education (University of Regina); Professional Development Program for Teachers (Simon Fraser University), Certificat du français comme langue seconde (Université du Québec à Chicoutimi).

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Shawn Brake

Director, International Study Centre - Royal Roads University, Canada

Prior to joining Study Group in August 2011, Shawn worked in public and private post-secondary institutes in Canada (including British Columbia Institute of Technology, Simon Fraser University, Langara College, Vancouver Career College, University Canada West and the Vancouver College of Art and Design) and Mexico.  Shawn’s career in international education spans close to 20 years in various positions: campus director, academic director, program head, and university instructor (in university ESL, undergraduate, and graduate programs).  In these roles, Shawn has overseen staff and students, creation and delivery of various programs, promotion of a positive learning environment, and the set up and development of new schools.

Shawn has a Bachelor of Arts in English with a specialization in Linguistics and TESL, and a Master of Arts in English Literature and Linguistics.

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Adam Copeland

Director, International Study Center – James Madison University in the USA

Prior to working at the ISC, Adam taught at the English Language Institute at the University of Alabama, as well as on the English Days program at Walt Disney World during two summers. In addition, he directed a study-vacation program in Boston in the summer of 2008. Originally from northwest Alabama, Adam has lived in Nashville, San Antonio and Fortaleza, Brazil.

Adam enjoys helping international students learn about the cultures at James Madison University and in the United States. He is dedicated to providing support for students, from academic planning to questions about how to plan a weekend trip to Washington, DC, and looks forward to welcoming you on campus.

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John Davies

Academic Development Director, Higher Education – North America and China

John spent nearly 30 years teaching history in High Schools in the UK, becoming a Deputy Principal in 1973 and a Principal in 1994. He joined Study Group in 1997 and ran the Foundation (University Preparation) Program in Bellerbys College, Brighton, UK, before becoming involved in the development of International Study Centers on the campuses of UK Universities from 2005.

Since 2010 John has been on the North America team, working out of the New York office. His work in academic development, involving curriculum design and the establishment and staffing of teaching centers has involved him in travel in Canada as well as the USA. Recently, he has been involved in setting up International Study Programs on the campuses of universities in China.

Both in High Schools and at Bellerbys College an important aspect of John’s roles involved advising students on university choices and supporting them through their university applications.

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Kristen Egan

International Marketing Manager for Study Group at James Madison University

Prior to joining Study Group Kristen worked as Assistant Director of Admissions for James Madison University where she helped domestic and international students navigate the college search and application process. Kristen is passionate about Higher Education and is excited to be contributing guidance to help international students achieve academic success. Outside of work Kristen enjoys traveling, creative projects and teaching ESL at a local non-profit agency.

She received her BA in Media Arts and Design and MEd in College Student Personnel Administration from James Madison University.

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Julia Dudnik

Recruitment Manager for Study Group – North America 

Julia joined Study Group in January 2012, she is based in Moscow, Russia and helps students from Russia, Ukraine and Central Asia entering universities in the USA and Canada. Being a freshman to the company, she already took part in many educational fairs, trainings and open days and consulted parents and students around Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Julia’s first degree is International Relations with a passion for foreign languages (English, Greek and Spanish) and cross-cultural communications. While working for a Swiss company in Moscow as a Marketing Communications Manager, Julia completed her second degree in Commerce. Being a student she participated in a summer program “Work and Travel USA” and spent several months working as a sales assistant at Manhattan, New York. Julia enjoys sharing with students her own impressions about America, telling them about its particular culture and lifestyle. Thanks to her broad-based work experience from different industries, she can help students choose the right degree, motivate and inspire them to not be afraid of any challenges and make them believe that studying in North America will change their life.

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Avril Griffin

Development Projects Director, Higher Education – North America and China

Avril joined Study Group in 1995, as Registrar for Bellerbys College in the UK. Working for many years in admissions management roles, Avril then moved into operational management across Study Group’s UK colleges.

In 2005 Avril joined the team responsible for developing the successful network of International Study Centers in the UK, taking the lead in setting-up admissions, accommodation and operational procedures across the locations.

In early 2010, Avril moved to New York, to bring her extensive experience to the development and operations of all new International Study Centers in the USA and Canada, as well as new university campus centers opened in China.

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Cam Harvey

Sales & Marketing Director, Higher Education – USA and Canada

Cam joined Study Group in early 2010, to further integrate sales and marketing efforts for North America, and provide a well-rounded quality service for international students seeking a degree from Universities in the USA and Canada.

With nearly 20 years of experience in the international education sector, Cam has the advantage of industry knowledge coming from his experience first: as a teacher in Japan and then, for 10 years, spearheading the Sales and Marketing operations for an international group of English language schools. Following that, Cam was in charge of developing and growing summer centers and high school placement programs for a Canadian organization. His outbound education agency, The Learning Traveler, was awarded Language Travel Magazine’s Star Award in 2008 (shortlisted again in 2009) in recognition of its quality of representation and client support in North America.

Cam left Study Group in January 2012 to explore other opportunities in the industry.

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Colleen Kagetsu

Admissions Manager, International Study Centre – Royal Roads University, Canada

Colleen joined Study Group in August 2011, and is based on campus in Victoria, British Columbia. She assists students with admission and accommodation.

Colleen has over 10 years’ experience as a Registrar in international education institutions. Originally from Vancouver, Colleen moved to Victoria in 2008. Prior to joining Study Group, Colleen worked in the non-profit sector and at local private English language schools providing registration, assessment and student counseling services.

Colleen enjoys interacting with students, learning about their cultures, and helping them with their academics and adjusting to life in Canada.

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John McDonough

Senior International Marketing Manager, Higher Education – USA and Canada

John is no stranger to pioneering roles within Study Group. He first engaged with us in 2004 – shortly after completing his undergraduate degree at The George Washington University – as Program Manager, in what was then the newly-established University and High School Placement Division. In 2006, he moved to Beijing to open up the China market to our US academic offering. Two years later, he left to successfully pursue his master’s degree in Political Economic Development at the London School of Economics.

John returned to Study Group after his studies in 2009 and has moved on to pursue new opportunities in the international education industry since September 2011.

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Joyce Risse-Rodriguez

Admissions Manager, International Study Centre – James Madison University, USA

Joyce is located on campus at James Madison University in Virginia.

Prior to joining Study Group, Joyce worked for many years in corporate and international business marketing based in New York City and Germany. She also spent three years in South Korea as a TEFL instructor teaching business and conversational English. During this time, Joyce was the English editor for The Korean Herald, the bilingual newspaper in Seoul. Most recently, she was an on-line English Language Peer with the Korean, German, Italian, Central and South American Spanish language communities.

Joyce has traveled extensively throughout Western Europe and Asia. Her wish is that all students may enjoy rich, rewarding and successful international educational experiences.

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Geoff Wilmshurst

Market Development Director – Canada

Geoff has more than 20 years’ experience in the higher education field managing international education programs and guiding students in their international study choices.

Geoff joined Study Group in 2008 after six years as Manager in the International Office of Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia. Prior to that, Geoff was the Programs Manager at AFS International in New York – the world’s largest student exchange program.

Geoff moved on to a new role in Canadian higher education in September 2011.

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