ICES Blog | Brenda Padilla Ericksen (2)

Brenda Padilla Ericksen

Brenda is the founder of GAP Academy, where J-1 and F-1 students gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to thrive in the USA. She provides cultural diversity and intercultural competence training for US exchange programs, sending organizations worldwide and personnel at multinational companies. Brenda has a Spanish Degree from Western Washington University and has been immersed in cultural diversity for over 30 years as a teacher, journalist and corporate trainer. She is from Seattle, Washington and has lived and worked in Spain for 30 years where she has raised four daughters. She is a former international student (Spain & Norway), host mother (Thailand, France, Austria & USA), and the mother of daughters who exchanged to France, Canada, USA, South Korea & Nepal.

Recent Posts

By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On February 2, 2024

Cultural Adaptation: What is it like?

Adapting to a new culture is a complex process. It can be exciting, but also overwhelming and intimidating at times. How you can...

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Tags: Cultural Exchange, cultural understanding, cultural immersion

By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On January 12, 2024

The Midway Checkup: Preparing for an Incredible Second Act

Is hosting an exchange student everything you hoped it would be?

You are halfway through a story that you are writing together...

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Tags: Host Families, Cultural Exchange, Exchange Student,

By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On October 27, 2023

When Hosting an Exchange Student Doesn't Work Out...

You signed up to host a student, but what if it’s not working out? Or what if your life changes and hosting is no longer...

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Tags: Host Families, Youth Exchange

By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On October 7, 2023

Helping Your Exchange Student Through Homesickness

The honeymoon is over when homesickness hits. Your high school exchange student was so excited to get on that plane and fly into...

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Tags: Culture Shock, Homesickness

By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On August 9, 2023

How to Enroll Your Student from Spain in School...

Students from Spain can earn credit back home for their year in the United States, but only if they follow meet Spain's...

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By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On July 18, 2023

What Is GAP Academy?

Ana from Spain was fresh off the plane when culture shock hit her like a rock. “Why doesn’t my host mother cook more often?” she...

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Tags: Cross-cultural training for teenagers

By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On May 19, 2023

What Surprises Students from France in the USA?

What might your typical American life look like through the eyes of a student from France? In this month’s survey, we discovered...

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Tags: Cultural Exchange, Exchange Student, Host an exchange student,

By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On April 7, 2023

What Surprises Students from Thailand in the USA?

When a Thai student steps off the plane and into life in the USA, what is the first impression? We can learn just as much about...

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By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On February 25, 2023

What Surprises Students from Hong Kong?

Students from Hong Kong have a unique eastern-western point of view. So, what happens when they come to the USA? How do they see...

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Tags: Culture Shock, Host an exchange student, Student Experience,

By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On December 9, 2022

What Surprises Polish Students in the USA?

What can Polish students teach us about our American culture? Plenty! What surprises them? What are their own particular culture...

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Tags: Cultural Exchange, Exchange Student, Host an exchange student,

By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On November 2, 2022

What Surprises Brazilians in the USA?

What do Brazilians notice when they come to live and study in the United States?

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Tags: Cultural Exchange

By Brenda Padilla Ericksen On October 14, 2022

What surprises German students in the USA?

What does the USA look like through German eyes?

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