Global experience has been connecting students from every corner of the globe with Australian families since 1999. Founded by Sonia Ortega, whose determination to make a difference in people’s lives led her to combine her skills in counseling, social work, business management, and mediation with her love for Australia and her “global experiences” with other cultures.

Sonia’s dream brought together an ambitious team of young professionals, many of whom were born outside Australia and had also been international students themselves.  Now, after twenty-five remarkable years, her vision of providing unparalleled assistance and support to students studying in Australia continues to flourish.

From our humble beginnings with 45 pioneering families and a single college referral, we have blossomed into a network with partnerships spanning over 20 major educational institutions across Australia and numerous agents worldwide.  We have successfully recruited over 6,000 families in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Darwin, and have facilitated the placement of over 200,000 students into these nurturing homes.

Our goal is to ensure that students and families make connections that will be cherished for a lifetime, even though the homestay experience in Australia may be brief.