Kathy Rubio, Founder/CEO
Kathy has been teaching languages and leading small group travel since 2005. Island Immersion is the coalescence of her passions of travel and education.
Born in Belgium and raised in the U.S., Kathy's interest in the world was cultivated in her early years with the support of her family. During a formative trip to Ecuador after high school graduation, she became addicted to the feeling of being immersed in new surroundings that challenged her to broaden her understanding of the pluriverse of cultural realities in this world.
Kathy holds a B.A. in French and Spanish, an M.A. in Teaching Languages, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Linguistic and Cultural Studies. In recent years, she has become increasingly interested in languages and cultures that have been historically minorized, how these languages and cultures are now reclaiming space, and whether certain tourism practices may play a part in this process.
She has traveled to over ninety countries, lived and worked in eleven, and has led dozens of small group trips around the world. She uses her expertise developed through her life experiences and formal education to design trips for her travelers and classes for her students, and she truly loves what she does.
Juanma Rubio, Operations
Juanma is an engineer by trade, an olive oil farmer by family tradition, and a travel nut by marriage.
Born and raised in the south of Spain, Juanma studied English and science throughout high school and college, which led him to study abroad opportunities in the the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany. He was always supported by his family to pursue his studies, even when that meant he had less time to help cultivate and harvest olives in the family orchards.
Juanma holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, an M.S. in Industrial Engineering, and currently works as an electrical engineer. He has developing interests in renewable energies and aerospace technology.
Juanma has traveled to over thirty countries and lived in five. He works part-time with Island Immersion in back-of-house operations.
