Renee Hendrickson

My career has taken me through several meaningful chapters, all connected by a desire to make a positive impact. After earning bachelor's degrees in sociology and psychology, I spent time with the Department of Corrections, working first with adults and then finding my true calling with juveniles in a correctional facility. Those kids became my people, and the fact that they remembered me years later showed me the difference one person can make. I went on to earn my Advanced Behavioral Specialist degree through St. Thomas in 2018 and taught special education, where I was completely all-in for my students. During COVID, I delivered supplies to their homes and built deep connections with families. When my dad fell ill last year and needed help running his bar, I had to make the difficult choice to step away from teaching because I couldn't be all-in for my students while helping my family. That's when I discovered travel, which has been transformative. I've always lived in the same small community, and travel was my way to experience the world. Now, just over a year into this journey, I'm helping local people and families in my community plan trips, taking it from a hobby to a career. I don't need to sell luxury trips to wealthy clients. I want to help the average family have that once-in-a-lifetime experience and share the world with them, as big or as small as they want it to be. It gives me the flexibility to work from home, support my parents, and still make a difference in people's lives.