Take a moment to catch up with Shelly Cole, CSTP, where she discusses the importance of student travel, explains what her personal travel mantra is, and shares where she’s excited to travel to next.
After joining ETI in 1997, Shelly Cole—a Certified Student Travel Professional—has been key in building strong relationships with industry partners to ensure groups receive the quality of service they deserve when traveling with ETI. That commitment has only grown stronger since Shelly stepped into the exciting roll of being ETI’s Executive Director.
Whether it’s arranging a group’s motorcoach, hotel, restaurant, performance or attraction bookings, Shelly often thinks about how each travel experience could impact a student’s future, recognizing that student travel inspires creativity, collaboration and learning that lasts a lifetime.
“I believe travel is essential to a student’s education because it moves learning out of the classroom and into the real world—students witness history, culture, language, and landscapes firsthand, and in doing so they build adaptability, curiosity, and global awareness,” Shelly shared. “Travel challenges them, opens their minds to new ways of thinking and living, and often helps them envision possibilities for their future that they hadn’t considered before.”
Shelly’s travel mantra is: “Collect experiences, not things.”
“It’s the experiences—the conversations, the challenges, the discoveries—that truly shape us,” she explained. “When we take students out into the world, we’re not just showing them new places—we’re helping them grow into more curious, compassionate, and confident versions of themselves. This is why I do what I do. This is why student travel matters.”
Shelly loves stamping her own passport, too! She’s looking forward to her next adventure with fellow members from the SYTA organization (which she calls her “Travel Family”).
“We were invited to visit China to help understand the country’s tourism resources, promote future cooperation in the student and youth travel sector, and strengthen U.S.-China tourism and cultural exchanges,” Shelley said.
When she’s not in the office, Shelly loves camping (or glamping!) on a Lake Michigan beach or watching her youngest daughter play softball. She also has a twin sister, so if you wave to Shelly on the street, be sure to check that it’s her!
Courtesy of ETI.
