“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.”
– David Mitchell
MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDERS
Traveling abroad can have a profound impact on young women. Our early travel experiences changed us forever. We are now businesswomen, mothers, and community volunteers … but we met as first-year students at Trinity University in Texas. Neither of us had much travel experience. The opportunity to travel Europe together in 1994 cemented both our friendship and a passion for travel.
With nothing more than a few guidebooks (no cell phones! no internet!) and a backpack, we set out on an adventure that taught us teamwork and gave us the self-confidence to pursue challenges and push boundaries in our careers to come.
As girls who grew up in small towns in rural Oregon and Pennsylvania, this was this was a big leap — an adventure, and an experience that changed us. It shaped our views of the world.
We want to provide the same opportunities for girls today — girls like us.
IT ALL STARTS WITH A FIRST TRIP … THAT FIRST STAMP IN THE PASSPORT.
Team Bio & Contacts
Jenna Fagnan | Co-Founder
Jenna Fagnan grew up in a beautiful small town in coastal Oregon and attended college at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. After school, Jenna taught English in Japan; she went on to work for several large multinational brands. Today, Jenna builds companies. She loves the creativity and challenge of bringing a new brand to the world. Her most recent ventures have kept her professionally busy, while her two young daughters, Josephine and Justine, fill up the hours at home. Jenna loves the outdoors and sharing new experiences and eating delicious local food when she travels with her family.
Sarah Williams | Co-Founder
Before deciding to concentrate on building First Stamp, Sarah was an executive at a consulting firm, where she and her team focused on a mission of advancing nonprofits. Sarah’s career and personal life have always been tied to the mission of service and community; her parents met in the Peace Corps, and Sarah served in AmeriCorps. With two teenagers, Sarah has put an emphasis on adventure and travel. Favorite family memories include hiking Machu Picchu (Peru) and then traveling all the way to experience the limestone mountains of Ha Long Bay (Vietnam). In her free time, Sarah loves a good spin class and can’t resist fast food of any kind … but especially Arby’s!
The IMPACT OF
GLOBAL TRAVEL ON GIRLS
The transformative power of international
travel for young women is backed by extensive research. According to a recent study conducted by the University of Georgia, students who participate in study abroad programs exhibit improved academic performance, higher graduation rates, and increased employability. However, a girl does not need to spend a year nor even a semester overseas in order to reap the psychological, cognitive, and social benefits of such programs; these benefits are reflected even in less lengthy travel experiences.
