Meet the team

Student Horizons is led by Jamie Wansey, who has extensive experience in international student group travel. Over the last eleven years, Jamie has proudly organised over 500 successful school sports tours and educational trips. He has helped inspire over 8,000 individuals across a variety of international destinations. He has also cultivated an unrivalled global network of educational travel providers that are reliable and experienced with a staunch commitment to safety.

Jamie’s enthusiasm for organising international sports tours and educational trips stems from the benefits that he himself accrued travelling and living all over the world. Jamie has lived in the UK, South Africa, Tanzania, Australia, USA and New Zealand. He has travelled extensively within Europe, Southern Africa, South East Asia and North America. It is Jamie’s positive travel experiences that have fuelled his passion for promoting overseas educational and sporting travel trips as a critical pillar in a young person’s development.

Father of three young children, Jamie is incredibly proud to own and run Student Horizons, a market leader in experiential travel for young people that aims to challenge students to broaden their horizons and grow their confidence.

“20 years ago, at age 18, I said goodbye to my parents in London and left for Johannesburg, South Africa. Over a year later I returned home with thousands of incredible memories that would last with me forever. My time in Southern Africa coaching sport at a boarding school in Jo’burg, coupled with teaching English to Northern Sotho children in Northern Transvaal, had a profound impact on me as a young person. My experiences undoubtedly broadened my horizons and I gained confidence. Fundamentally, it helped to shape my views and opinions on the world we live in. In later years, I have returned to Southern Africa over 20 times, leading student and teacher trips. Southern Africa is an awe inspiring part of the world and a personal favourite of mine!”

Originally from the Northern beaches of Sydney, Brooke moved to New Zealand in 2008 with her husband, Jamie. After spending seven amazing years in Auckland, they relocated their family to Brisbane in 2015 to set up the Student Horizons Brisbane office.

After completing her tertiary education with diplomas in Business and Design, Brooke has worked in design agencies around the world including Sydney, London and Auckland, before setting up her own design business in New Zealand.

A passion for travel was evident from a young age, with family trips across the ditch to New Zealand to visit relatives. Brooke’s eyes were well and truly opened to the world outside of what she knew when she embarked on a high school Concert Band Tour of the USA, visiting LA, San Francisco and Chicago. With her saxophone in hand, Brooke had well and truly got the travel bug!

An ‘OE’ to the UK enabled Brooke to fuel her passion for travel with extensive travel into Europe, then subsequently to North America, East Africa and the Pacific Islands. Brooke does admit that travelling nowadays with two young children under the age of three is not quite the same!

“Having experienced an overseas school trip to the USA, and knowing how it gave me confidence, both musically and personally as a teenager, I am thrilled to be helping and inspiring today’s young people to achieve the same. Whether it be for music, sport or any other subject, travelling and experiential learning is such a great way to grow as a person and achieve a well-rounded view of the world we live in.”

Since graduating from university with a degree in accounting and finance, Andrew worked for many years in finance for a leading global manufacturer and Fortune 500 company. The exposure to how industry and business succeed inspired Andrew to broaden his expertise and further his career path in operational management.

Shortly after emigrating to New Zealand from the UK with his wife and two children, Andrew was delighted when the opportunity arose to join Student Horizons. Providing opportunities for young people to ‘Challenge, Discover, Achieve’, is one that Andrew finds most rewarding. Having had the chance to travel to many places himself; Kenya, Morocco, Turkey, Australia, France and the United Arab Emirates to name just a few, Andrew is well aware of the benefits and advantages travel brings. Andrew is proud to be part of a world class team delivering first class experiences and unrivalled service.

Andrew has many happy memories of time spent in Scotland visiting some amazing historical sights, beautiful cities, and of course getting out and about enjoying the great Scottish outdoors.

A born and bred Kiwi, Suzanne has had the privilege of being from a family of travellers and has been lucky enough to have explored New Zealand, as well as many parts of the rest of the world, from a young age. The travel bug has therefore, inevitably, been passed down to her, and she will forever be eager to travel anywhere and everywhere.

After completing her tertiary education with a Degree in Graphic Design, Suzanne realised that her heart wasn’t in it, and decided to pursue a career in the field in which she is truly passionate and therefore is thrilled to be part of the amazing team at Student Horizons.

Having participated in a student volunteer tour herself which took her deep into the Amazon basin of Ecuador, Suzanne can truly see the value of an experience such as this and how it can broaden the minds of young people, in much greater ways than what can be taught in a classroom.

‘I have been lucky enough to have had many travel experiences, ranging from trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal to a six month working holiday spent in the winter wonderland of Whistler, Canada, from spending a summer in South Eastern Europe to completing the Inca Trail and witnessing the awe of Machu Picchu. I truly believe travel is the best education, and am so excited to be in a position where I can help others gain priceless experiences such as these with memories to last a lifetime!’

Born and raised in sunny Queensland, Jasmine grew up with her family who travelled frequently to the USA for business. This gave Jasmine an amazing opportunity from a young age to experience a different country which she then developed a strong bond with.

Whenever she knew there was an upcoming family trip she would begin to research and plan itineraries for them. Jasmine's passion for travelling and building itineraries has continued to grow over the years, now having visited 17 countries and with no sign of slowing down.

This passion led Jasmine to a career in travel which she’s now been in for 6 ½ years. She enjoys assisting others to fulfil and create once in a lifetime travel experiences.

Jasmine truly believes that travel can immensely open people’s eyes and minds to the world and is a key part to anyone’s self-development.

Jared was born in a small town in England while his father was playing Rugby League, however he only lived there for 3 weeks before moving to Brisbane, where he has lived ever since. Jared grew up playing many different sports and sport became his biggest passion.

This was then shown through Jared's first major job: working for AFL Queensland as a Program Leader, aiming to promote AFL in Queensland and involve more kids in a healthy and active lifestyle. Jared absolutely loves Rugby League and is a huge supporter of the Roosters.

Jared graduated high school from the prestigious Nudgee College in Brisbane, where he very highly valued his education, mates, and sporting teams. He then went on to the University of Queensland to commence a Bachelor of Health, Exercise and Physical Education. After university, Jared travelled around Europe, and this is where his first love for travel began.

Whilst in high school, Jared was lucky enough to travel to England to take part in a cricket tour which saw him play against many of the top cricketing schools in England.

Christian was born in Surrey, England, and as a child had a passion for both music and sport. Living so close to the River Thames he discovered sprint canoeing and went on to train and compete internationally during his youth. But it was the pursuit of music and the arts that led him through college and to the University of Wales to obtain an Honours degree in Creative Sound and Music.

A multi-instrumentalist, Christian has performed on stage, screen, and radio across the UK, and has worked in band pits as a touring session musician and composer for the BBC. After 6 years and hundreds of live performances with keyboards, saxophone and percussion, he left the UK with a backpack to see what the rest of the world had to offer.

In 2016 he washed up onto the shores of the Gold Coast, QLD and made it his home. Still a keen ambassador for all things music and travel, he jumped at the opportunity to join Student Horizons and share his passion with the youth of Australia. In his spare time, he also teaches SCUBA as a PADI instructor, and loves returning to the ocean for inspiration.

Grace is a proud Kiwi, born and raised on the North Shore of Auckland. Grace completed a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music conjoint degree in 2014, majoring in Performance Voice, Psychology and Art History, and in 2016, completed her Bachelor of Music (Honours) with First Class Honours in Performance Voice. Making regular appearances as a mezzo-soprano soloist, Grace has experience in performing both as a soloist and as a chorister. Grace is a current member of the Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir as one of the top choral singers in the country, under the direction of Dr. Karen Grylls.

Travelling the world with Voices New Zealand and other choral groups has given Grace the opportunity to perform in some of the most sought after venues in the world, such as St Paul’s Cathedral, London and The Musikverein, Vienna. Grace is also a cellist and had the opportunity to travel the world with both the school choir and the orchestra at high school, and is incredibly passionate about providing those same opportunities for school students throughout New Zealand.

After directing two high school choirs and through her experience as a private singing tutor, she has gained a passion for teaching and inspiring young and artistic minds. Grace strongly believes in the importance of choral music within schools and communities to bring people together in a safe and artistic space.

Kaitlin is a born and raised Floridian who made New Zealand her home in early 2012. Born with an adventurous spirit, she jumped at the chance to volunteer at a youth sport camp in Mexico at the age of 14. That trip launched a lifelong commitment to globetrotting—a passion that has brought her around the world as a foreign exchange student to Japan, a backpacker to Europe, a yoga amateur to India, a hiker to the Pacific, and a volunteer to Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Russia.

Every trip has sparked educational interests for Kaitlin, who returned from France with a love of the language, from Russia with a love of the literature, and from England with a love of the art (she went on to study all three at university!). She believes strongly in the benefits of experiential learning and above all, that travel is the best teacher.

With a newly minted Master’s degree in Art History and an ongoing, insatiable interest in travel, Kaitlin is eager to contribute her Yankee enthusiasm to the dynamic global energy of Student Horizons.

Cristina was born in Brisbane but has spent most of her life living on the Gold Coast. She has always had an avid interest in travel, growing up in an Italian family. During her schooling years, she was very interested in performing arts and playing many sports, including netball, touch football and athletics.

She graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor degree in International Hotel and Tourism Management. Upon completing this, she left Australia to travel around the world for three years. She spent most of her travels in Europe - falling in love with the nature in Albania, the rich history that can be seen in the streets of Germany, and volunteering in Czech Republic. Although she loves summer and the sun, she first saw snow at the age of 3 and fell in love; by the ripe old age of 4 she was on her first pair of skis. She swapped to snowboarding 10 years later and is still very keen on the sport, having boarded the mountains in Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Whether it's exploring the Mayan Pyramids in Mexico, diving with whale sharks in Thailand or eating her weight in pizza in Italy, Cristina loves exploring and immersing herself in the different cultures the world has to offer. She believes that experiential learning is absolutely necessary to aid in both the personal and educational development of students. She is very excited to share her passion with others while working with Student Horizons.

Ollie is a Kiwi boy through and through, raised in the North Island's mighty Waikato. He is well fitted to being New Zealand's Head of Sports Tours; born into a family that are sports crazy, becoming a sportsperson was in his blood.

After attending Hamilton Boys' High School for most of his schooling years, he moved to Sacred Heart College for his final year of school where he also played for the Junior All Whites, traveling on tour to Qatar.

Ollie decided to further his passion for football and took an athletic scholarship to the US, where he spent 3 years as a student athlete juggling a very busy schedule. It was during this time that travel opened him up to what overseas experiences can bring to a Kiwi lad.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Business, majoring in International Business, Ollie loves working with Student Horizons and bringing amazing experiences to schools around the country. Outside of work, Ollie is a keen surfer and loves getting down to the Coromandel!

Stephanie was born and raised in a small town close to Berlin, Germany. Her passion for traveling started at a young age, with her parents being keen travellers and taking Stephanie and her brother on trips around Europe and Africa to places such as Greece, Spain, Turkey and Tunisia.

After completing her secondary schooling in 2009, Stephanie decided to do a Gap Year in Australia with some friends.

“My Gap Year in Australia definitely broadened my horizons, I was able to gain my first work experiences, and it provided me opportunities for adventure as well as challenges. I certainly can say that my Gap Year helped me to gain confidence.”

Seven years on, Stephanie finished her Master of Marketing at Griffith University in July 2016. During her university years and after her graduation, she travelled the world with her partner, parents, brother and extended family, experiencing the vibrant city of Tokyo, the beauty of Bali and Vanuatu, the vast Australian outback, the architecture in Europe and the pyramids in Egypt.

Stephanie’s passion for travel, music, and marketing brought her to Student Horizons. She is very excited to be part of the prestigious ASPIRE International Youth Music Festival.

“I love creating extraordinary and wonderful experiences for the students and everyone else at the ASPIRE International Youth Music Festival. It is a great opportunity for the young musicians to share their passion for music with like-minded people from around the world, and to learn from globally renowned adjudicators.”

Born in Estonia to Russian parents, Jane developed a keen interest in different cultures from a very young age. Straight after school she left home for the UK, eager to try her luck in a different country. She graduated from one of the top UK universities few years later. Being fascinated by the constantly changing world we live in, she went on to do her degree in International Relations.

Throughout her university years and after graduating, Jane explored the world, travelling around India, South Africa, USA, Spain, France and Switzerland, to name few countries. Five years ago, one of these trips brought her to New Zealand and it took her two weeks to realise this was where she wanted to settle.

Since graduating, Jane explored a number of different professional fields, including human rights, sales and marketing, hospitality, and education. In the last few years, she worked in a number of language and business schools for international students in New Zealand, and travelled back to the UK to work at a Summer School, organising University Campus trips for high schools students around the world.

Her immense passion for travel and education brought her to Student Horizons. “Travelling abroad not only teaches young people about the world, it also teaches them about themselves. They discover a sense of independence, and realise that there are no limitations and that they can overcome any challenge. I am thrilled to be a part of organization committed to helping facilitate this personal growth by providing young people with the opportunities of a lifetime.”

Kiwi through and through, Blair was lucky to be born into a family of keen travellers. Being able to go on overseas trips with his family opened Blair’s eyes to the wonder of international travel from an early age.

Blair is a sports nut, playing just about every sport available growing up. His passion lies on the football field, where he still plays competitively today. He is a die-hard Arsenal fan!

Blair graduated from the prestigious Westlake Boys' High School. Representing the football 1st XI for three years, he saw the vast opportunities that can arise through competitive team sport. He then went on to study a Bachelor of Business Studies at Massey University, before deferring his studies to take up a fantastic opportunity at Student Horizons.

Blair used his university holidays to travel to exciting destinations such as India, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Nepal and many more!

The opportunity at Student Horizons was a perfect fit as it encompasses Blair’s two biggest passions: sport and travel.

Originally born on the sandy shores of South Africa, from French and Dutch descent, then raised as a Kiwi, Jeannine is fortunate to have ties to many equally remarkable countries, and because of this colourful nationality, has always identified herself as a child of the world.

So, it was no surprise when straight after finishing high school, Jeannine sought further education that the classroom could not fulfil. Determined to experience the world, she set her goals on sights further afield – into the Mediterranean to work on superyachts. This work saw her through Italy, France, Spain, Malaysia and Singapore, and she quickly gained an appreciation for differing cultures and understandings of the world – setting spark to an irrevocable wanderlust.

After a few years on the high seas, she felt the irrefutable call of home and returned to get her Bachelor of Business Studies at Massey University, majoring in Marketing and minoring in Management and Entrepreneurship with Scholarship. Yet, as she travelled again after University, through the UK and Europe, she conceded that a role in business would never truly satisfy her keen sense of adventure, and so was delighted to join the team at Student Horizons.

Jeannine genuinely believes that travelling throughout her youth has positively impacted her education, knowledge, aspirations and, most importantly, personal growth. She is elated to be part of the Student Horizons team providing the same opportunities to other young people.

Born and bred in Dunedin in the deep south of New Zealand, Ben has always had a passion for sport, theatre and anything outdoors. He moved to Brisbane in June 2017 after two years living, working and travelling in Europe. This ignited a love of travel and a desire to help facilitate safe environments in which others can get out and experience the world.

He spent most of his time growing up split between the badminton court, on which he played for Mainland New Zealand, and the theatre stage. But after attending a 21-day Outward Bound course at Anakiwa in late 2010, he decided to pursue that passion for the outdoors, and went to the School of Physical Education back down at the University of Otago.

After graduating and experiencing most of what scarfie life had to offer, he decided to fly to the other side of the world in 2015 and work as an outdoor instructor in North Yorkshire, England. He also took up hobbies in rock climbing, kayaking and caving. It was at this time he was able to travel all over Europe and began to understand how rewarding and challenging it could be, for not only himself, but others as well.

Ben is incredibly excited to be working in the team at Student Horizons, as he deeply believes that growth in young individuals is maximised when they are put in foreign and challenging situations. The core values of Student Horizons reflect his own beliefs, and he is loving the opportunity to apply these fundamental principles into practise.

He also has an unhealthy addiction to watching Roger Federer on a tennis court, flipping pancakes on the internet, and also quite likes the All Blacks.

I was born and bred in the very small Northern Ireland. Growing up I didn’t really know what I wanted to do in life – I went to school and just hoped that something would come along for me and life would figure itself out. Thankfully it did! I decided to have a go at a Tourism and Hospitality course in 2010 in my local college, and I knew straight off this is what I wanted to do. The opportunities available where not something I wanted to miss out on. After 3 years in college I went on to extend my education in Liverpool, and in 2016 I finished up with a 2:1 BA Honours Degree in Tourism Management.

During my studies I got to travel a lot, firstly to Barcelona with college, and then to Wales, Krakow and Malta with university. I know from looking back that these are the experiences that I will treasure the most. Therefore I am very excited to be doing the same for others with Student Horizons. Along with travelling for education purposes I also travelled independently to many other places such as Cyprus, Tenerife, Holland and Greece.

After finishing my studies I was not ready to settle down so I decided to migrate to Australia! Firstly stopping off for one month to backpack around Thailand visiting the main islands. Then arriving to Cairns where I worked for 3 months. I then took a few weeks to travel the East Coast of Australia and eventually arrived to Brisbane! I fell in love with the city as soon as I arrived, therefore decided to settle here. This is when I found Student Horizons!

Being from such a small place, travelling has definitely broadened my mind so much more, and I have done some amazing things that I never dreamed of doing. From playing with elephants in a river in Chang Mai Thailand to jumping out of an aeroplane over Mission Beach in Australia. I definitely plan to continue travelling, learning, and seeing more of the world. Therefore I am very excited to be involved with a company who can provide such good opportunities like this, while also being able to develop great experiences for others while doing so!

Eileen was born and raised in one of the 7,000 islands in the Philippines. Bubbly, adventurous, and competitive are just some of the traits that define who she is as a person. She likes to munch on exotic foods, swim in deep oceans and even go bungee jumping to experience the most exciting things in life. She has had the opportunity to travel with her family across Asia, to countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong, and recently to Europe in Italy, France and the Netherlands. Eileen values the chance to explore and understand what lies beyond the borders of her own culture and tradition, and is enjoying exploring all the wonderful things that New Zealand has to offer and discovering her new home.

Eileen first made a career in hospitality at a top hotel in the city where she grew up. Managing large events, weddings, conventions and seminars was in already in her blood, but to pursue her passion in the tourism industry, she studied at the International Travel College in Auckland. After completing an Advanced Diploma in Travel and Tourism Management, she is delighted to be able to start her journey with Student Horizons.

"I am excited! It’s time I use my personal experiences as a traveller and what I learnt as a student to push Student Horizons to new heights. At the same time, I am thrilled to learn more about the tourism industry by a being part of such a great team. I’m blessed to be part of a company that teaches youth how learning from travelling around the globe is priceless and essential."

Recently graduated from St Peters Lutheran College, Olivia decided to take a gap year before starting university.

From a young age, Olivia has travelled to many amazing places all over the world. The different ways of life she observed opened her mind and instilled a passion for travel. After Olivia spent some time in Cambodia helping at a school, she realised she wanted to try and help others to see the world and broaden their learning opportunities.

"As Student Horizons' newest intern, I am excited to be part of a team that strives to provide students with long-lasting memories and vital, world-class education outside of the classroom."

Growing up in the diverse country of South Africa, I have gained an appreciation for the beauty and uniqueness of all cultures and their histories around the world. I enjoy learning about other traditional, cultural and religious ideologies, as it gives me a better understanding of others. I think of myself as having quite a holistic approach to life.

Student Horizons gives young people the opportunity to expand their minds through education and life experiences, and have fun while doing so. Having three children of my own, I find enjoyment in watching them develop their own talents and skills, and hope that they too will be able to learn more about themselves through exploring the world.

Keeping up with the energy of three boys is definitely an exercise regime in itself, although I enjoy going to the gym for some much needed me time. My goals would be to always have an optimistic approach to life and be a positive influence to others.

Eva was born and raised in Christchurch to a theatrical family, spending her formative years in a baby bouncer on stage at The Court Theatre while various sets were constructed around her. A love for theatre and the creative arts was instilled in her from infancy, and the passion has only grown with her.

She earned a Bachelor of Broadcasting Communications in film and television from the New Zealand Broadcasting School, and has spent the last six years working in the film industry in the production and costume departments.

The year after finishing high school, Eva was encouraged by her parents to take a year off to figure out what she wanted to do, and she used that year to travel, venturing beyond the Tasman for the first time at age 18. Her trip began with three weeks’ work at the Theatre and Circus fields of Glastonbury Festival, and proceeded on through the UK and parts of Western Europe.

More recently, she fulfilled a lifelong dream to see a Broadway show in New York City (actually, she saw four!), travelled solo to the Southern US, cruised along France’s Canal du Midi and further explored Europe and the UK. Closer to home, she has visited various parts of Australia, usually in pursuit of yet more stage musicals, and has spent some time in the tropical waters of Rarotonga and Fiji.

Eva feels incredibly lucky to have been able to travel and experience as much as she has, and considers it to have had a valuable and positive impact on her personal development. She strongly believes in giving young people the earliest possible opportunities to go out into the world, build upon existing interests and passions, and learn from what other cultures have to offer. She is very excited to be joining a team dedicated to providing such opportunities.

Passionate about travel, sport and music, it is safe to say Andrew fits right into the team at Student Horizons.

Andrew was born and raised in Queensland, attending school at St Laurence’s in Brisbane. Andrews has always had a passion for music, with fond memories of playing the oboe, flute, and bass guitar with the school orchestra and concert band.

After majoring in software engineering and drama at The University of Queensland, Andrew set off on his travels to the USA working at a summer camp and independently travelling around the States. He then spent six years in the UK working in IT and DJing on the side! Trips back to the USA from London were frequent, as Andrew attended Gala Choruses in Denver, represented Australia in a global choir, and also played rugby in the Bingham Cup. Of course, Andrew also made the most of living so close to mainland Europe, with plenty of experiences in countries such as France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal.

Returning home to Brisbane, Andrew spent 8 years in the Queensland Police in a senior role within their IT department. Andrew's extensive experience in IT and web development is indeed an asset to Student Horizons, as the business strives to continually innovate and lead from the front.

"School tours are some of the best memories I have. Student Horizons delivers experiences that open up the minds of young people and it is great to be a part of that.”