Hi, I'm Steph.

And helping people navigate life's meaningful moments has always been at the heart of what I do.

I'm a travel advisor, school counselor, mom of three, lifelong planner, and someone who genuinely believes some of life's best moments begin when we step outside of what's familiar.

Whether I'm helping a family plan the vacation they've been dreaming about, guiding students through some of the biggest moments of their lives, or coordinating educational travel that broadens someone's view of the world, the heart of my work has always been the same: people always come first.

Because the places we visit matter. But the people we share them with matter even more.

Looking back, the pieces fit together better than I ever realized.

My love for travel actually started long before I ever imagined becoming a travel advisor. As a high school student, I had the opportunity to travel to Europe, and that experience completely changed the way I saw the world.

That experience eventually led me to study Hospitality Management and Event Planning at The Ohio State University. At the time, I thought my future would be built around creating memorable experiences. What I didn't realize yet was that the part I loved most wasn't the events. It was the people.

That realization eventually led me to earn my master's degree and become a school counselor - a role I've now had the privilege of serving in for nearly twenty years. For years, I viewed hospitality and counseling as two completely separate paths. Now I realize they were preparing me for the very same purpose.

"One taught me how to create meaningful experiences. The other taught me how to understand the people experiencing them."

Because sometimes a trip becomes so much more than a trip.

One of the moments that has stayed with me most didn't happen during one of my own vacations. It happened while I was helping lead a student trip. On the ride home, a student quietly shared something that has never left me.

She told me the experience had changed her. She had stepped outside her comfort zone. Connected with classmates she had known for years but barely spoken to. Discovered confidence she didn't realize she had.

"Travel doesn't just change where we are. Sometimes it changes who we become."

I've watched families reconnect without the distractions of everyday life. I've watched grandparents make memories with grandchildren they'll talk about for years. I've watched students discover confidence they never knew they had.

That's why I don't believe great travel is measured by how many places you visit. I believe it's measured by what happens because you went.

Then I found a business that believed what I already believed.

For years, whether I was working with students, families, or my own children, one message kept showing up in my life. Be the change. Pay it forward. Look for ways to leave people a little better than you found them.

So when I discovered Giving Magic Travel, something immediately felt different. This wasn't simply a travel agency helping families plan incredible vacations. It was a business built around the belief that travel could create something meaningful for two families at once.

One family experiences the vacation they've been dreaming about. Another family - chosen through trusted nonprofit partnerships - receives a fully funded Magic Moment Vacation during one of the most difficult seasons of their lives. That wasn't a marketing idea. It was a mission.

Today, every eligible vacation my clients book becomes part of that story, at no additional cost to them. Their family creates memories they'll never forget. Another family receives something wonderful to look forward to.

Helping people has always been my purpose. Travel simply became another way to live it.

If we have the opportunity to work together, here's what you can always expect from me.

I believe great travel planning has very little to do with finding the "perfect" itinerary. It has everything to do with helping people feel heard, prepared, supported, and excited about what's ahead.

Every recommendation I make comes back to one simple question: "If this were my own family, what would I hope someone would do for us?"