About Us | We Are Student Adventures
A family owned, Michigan based company helping educators create safe, affordable, and unforgettable educational travel experiences for their students since 2010.
Our Story
A Michigan Family Business, On the Road Since 2010
Welcome to Student Adventures! We are a family owned, Michigan based business that works with educators to provide educational travel experiences for students. Our travel experts have decades of experience creating quality trips to every major US destination. We not only provide an exceptional educational experience, but we give your students memories to last a lifetime.
Family Owned Since 2010
Founded in Grand Blanc, Michigan, we treat the schools and families we serve like extended family.
Real People, Real Support
A dedicated Trip Consultant and Customer Service Rep, and 24/7 support while traveling. No call centers, ever.
Quality and Value Together
Our goal is to keep the overhead low and pass the savings along to our trip participants. We believe affordable prices are just as important as quality service, and we bring both!
Whether you are looking for a one-day trip close to home or a multi-day trip to one of America’s great cities, we have the experts on staff to handle all the details from start to finish.
15+
Years of Experience
15,000+
Travelers Annually
24/7
Support While Traveling
What We Do
Student Travel Programs for Every Classroom
From history and civics trips to band trips, we plan two types of student travel. Explore each program to see how we build trips around your students and your goals.
Curriculum-based trips to Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Boston, and more, designed to bring classroom learning to life through real-world experiences.
Custom performance trips for bands, choirs, orchestras, theatre, and dance programs, with vetted venues, educational workshops, and simplified trip planning for directors.
Meet Our Team
The People Behind Your Trip
When you travel with Student Adventures, you work with real people who know your trip from the first phone call to the ride home. Get to know the team that makes it happen.
Tammy Koester
CEO & Co-Founder
Tammy co-founded Student Adventures in 2010 and has helped grow the company into a trusted travel partner for schools across the country. As CEO, she helps guide the company’s direction and culture while ensuring every school and family receives the personal service Student Adventures was built on.
Chuck Koester
President & Co-Founder
Chuck co-founded Student Adventures in 2010 with a commitment to giving educators a travel partner they can rely on. As President, he leads the team while keeping the company focused on personal service, quality travel experiences, and real value for schools and families.
Darlene Armstead
Director of Operations
Darlene has been with Student Adventures since the beginning and leads the Operations team responsible for bringing each trip to life. She oversees trip planning and coordination, helping ensure every trip is organized, prepared, and ready for a successful travel experience.
Samantha Osborne
Reservations Coordinator
Samantha coordinates reservations and works with hotels, attractions, restaurants, and other travel partners to secure the details for each trip. She helps ensure every reservation is confirmed and ready before groups travel.
Alexis Gardey
Reservations Coordinator
Alexis coordinates reservations and works with hotels, attractions, restaurants, and other travel partners to secure the details for each trip. She helps ensure every reservation is confirmed and ready before groups travel.
Jennifer Orkisz
Performance Coordinator
Jennifer supports the growth of Performance Travel by working with the sales and operations teams to develop and coordinate performance travel programs.
Erin Murphy
Customer Service Representative
Erin assists travelers, parents, and educators with questions throughout the trip-planning process. She provides friendly, responsive support and helps ensure every customer has a positive experience with Student Adventures.
Melissa Havel
Hotel and Motor Coach Coordinator
Melissa coordinates hotel accommodations and motor coach transportation for Student Adventures trips. She works closely with our travel partners to ensure groups have reliable transportation and comfortable accommodations throughout their trip.
Jordan Thorpe
Participant Customer Service Representative
Jordan is often the first voice customers hear when they call Student Adventures, helping answer questions and connect them with the right team member. Jordan provides friendly, helpful service to parents, educators, and travelers.
Suzanne Fortner
Tour Director Coordinator
Suzanne oversees the recruitment, training, and coordination of Student Adventures Tour Directors. She helps ensure each trip is paired with a knowledgeable and prepared Tour Director who is ready to provide a great travel experience.
Lori Rose
Tour Director Administrator
Lori supports our Tour Directors by reviewing trip details, preparing Tour Director pay, and helping ensure each trip is accurate and ready to go. She also reviews completed trip packets and reconciliations after groups return.
Julia Wallis
Controller
Julia oversees the financial operations of Student Adventures, including accounting, trip reconciliations, and human resources. She helps keep the company’s finances organized and the team supported.
Dawn McLellan
Staff Accountant
Dawn manages day-to-day accounting, including accounts payable, deposits, and trip reconciliations. She also prepares Tour Director trip packets, helping ensure everything is ready before each trip.
David Johns
Senior Sales
David works with educators to design and plan educational travel experiences while guiding schools through every step of the trip-planning process.
Brady Crites
Sales
Brady works directly with educators to develop customized student travel experiences and helps guide each group from the initial conversation through the planning process.
Cole Koester
Sales
Cole works directly with educators to develop customized student travel experiences and helps guide each group from the initial conversation through the planning process.
Eric Hudson
Director of Performance Travel
Eric leads the development and growth of Student Adventures’ Performance Travel division, working with music and performing arts educators to create customized travel experiences.
Andrew Wilson
Full-Stack Developer
Andrew joined Student Adventures in 2025 and develops the technology that helps make every trip run smoothly. From TripWheel to TripChat, he builds tools that keep students, parents, and educators connected and informed.
Rocco Tenaglia
Full-Stack Developer
Rocco joined Student Adventures in early 2026 and has helped reshape how participants and parents experience our trips. He built the website families use to register and pay, and he’s excited to keep making things smoother for travelers and staff alike.
Larry Grupido
IT Lead
Larry has been part of Student Adventures since the beginning and created many of the technology platforms that power the company, including EasyTrack, TripChat, and TripApp. He leads our IT systems and continues to develop and support the technology behind our trips.
Why Student Adventures
Why educators and parents trust Student Adventures
Planning an educational trip should not add stress. We keep planning simple, budgets manageable, and students safe.
Exceptional personalized service
A dedicated trip consultant, not a call center. One point of contact who knows your trip from first inquiry to final day.
Competitive, transparent pricing
A nationwide partner network lets us deliver an all-inclusive quote upfront, and the price you are quoted is the price that stays.
Industry-leading safety standards
Background-checked tour directors, vetted hotels and vendors, DOT-compliant transport, overnight hallway security, and 24-hour emergency support on every trip.
A personal Tour Director on every trip
Your Tour Director meets you at your school, stays with you the entire trip, and handles check-ins, meals, and changes on the fly so you can enjoy the trip with your students.
Ready to Start Planning Your Trip?
Call us for a FREE, no-obligation trip quote at 1-877-873-7550 or request one online. We look forward to hearing from you.