We are elated to share that GoAbroad’s Founder, Troy Peden, has been named as a 2020 PIEoneer Finalist for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry.
The PIEoneer Awards, hosted by The PIE News, are prestigious awards in the field of international education. The awards honor organizations and individuals within international education that have displayed significant achievements or innovations.
In the Outstanding Contribution to the Industry category, individuals are nominated by their colleagues. The PIE looks for individuals who have helped evolve or shape the international education field in a significant way. Their influence in the field and how the international education industry has developed as a result of their work must be clearly evidenced.
Troy Peden is an international education pioneer. As the founder of GoAbroad.com, the first website devoted to meaningful travel opportunities, and the charitable organization the GoAbroad Foundation, Troy is a true advocate for meaningful international travel.
For decades, Troy has become one of the leading minds and figures in international education. Troy earned degrees at Illinois State University, University of Colorado Denver, and Jacksonville University, and immersed himself in all aspects of study abroad work—most notably at Jacksonville University and the University of Colorado Denver, where he was a study abroad advisor for many years. In all aspects of his academic and professional career, he incorporated international travel and experiences. Graduate research brought Troy to the Philippines in the early 1990s, where he founded a local nonprofit organization supported by international volunteers to provide nutrition and education programs for underprivileged communities.
Particularly after founding GoAbroad.com in 1997, Troy set out to help develop the field of international education in any ways that he could. From consulting, to personally traveling to universities around the US and the world, Troy dedicated his life to making international education an opportunity for anyone who would listen. He is constantly looking for ways to influence the international education world, and is always connecting with people and trying to figure out how he can help them in their next step in life.
Despite having impacted and contributed to dozens of projects and organizations in international education, Troy’s chief contribution to the field is the founding of GoAbroad.com. As our website states,
“We believe that travel is the key to individuals attaining a broader perspective of the world, and that the world is a better place when people have a deeper understanding and greater empathy toward all individuals and cultures.”
GoAbroad.com is a catalyst for this. Since 1997 we estimate that more than 100 million people have used the website, with over 56 million people visiting the site since 2013. This is unique in many ways, but stands out as an initiative that has not only grown over 23 years, but has literally reached millions of inquiring minds and aspiring meaningful travelers.
Troy continues to immerse himself in all things international education and devotes much of his time to supporting the GoAbroad Foundation and it’s various projects. Troy lives in Colorado with his wife Mylene, keeping busy with their 8 children, and now their first grandchild!
Congratulations from all of us Troy. You deserve it!