Five more mentees graduated on Wednesday night during a ceremony at the Crown Institute of Studies in Auckland.
MC for the night, Paula Watson noted that having eight new mentees inducted for what is Intake 17 equaled the highest number for an intake since the programme began in New Zealand. Intake 18, which will happen in August, is already full and the 19th (set for November) is filling fast.
The latest graduates are: Chloe McKellar, House of Travel, mentor: Sally Attfield; Sarah Bourchier, Air NZ, mentor: Victoria Courtney; Erin Graham, Zest4travel, mentor: Sonya Lawson; Tracy de Beer, AB Group, mentor: Mark Kennedy; Nina Kerby, CTM, mentor: Jaime Swan.
Both McKellar and Graham were the recipients of scholarships sponsored by the Aussie Specialist Program.
The new mentees who joined the programme this week are: Taylor Le Breton, HOT Invercargill; Anna Rowbotham, Fuzion Travel (NCL Scholarship); Angela Bishop; Tina Tionisio, Air New Zealand; Shruti Save, FCM Travel; Trish Seeherr, TS Travel (NCL Scholarship); Renee Temple, Helloworld (Allianz Partners Scholarship); Laura Hutchings, Travel&Co (Allianz Partners Scholarship).
TIME’s Margaret Spiro says a total of 61 mentees have graduated since TIME was launched and there are currently an additional 19 mentees taking their TIME journey.
‘I can also confirm that applications are now open for the 2025 Silversea/TIME Scholarship. The recipient of this scholarship will commence on 26 August 2025,’ Spiro adds
margaret@travelindustrymentor.co.nz
New graduate Chloe McKellar, House of Travel; TIME chair Andrew Gay, Travel USA; Scott Jackson, Air New Zealand
Emily Rose, Qantas; Shona Bray, House of Travel; Kerrie Hudson, YOU Travel
Margaret Spiro, TIME; Dan Wright, Tourism Australia; Kerri Jackson, freelance writer
Gabby Oliver, Back-Roads Touring/Top Deck; Maree Robinson, The Walshe Group; Amanda Debenham, Discover the World
Sandy Trapski, Tandem Travel; Kevin Blyth, Allianz Partners; new mentee Laura Hutchings, Travel&Co
Hayley Dawson, ATPI; new mentee Taylor Le Breton, House of Travel; Alana Puschman
