This May, Williams will lead a group of Tech students on a 12-day journey through Spain and Portugal
On a recent trip to Ireland, Assistant Professor Jaime Williams and a group of study abroad students toured a distillery in Dublin to learn about businesses important to the country. Download image here.
When Tennessee Tech University students sign up to study abroad with Jaime Williams, assistant professor in Tech’s College of Business, they’re not just joining a tour – they’re stepping into a story she’s written just for them.
From the moment flights are booked to the final farewell dinner, every itinerary is the result of Williams’ own passion for discovery and dedication to her students. She doesn’t rely on third-party planners or travel agencies. Instead, she personally curates each experience, ensuring it’s affordable, meaningful and unforgettable.
“There are about a dozen faculty-led programs across the university,” Williams said. “The College of Business usually offers two to three, one with the Accounting Department, then one or two with me, to different locations that focus on different experiences. I create all the itineraries, handle logistics and manage the paperwork myself. It’s a lot of work — but worth every minute.”
This May, Williams will lead a group of Tech students on a 12-day journey through Spain and Portugal, exploring both the cultural treasures and business landscapes of the Iberian Peninsula. Their adventure will take them from Madrid to Toledo, Lisbon, and the charming seaside town of Cascais. Along the way, students will tour the Royal Palace of Madrid, wander the cobblestone alleys of Lisbon’s Old Town aboard an electric Tuk Tuk and enjoy an evening of traditional Fado music and dinner.
Williams’ love for travel was born years before she joined Tech’s College of Business. As a former professional softball player, she spent three seasons living in the Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland, an experience that opened her eyes to new ways of living and learning.
“I loved living abroad. It completely changed my life,” she said. “That’s what students often tell me after their trips — it changes how they see the world.”
Her journey as a faculty trip leader began in fall 2021, when she was asked to step in for another professor on the university’s first post-pandemic study abroad. “They knew I had travel experience,” she laughs. “Two weeks later, I was on a plane with 11 students headed for London and Paris.”
That spontaneous decision sparked a new tradition – Williams has led Tech students abroad every semester since.
Over the past few years, her students have explored corners of the world far beyond Tennessee. In South Africa, they learned about ecotourism from Tech alumna Melissa Cassada, co-owner of Trailblazer Safaris. In Ireland, they studied a combination of traditional Irish industries like farming, brewing and linen, and their new focus on tourism and technology. Each journey blends cultural exploration with professional insight – a hallmark of Williams’ teaching philosophy.
“My goal is to create the ultimate experiential learning experience,” she says. “I’m so grateful to have the dean’s support and a university that values hands-on global education.”
Even as she prepares for the coming Spain and Portugal trip, Williams is already dreaming of future destinations. “I’d love to plan one to Prague, Vienna and Budapest in Dec. 2026. That would allow the students to experience three distinct cultures without too much time in transit,” she says with a smile.
For her students, these adventures often mark firsts — the first stamp in a passport, the first flight across the ocean, the first moment of realizing just how big and beautiful the world really is.
At Tennessee Tech, Williams said, studying abroad isn’t just about leaving the country — it’s about expanding your mind, your network, and your sense of what’s possible.
Photo courtesy of Tennessee Tech.
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