A graduate of Queensland University of Technology and the University of Southern Queensland, Tanya’s 20-year career has taken her across the globe from Australia to Japan and the UK. Highlights include teaching English to non-English speaking Indigenous students in far North Queensland; working with Japanese teachers of English in Fukuoka, Japan; and, as a geography teacher, taking students on field trips to the Great Barrier Reef, limestone caves, volcanic landforms and the Daintree Rainforest. 

“Experiencing their reactions to being immersed in these locations really solidified my passion for showing students exactly what they are studying,” she says. “Hence my program development now.” 

One example of this is AISTs What is Your Human Global Footprint? program which gives students an understanding of the marine environment by directly experiencing it. Participants undertake a carefully curated field study that culminates in a visit to the world’s largest coral reef system, The Great Barrier Reef.

Tanya worked for eight years in Japan, as a language teacher, managing a branch of the language school and helping devise the Educational Training program at the Japanese International Education Center. Here she took her Masters in Applied Linguistics and ran training courses on teaching English and developing language programs. 

Back in Australia, Tanya won a Highly Commended Award from Queensland International Education for developing a collaborative international program between universities and schools and establishing Australian International Tours in 2009.

Her motto: Ichigo ichie is her favourite Japanese saying – it translates as: one lifetime, one encounter. “This sentiment is very important in life,” she says. “It’s so important to make the most of every experience and encounter we have with others. When they travel, students and teachers might only have one encounter to make an impression on those they meet – so we need to make sure that it’s a positive impression.”

AIST celebrates its 15th birthday in 2025. We are proud of our diverse client base and are always striving to improve the experience of study visits, by listening and adapting to the ever-changing needs and interests of young people. We have built trust and lasting relationships with educators across the world, enabling students to enjoy learning and life in our beautiful country.