It’s not every day you meet someone like Mrs. Fini. Not only is she a dedicated high school Italian teacher, but she also runs her own travel agency on the side. In the classroom, she brings lessons to life with stories and activities that keep her students engaged. Outside of school, she helps people plan amazing trips around the world. Somehow, she finds a way to do both — and do them well.

Mrs. Fini shared that her love of travel and her frequent experiences giving advice to others about their trips inspired her to start her own business. It felt natural to turn that passion into something more official, especially as part of her exit strategy from teaching. She emphasized that to run a successful business, it’s important to be detail-oriented, organized, and able to multitask—not just having knowledge of the industry, but also thoroughly researching destinations for clients. Accomplishing her goals as a business owner came from hard work, confidence in her expertise, and consistently reassuring clients that they were in good hands, even though she admits that advertising isn’t her strong suit. Among the challenges she faces are managing her time effectively and handling frequent phone calls, but her dedication to her clients and love for travel keep her motivated.

According to Bailee Schultz, a sophomore at Mayfield High School in Mrs. Fini’s Italian 3 Honors class, Mrs. Fini is an engaging and thoughtful teacher who always looks for ways to connect with her students through storytelling and hands-on activities. Her dedication to quality teaching is clear, and she consistently puts her students’ learning first. Bailee also mentioned that Mrs. Fini occasionally brings up her travel agency in class, especially during projects in Italian where students explore different regions of Italy. Her real-life experiences with travel add an interesting and helpful layer to those lessons, making the material more relatable and exciting.

Mrs. Fini’s love for teaching and travel has led her down two very different, but equally rewarding, paths. Whether she’s helping students learn Italian or booking someone’s dream vacation, she puts her heart into everything she does. Her story is a great reminder that it’s possible to pursue more than one passion and still make a meaningful impact.