A $20,000 scholarship won in 2016 to study abroad changed everything for Dubai-based expat Gabby Beckford.
“One year of Dubai sun, fun, financial freedom, and diverse experiences made me realize that the prospect of working in a windowless lab somewhere for a couple of decades never seeing the results of my analyses actually sounded like hell,” she told Travel Noire.
From there, she decided life as an engineer wasn’t the life she wanted and started planning a way to take her business full time.
Beckford is the founder of Packs Light, a resource for travelers seeking to travel the world all while keeping the debt out of it. She works to help people find scholarships to explore the world no matter their age.
“I’m helping make the incredible accessible [world] to young – particularly marginalized – women so, they can see the world as soon as possible without the financial burden,” she said.
Her goal with Packs Light is to become “the all-inclusive resource for paid travel opportunities” all while empowering others to see the world.
She’s working on having a course she designed on seeking and applying to opportunities, particularly in travel, to be standard curriculum at every high school in the US, as well as eventually releasing scholarships through her own brand.
“My dad has been my inspiration for my love of travel, and my drive to have financial and time freedom which has led to my entrepreneurship,” said Beckford. “His work then took us across the US, and across the world to Okinawa, Japan. My dad always told me growing up, ‘you don’t owe anyone, anything.’ He taught me to want the most out of life, and growing up seeing him come from very little to so much inspires me to help the next generation!”
For more information about scholarship opportunities, follow Beckford on Instagram.
