Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanice Whitney.
Shanice, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Kansas City, raised by a single mother who taught me a lot about resilience without ever having to say the word. I went off to college in Iowa, and then, as a complete shock to everyone, including me, I took a teaching job in Kuwait. I ended up staying four years, and that time changed everything. It was the first time I really traveled, the first time I was in therapy, the first time I had the space to ask who I actually was outside of the roles I’d always played, especially as a young Black woman figuring out my own identity outside of what I’d known.
From there, I moved back home for five years, and I didn’t really feel like it fit who I was anymore. It sounds crazy because you always think you will have some magical connection to the place you grew up in. You think you’ll always want to come back, but I actually found home in other places. After five years back in KC, I moved to Qatar in 2023 and started documenting the journey on TikTok, mostly because I wanted other people, especially other American teachers, to see that this life was possible.
That’s really the heart of Teach Travel Thrive: showing teachers, and especially Black women, that there’s more than one way to live the American Dream. For me, that dream isn’t a house and a title, it’s peace, safety, clarity, love, and the freedom to explore the world and yourself, authentically.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The hardest part wasn’t external circumstances, it was the internal battle: feeling like I was meant for something more, while also being terrified to go get it. In this battle between myself, going for it meant giving up the known. It meant releasing safety and hoping that when you finally fall, you land where you’re meant to.
I think a lot of that started with how I grew up, being one of six kids raised by a single mother. She did everything she possibly could for us, and I was right there helping her do it. Watching her give everything she had made me want something bigger, something outside of what was common in the world around me. That’s where the first itch to leave started, but I really felt it for the first time in college, and it’s what eventually got me on a plane to Kuwait.
I don’t think anyone’s path is smooth. I think everyone’s is paved with something they have to grow through. And as cliché as it sounds, I do believe everything happens for a reason, even when the reason isn’t clear, and even when it’s not the one you’d choose. All of our paths are leading us exactly where we’re meant to be, even when it doesn’t feel like it in the moment. So I hold my struggles right alongside my wins. They work together to build the person and the life I actually want.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Teach Travel Thrive exists to help American teachers, specifically Black teachers, make the leap to teach abroad. I offer tips, ebooks, and workbooks, masterclasses, and weekly emails with real support and advice, and I have a course launching soon that goes even deeper into the process.
What I’m known for is being the person who actually helps teachers make the leap, not just talk about it, but walk through the real steps of getting there. And what sets me apart is that I’m speaking from lived experience as a Black woman who’s navigated this journey myself through multiple countries, so I’m honest, Not just about what’s possible, but about who will actually benefit and succeed on this path. I don’t sugarcoat it, and I think that honesty is what people trust.
What I’m most proud of, brand-wise, is simply that it exists. I built this from my own story, and knowing that people have landed interviews and jobs abroad from even just my free advice and tips, before ever working with me directly, means everything. That tells me this isn’t just content, it’s actually changing lives.
What I want readers to know is that this brand is rooted in the same thing I talked about earlier: peace, safety, clarity, love, and the freedom to explore the world and yourself, authentically. Teach Travel Thrive is how I help other teachers find that too.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I am the eldest of six children, so I think my favorite childhood memory would be a mix of their childhood memories too. When my mom introduced us to, “The Wiz,” it became the most-watched movie in our house. My three younger sisters, (who are all much younger than me by at least 12 years), and I would watch, and each of us pretended to be a character for the entire movie. Every time your character came on screen you had to sing, dance, and say their lines. It was such a fun way to spend time together and be silly and have fun. I cherish those moments the most. They are too cool for me now but there was a time when we were just Dorothy, the Lion, the Tinman and the Scarecrow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beacons.ai/teachtravelthrive
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanicetakesflight
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shanicetakesflight
