In this episode, meet Mmachukwu Osisioma, a college student with roots in Nigeria and the United States, whose passion for travel has driven her to win two incredible Paid Travel Opportunities (PTOs). She shares how she discovered PTOs during high school through SeekPTO, the research skills she’s honed to find the perfect opportunities, and the persistence that kept her applying—even after rejections.

Mmachukwu also reflects on her transformative experiences abroad, from navigating a winter study program in South Korea to immersing herself in Brazilian culture during Carnival. She emphasizes the importance of staying authentic in applications and how these opportunities have shaped her worldview, connections, and confidence. If you’re curious about how to take your first step toward a fully-funded travel experience, Mmachukwu’s story will inspire you to get started.

Ready to start your own journey? Join SeekPTO.com today to find curated Paid Travel Opportunities like Mmachukwu’s along with the community support and application resources that will help you actually win them.

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The Young Travelers Podcast is Hosted by Gabby Beckford and Produced by Gabby Beckford and Taylor Inglut.

Sound Design and Editing by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Stacey Book, Dominique Ferrari, and Avi Glijansky

Find more of Gabby and her solo adventures, travel tips, and delusionally confident lifestyle…

On the Web - packslight.com

On Instagram - @packlight

On TikTok - @packslight

Plus, you can watch video versions of this podcast on Gabby’s YouTube Channel.

To connect with other young travelers who opt out of the status quo and live life for the plot, join Gabby’s Young Travelers Network Facebook Group (the original inspo behind this podcast!): https://facebook.com/youngtravelersnetwork.

Want to learn more about what Paid Travel Opportunities (PTO) are and the different types of PTO that exist? Head to SeekPTO.com for all things related to traveling for school, for work, and for fun… for FREE!

And, are you looking for more of the absolute best in travel podcasts? Visit cercatravel.com to discover all our Cerca Originals, or head on over to youtube.com/@CercaTravel for more podcasts and shorts to stoke your wanderlust and give you the local perspective on some of the greatest places on earth.

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Gabby Beckford is the award-winning travel influencer and Opportunity Expert at @packslight. Starting her pursuits at just 17, she is a solo female traveler who's visited 50+ countries and is on a mission to make the incredible accessible to the younger generation. She’s also grown her community to more than 600K+ across platforms–including 10K+ young travelers in her Young Travelers Network! Beckford has been featured in The New York Times, Good Morning America, CNNTravel, National Geographic, and more for her work.

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At Cerca, our goal is to help you explore the world like never before. Visit www.cercatravel.com for Immersive audio travel guides to some of the most amazing places in the world - written and voiced by locals - articles on everything from the best places to eat in Havana to a guide to all of Helsinki's underground bunkers, and the best travel podcasts you can find... like this one!

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The PTO Princess: Mmachukwu Osisioma on How to Win Fully-Funded Trips

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