Depart Smart

Sheryl Hill understand that it takes grit to make a pearl. Tragically, their futures were forever altered when Tyler, their vibrant, athletic, leader and role model teenage son, died a preventable death on a People to People Student Ambassador trip to Japan. He was barely sixteen.

Sheryl and Allen turned their grief into a mission, as founders of the only nonprofit working on travel and tourism consumer protections.  For ten years, they advocated on the problem side of travel abroad, now they offer a solution with premier Travel HEROES Safety Certification.  Everyone should know how to avoid risks, get help and home with an individualized Emergency Action Plan.

Sheryl is publicly recognized as an industry expert, speaker, award-winning author and advocate. “Depart Smart is the most important professional work I have ever done,” says Sheryl.

Sheryl passionately believes every person, especially students going abroad on programs, should possess super skills to get help and home safely.

She has been seen in USA Today, Saturday Evening Post, ABC, NBC, CBS, Newsweek, Forbes, Huffington Post and more. She pours her time and talent into Depart Smart’s four pillars of strength: Awareness, Tools and Resources, Education and Advocacy in award-winning ways.

Sheryl is proud to attract industry leaders who have helped Depart Smart earn Emmy & Telly awards for public service announcements, Guidestar Platinum Partner status for transparency, the first ever state bill to put the “count” in “accountability” – safety reports on programs escorting our kids into a foreign country for school credit.