UR Alum's study abroad experience leads to starting his own business

After studying abroad in Madrid his junior year, Jay Ternavan,’00, knew that traveling was something he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

After graduating from the University of Richmond with a degree in Business Administration, Ternavan worked in the San Francisco area selling and marketing wine for Ernest and Julio Gallo Winery. When he accepted the job, his goal was to one day be able to work abroad. A year and a half later, the opportunity presented itself when Ternavan was transferred to a new assignment that required him to market the wine internationally. With this job he was able to travel throughout Europe to market the wine to military communities. When his two-year assignment was up, Ternavan decided to quit his job and stay in Europe.

“This was the first big risk I’d ever taken. I decided to pick quality of life over advancing my career,” said Ternavan.

He briefly worked for a relocations company, assisting foreigners in the moving process. He was able to spend a lot of time traveling through Europe and took his first visit to Croatia. This venture inspired him to pursue his dream of owning his own business, and, with the support of his friends, he founded JayWay Travel. His company offers a personalized trip-planning service for Americans looking to visit Central and Eastern Europe. This high-end service caters to families or couples and plans their trip from start to finish.

JayWay Travel has been successfully running for almost ten years and Ternavan continues to be motivated by his passion for travel.

“What makes us successful is that we are experts in the areas. The people who plan the trips are actually able to speak from experience in traveling to these countries.” 

Ternavan is extremely grateful for the environment that Richmond provided him. The competitive atmosphere prepared him to be able to compete anywhere. And of course, he is incredibly thankful for the opportunity to study abroad which sparked his love and passion for travel. If Ternavan could encourage Richmond students to do anything it would be to take risks.

“I took a risk when I was young and it paid off. Just because everyone is following a certain career path, doesn't mean that you have to. You should find what you are passionate about and if you can turn that into a career, there is nothing better than having a job that you enjoy doing.” 

Written By: Katie Mogul, '15