Rowan alumni Bobbi Lee Hitchon wins ‘Best Backpacker Job in Australia’

THE WORD Australia, a youth traveling company established in 1992, has chosen 23-year-old south Jersey native Bobbi Lee Hitchon for the “Best Backpacker Job in Australia,” to join contest winner Bobbi-Jo O’Gilvie of Florida.

“This is the first contest of its kind that we have run, but if successful we intend to operate more like it,” said Sales and Marketing Manager of THE WORD Australia, Chris Harrison. “We wanted the best person for the job, so availability, character, technical skills and enthusiasm were also considerations.”

Just only a few votes behind O’Gilvie, she was able to skim through a numerous amount of YouTube videos to get the position. She will be joining her partner O’Gilvie for a backpacking trip through the east coast of Australia from Sydney to Cairns. The pair will be able to use a range of social media platforms to inform others about their experiences.

According to Harrison, THE WORD Australia’s reasons for choosing Hitchon included her “engaging, great technical skills, enthusiastic, self-sufficient, available, [and] willing to commit to the project.”

Their adventures range from a variation of sand boarding, surfing, interviewing locals and visiting theme parks. The pair has recently made it through Coolangatta and Surfers Paradise with a van.

“I feel like a rock star. It’s non-stop fun and everyone treats us so great,” Hitchon said. “It’s extremely exciting.”
Hitchon is a Rowan alumni who graduated summa cum laude in May 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and a minor in political science. She was quite active while enrolled at Rowan, participating in various organizations and clubs and serving as a member of The Whit for three years.

Hitchon is certainly no stranger to the backpacking trips, since she has already been through a few voyages of her own through Europe. She was part of a group that did Hurricane Katrina relief work in New Orleans during Spring Break of 2008, and studied at Westminster University in London her sophomore year.

“I meet tons of people from all over and learn about things in person rather than just in a classroom, more than that, it’s the most freeing. I wake up in the morning with no idea where the day will take me,” Hitchon said. “At any moment I can jump in a car, train or plane and go to different cities and countries like it’s no big deal. I once visited three countries in three days.”

Hitchon encourages Rowan students to go abroad, while they have health and energy to do so. She was already on her way to Australia when she was chosen.

“I never would have entered the contest if I wasn’t going to Australia already,” Hitchon said. “I probably never would have heard of it. But because I made the effort to travel, this amazing opportunity opened up.

“My advice is to just do it. The only thing stopping them is themselves.”

Those interested in reading about Hitchon and her partner on their adventure can visit thewordaustralia.com/au and look under the “blog” tab.