I was a high-school dropout. I never really got good grades and there's a long history of reasons why. Now that I'm older, I realize it wasn't because I was “dumb,” as I had been called for so long. I had my daughter at 36 and became a single parent and I ended up on welfare. I realized that I didn't want her to repeat that same cycle, so I went back to school.
I went to Santa Monica Community College and I was really doing well. I thought I would go for computer graphics, but I hated sitting behind that computer. I went to a counselor and he said, ‘What do you really want to do?’ I said, I love hospitality, I would love to be working at a hotel or something where I am able to be around people and plan meetings or events. He said there were several schools that specialized in that. I had no idea! UNLV stood out to me. Then I realized, I can't afford this. But they had a scholarship program and I qualified.
I'm now a senior. I graduate in 2012 and I feel very proud to be able to say that I will have a BA in meetings and events from UNLV. My concern is for the students who come after me who will not have a degree in meetings and events, but only a concentration (see article, page 19).
Both of my parents began and developed their careers with the Walt Disney Company. My parents were examples to me that I know led to a passion for the hospitality and tourism industry. This industry certainly has come a long way. I originally went to college on a volleyball scholarship and planned to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. I did not complete my degree and took time off when I chose to raise a family. There are many reasons I chose to pursue a bachelor's degree in meeting and event planning, but one defining moment for me was when I worked for Fox News as a freelancer during the 2008 presidential race and realized that what I truly liked was the planning and logistics side of meetings and events. When I was ready to return to school to finish my degree, UCF offered a bachelor of science degree in meeting and event management. This was unique and I felt it would be a great fit for me.
When I was looking into colleges I wasn't positive what I wanted to major in. I knew I wanted to work with people in the customer service industry and not be stuck behind a desk doing the same thing every day. When I came across information from Indiana University — Purdue University Indianapolis on tourism, convention, event management, I felt it was the major for me. After visiting the campus I knew the major was exactly what I was looking for as a career. This degree offers opportunities in multiple career paths, instead of just focusing on one area of the hospitality industry. Knowing this, I allowed myself to find the niche I was best suited for. Although this career path calls for early mornings and late nights at times, I knew I could handle it since I would be doing what I loved.