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Norfolk State University Cause and Effect Essay Why Am I a College Student? Obtaining a college education is an essential part of my career goals and life. I am attending college to gain more knowledge, have the necessary credentials to be competitive in my career, and to make my family proud. One day I want to own and operate my own hotel company with my sister, who is currently attending Norfolk State University studying Tourism & Hospitality Management as well. We plan to start our business together and become one of the top lodging companies in the world.
As a child, my parents took me and my siblings on all types of trips. I have been all over the United States including Hawaii as well as Cancun, Mexico and Greece. Traveling to see all of these different types of places, eating at restaurants, and staying in beautiful hotels, made me fascinated by the hospitality industry. By the time I entered high school, I started thinking about what I really wanted to do in life. When I was in the 10th grade I entered in the Tourism & Hospitality program. I instantly fell in love with the industry and all the opportunities it holds.
I then transferred, in the 11th grade, to a charter school that was started by Mr. William Marriott, the CEO of Marriott International. The school was called Marriott Hospitality Public Charter High School, where students that wanted to study hospitality could attend and take hospitality classes. During high school, I worked part-time at the Marriott at Metro Center in Washington, DC to gain experience in the industry. I graduated in June of 2005 with honors and a full scholarship to Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI.
Michigan State University has one of the top hospitality schools in the country, which made me excited to attend. During college, I had an internship at the Crystal City Marriott in Arlington, VA. I also worked at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center in East Lansing, Michigan. These work assignments provided me the experience of what it was like to be part of a team and how working together enhanced our success. I truly enjoyed meeting different people from all over the world, that in and by itself was an education.
Helping people enjoy their stay at these hotels was very satisfying and gave me a sense of accomplishment. My tenure at the hotels was very instrumental in my decision to make the hospitality industry my career. After a year and a half at Michigan State University, I realized that a big university environment really wasn’t for me and I decided to come back home to Washington, DC. Since I wasn’t in school, I decided to obtain jobs in the industry to afford me the opportunity to continue to gain experience and learn all that I could about the industry.
I first worked at Embassy Suites Hotel as a front desk agent, then at the City Club of Washington as the morning receptionist, and lastly as a guest service agent at Homewood Suites by Hilton ~ Falls Church. Even though I enjoyed working and making money, I always had the desire to go back to college and get my degree. I found out first-hand the importance of a degree while working. I couldn’t get promoted due to me not having my degree, I had all of the experience but not the paperwork!
Management trainees for larger upscale hotel chains almost always need a bachelor’s or master’s degree, preferably in hospitality or hotel management (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Research shows that, on an average college graduates earn double the amount as high school graduates. Attending college provides opportunities for graduates which are not as widespread to those who have not received a higher education (Importance of College). People who go on to do higher education tend to be healthier and a generally more rounded person than someone who just got a high school education.
College graduates get more experience meeting new and like-minded people which helps their social skills(Importance of College). Living in the college environment helps to develop important skills that will be useful throughout life. Also, going to college helps you to become an expert in your chosen field. You are able to study what you are interested in and make contacts with some of the greatest minds in that field (Importance of College). I had been out of school for over a year and realized that getting my degree is a very essential part of my career goals and life.
So I enrolled back in school at Norfolk State University to obtain my degree and graduate. If I want to grow in the hospitality industry as a manager, director, general manager, and then owner I must have a degree. Most large, full-service hotel chains usually hire people who have a bachelor’s degree in business, hotel, or hospitality management for management trainee positions (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Many lodging companies will not hire you as a manager or promote you as a general manager if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree and since that is my dream, I must get my degree.
My family was so excited when I graduated from high school and attended Michigan State University with a full scholarship. I would be the first grandchild to graduate from college but when I came back home to work, they were very unhappy. My father was more disappointed then anyone. He wasn’t able to attend college. He enrolled in the US Marine Corps after high school and 20 years later he joined the workforce. He worked his way from a security guard at the Power Electric Company in Washington, DC to head of the Labor Relations Office.
He wants me to have all the opportunities I can and he knows that having a degree is the first part. In the beginning of this year, my father was diagnosed with Stomach Cancer. He only had one request of me when he got sick and that was for me to go back to school and get my degree and that’s what I’m doing today. I love the hospitality industry and as such, my choices of employment while in high school and college have been hospitality. I would like to continue learning all that I can in the industry.
The more I learn, the more successful I will be in college and later working in the industry. Obtaining a college education is an essential part of my career goals and life and I am determined to graduate and start my career. Works Cited Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Lodging Managers, on the Internet at http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos015. htm Importance of College. Statistics on College Graduates-Will getting a college education really make you money? Web. 2008