March 5, 2024
I was born and raised in New York City. My mom is Finnish and my dad is African American. Luckily, growing up in Queens, NY, the most diverse borough in one of the most diverse cities in the world, I never felt pressured into “picking a side” regarding my culture, which, unfortunately, is a reality for those who grow up in less diverse communities.
I was surrounded by people of all cultures and backgrounds, allowing me to embrace both sides of my identity. Though I don’t speak Finnish, my mom makes sure to instill Finnish traditions and customs into our family. We often make traditional Finnish food such as Karelian pies and Pulla. We also recently got a sauna, as saunas are part of Finnish culture. We also visit Finland almost every year to keep in touch with my mom’s side of the family. Most of my dad’s family lives in Brooklyn, NY, so I’m able to visit them more often and embrace this side of my culture by spending time with them.
My mom came to America to go to college in New York City, where she majored in hospitality management. She’s worked in the hospitality industry for years, and is currently a restaurant captain at the Harvard Club of New York City, where she’s worked for the past 20 years.
One of my favorite childhood memories was my mom taking me to work with her a few times a year. This meant waking up at five in the morning and taking a train into Manhattan. I would help her set up the breakfast buffet, and then once we finished and the restaurant opened, I would sit in a corner table of the restaurant, waiting for my dad to pick me up. While I waited, I would watch my mom interact with the guests, making jokes, checking in and helping them, and overall making everyone feel comfortable and special. I didn’t know it then, but looking back, I think this was when I realized I wanted to follow in her footsteps.
As I got older, I stopped coming to work with her, but I still visited her at her job, and guests would tell me how wonderful she was. She made it her goal to create a positive environment by delivering exceptional customer service and forming positive relationships with guests.
Fast-forward to my senior year of high school during college application season. I was still unsure of my major. At first, I was considering going into business, hoping to narrow it down to a specific field in college. But then I saw that St. John’s offered a Bachelor of Science degree program in Hospitality Management. I remember finding the page providing information about the major, and learning more about the courses and various internship opportunities. I was instantly hooked, knowing this was the major I wanted to choose.
I’ve been very glad about my choice of majoring in hospitality management. I’ve taken Hospitality Management Orientation, Travel and Tourism, Hospitality Law and Ethics, Food and Beverage Service, and Destinations and Cultures. Each class has taught me incredibly valuable information about the industry. Currently, I work as a food and beverage attendant at the Penn Club of New York City, working on weekends and holidays during the continental breakfast shifts. I also worked a banquet for the first time last December with more than 250 attendees. During my interview last June, I met with the restaurant manager and the general manager, and both were interested in the fact that I’m pursuing a degree in hospitality management.
I’m glad I got my foot in the door in the industry; it will give me a competitive edge when applying for internships and jobs. I wasn’t entirely sure what field within the industry I wanted to work in when I picked the major, but right now, I’m leaning toward a career in the theme park industry, specifically Disney or Universal Studios.
My brother participated in the Disney College Program after he graduated in June 2021, worked in quick service food and beverage, and ended up extending his program for another six months because he enjoyed working there so much. After his program ended, he returned to New York City for a few months, until deciding to return to Disney World as a part-time employee with their Disney Aspire program, a 100 percent tuition coverage program for Disney employees pursuing higher education. He is currently earning his Master of Business Administration degree while working at Disney World.
Over the past three years, I’ve had the opportunity to go to Disney World several times and enjoy it each time I go. Cast members play a pivotal role in creating the “magic” that Disney is known for, and I want to be a part of that for people. I will be applying to the Disney College Program for the Spring 2025 semester. I hope to work in operations, specifically attractions, but I am open to all opportunities. Then, after completing the internship, I can decide if Disney is where I want to begin my postcollege career.
Last April, I started learning American Sign Language, after years of procrastinating and telling myself I wanted to learn the language. I took an ASL 1 class online in the fall, and next month, I will take ASL 2. I also use apps, including ASL Bloom and Rocket Language and a Chrome extension called SignUp, which overlays sign language captions on movies and television shows on Disney+ and Netflix.
I’m proud that I have learned so much already, and it hasn’t even been a year yet. I hope to learn even more because this industry is very people-oriented, meaning I’ll always interact with people. I hope to be able to communicate with deaf/hard-of-hearing people at work and help them. I’ve learned that deaf people appreciate when people have even a little bit of ASL knowledge, so it’s nice to know that by learning ASL, I’d be making a positive impact.
At Disney World, cast members can wear a pin underneath their name tag that shows what language (other than English) they speak. Cast members have to apply to get this pin, which includes an interview with a native speaker of the language, to determine if they know enough of the language. According to cast members, fluency is not required. They only need to be able to hold basic conversations and provide directions and information. Depending on my ASL progress when I start the Disney College Program, I will apply for an ASL pin to wear under my name tag while working so I can practice my ASL while also being able to help and assist those who speak ASL.
Overall, I’ve been very happy with my major and learning about hospitality management.