My Journey to Being an HTM Student

 I am a junior at Purdue University that is pursuing a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. I was not always a HTM student. I have tired a few different career paths in the past years.

When I was seven up to my first year of high school I wanted to go to Purdue to study veterinary science. Once I hit high school I realized I was completely terrible at science, and that it takes more then a love for animals to get you through vet school. This was the beginning of me changing potential career paths as often as you change your clothes.

My senior year of high school I did a teaching internship and an internship at my local hospital in hope of finding my path. The hospital internship involved me rotating around different departments within the hospital. Most of the departments were boring. The only fun department was surgeries, but becoming a surgeon would take a lot more biology classes then becoming a veterinarian. Next was the teaching internship. I thought the teaching internship was a lot of fun mostly because I interned with an art teacher. I love to paint and work with digital design. That is when I decided I was going to go to school to become an art teacher.

During my freshman year of college I found that I didn't like the part teaching as much as I liked the art part of being an art teacher. This was due to the fact that I didn't want to talk to kids all day long. Don't get me wrong, I love kids but I just like talking to people my own age a lot more. With this decision made I switched my major to Visual Communications and Design also known as Graphic Design. I was head over heels in love with this decision.

During the summer before my sophomore year of college, I was a full time waitress at a bar and grill in New Buffalo, MI. New Buffalo is a prime vacation town for Chicago people and I made bank! Not only was I making good money I also loved my job. I loved waitressing! (Says no one ever... except me) I loved the high intensity of the job and the opportunity to meet new people everyday. I am a very sociable and personable person so it made sense that I loved this job.

When I went back to school, I thought to myself if I graduate and become a graphic designer my interaction with people is going to be minimal. That thought is the reason I am a Hospitality and Tourism Management student today.

This is first semester in the HTM program. I know this career path is the right fit. The students and professors within this program are very similar like me. I hope that my love and background in art and design will be beneficial during my career path. I made this blog to reflect on my experiences through out my hospitality and tourism management student career.