{"id":6662,"date":"2017-08-25T14:11:11","date_gmt":"2017-08-25T14:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=6662"},"modified":"2017-08-25T14:11:11","modified_gmt":"2017-08-25T14:11:11","slug":"la-toya-wallace-shares-her-journey-to-becoming-a-destination-marketer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/la-toya-wallace-shares-her-journey-to-becoming-a-destination-marketer\/","title":{"rendered":"La Toya Wallace shares her journey to becoming a Destination Marketer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After being in the teaching profession for 19 years, I took the bold step to change careers and decided to pursue my first love, tourism. In 2013, I was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute (ABHTI) from the Antigua Hotels and Tourist Association (AHTA), to study Resort Management.\u00a0 In 2015, I graduated with highest honours with an Associate Degree.<\/p>

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This accomplishment created an insatiable hunger for higher education and a yearning for both personal and professional development, and I decided to research universities.\u00a0 My sights landed on Monroe College, as it appealed to my sanguine and extrovert personality.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t choose between Hospitality Management and Baking and Pastry Arts, so I decided to undertake both.<\/p>\n

Currently, I am in my final year of college and I am making the most of my tenure here.\u00a0 I am a member of the baking, poetry, drama, multi-cultural clubs and I am the vice-president of the hospitality club.\u00a0 I am a student mentor in the Academic Center, where I tutor English and Hospitality related courses, as well as revise and edit essays and research papers.\u00a0 Also, I am a Student Ambassador, giving tours to perspective students and providing that bit of persuasion for them to make Monroe College their school of choice.\u00a0 I use every opportunity to give back to the most vulnerable in our society by participating in the many volunteering efforts of Monroe College.\u00a0 We hosted food drives, community and park clean ups, made visits to animal shelters, nursing homes and hosing shelters, helping the staff with their daily duties. Additionally, I am involved in many exhibitions on campus: poetry slam, the Monroe Positivity Campaign, heritage and culture night, and dramatic presentations.\u00a0 I lead my team to victory in the 2017 Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Students Colloquium, held June 7th<\/sup>, during the Caribbean Tourism Week.<\/p>

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Come September, I am one of 12 students selected to participate in a study abroad programme to Italy, where we will be immersed in learning their cuisine for nine weeks.\u00a0 I am the third Antiguan student to be selected for this program.<\/p>

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My achievements to date include:<\/p>\n