Monthly Archives: September 2015

Zhigang Gao [Gina]

Zhigang Gao [Gina]

HMGT 1101 –Perspectives in Hospitality Management

September 7th, 2015

My name is Gina, I born in Wuhan City which have a lot famous scenic sports in China. For example, Three Gorges Dan and Yangtze River.

When I was little I could see different tour guide very often, they wore nice uniform with name plate on it, held guide flag as a symbol, they use speaker to describe the history to the tourism and show them around of Wuhan City. The tour guides so confidence, also beautiful for wore huge knowledge, people behind them listen very careful with respect. Afterward I start having a dream to be a tour guide when I grow up.

After I graduated from high school, I was so lucky been accepted by Hubei University which is well-known of their travel management. I was so exciting learn everything about travel. At the first year as a freshman, I passed the country wide tour guide exam and got my tour guide license. With this license I could able to find a part time job in a travel agency company while I study in Hubei University. My job gave me so much practice, very useful for my major course. I was really enjoy the four years’ experience. I was working hard, study hard. I also play hard with my salary. I like try different food. When summer break I used to travel to different country, talk with native people, I had so much fun. I graduated from Hubei University in 2010, that day all our classmates got together celebrate, for we would start our real career.

Same year we start sending resume to our dream company. I am lucky enough hired by the biggest travel agency company named China International Travel Agency Company. This company in capital Beijing. They have 150 tour guides, so many brilliant people among them, I tried my best to be more professional and learn from other tour guide. I liked to listen to everyone in our company when they talk to me, always modest to them, so in the company I only have friends no enemy. After I worked there for years, our boss raised my position from a tour guide to a manager of customer service department. She commented me had patient to solve all the problem, I had 6 years tour guide experience, I knew tourist well. The most important personal strengths I have is always honest and thinking on people’s side, understand them well.

New position means more income, I use the money to travel around Korea, Vietnam and United States. I enjoyed the food, before I go, I always do research, list all the restaurant or sightseeing I have to go. Then post my experience and picture on blog and Facebook. I was so happy my experience can help my tourist and my friends or other audience.

I traveled so many Cities, finally I decided stay in New York, the life style here so freedom, 180 different countries immigrations live there, means I can try 180 different food here which make me so exciting. Now I study in New York City of Technology College, my major is hospitality management similar as travel management. Travel and food is my favorite thing, it will give me more passion to study my major. Also offer me more experience, make my study more vivid.

 

 

Christine Delva Profile

Christine Delva

HMGT 1101 –Perspectives in Hospitality Management

September 7th, 2015

 “Life is a hole in the heart”; by Ben Hecht. Whether you attack with positive attitude or just let it fly through your hands, either way it is happening. This quoted relates to my life and describe me overall. An empty feeling in my stomach emerged and I knew it wasn’t hunger; at least, not hungry for food. I am hungry for success but was struggling to pursue goals that I made for myself. When I was young, I had many dreams and fantasy of how I wanted to be when I grew up. As I grew older I was still uncertain in which direction or path I wanted to encounter. I am an outgoing person and for me to be scared to strive for success was unbelievable. I knew I wanted to be either Mortician or Sonogram Tech.

            Well as I grew older realizing science was my weakness. Helping people was in my blood and providing service was my strength. Making sure a customer is satisfied gives me joy. I decided to manage private events, cater cook food to people & etc. A friend came to me and said “Why don’t you make this your career”. I was confused at first and a little hesitant. Then I said “Christine, maybe this can fill the hole in your heart, go for it, enrolled into Hospitality Program”. Working retails and nursing home jobs gave me a well round background experience of pleasing customers. Even though, I never work in a hotel or any restaurant. I know I am capable of doing it. I truly believe if you attack something with a positive attitude anything is possible. You will accomplish many things and also make a difference in yourself. Also I do believe in helping others as well. You never know if this person or you and this person could make a difference. Listening to others advice, opinion and critics can benefit you as person as well.

Two to three years from now I can see myself doing variety of things. I would like to be working or managing a hotel/bed and breakfast in two different countries. Also have a little small event planning business and help my mom pursue a baking school in Haiti. I am eager to open all these ideas don’t know how it going to work but I know I will do a fantastic job at it. I obtain my Associate Degree while I was pregnant with my daughter. After having my precious daughter, thought it was the end of making a change in my life. But I was wrong, if I don’t spread my wings I will not fly. I decided to dedicate my time to focus on my school. I had to arrange my school schedule according to my work schedule, very determine even if it going to be a hard sacrifice. God is good; he will help me become the person I want to be by opening doors. Here I am in you class today.

            Helping people and making people happy fills my heart with unconditional love. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing someone very satisfied with the service you provide. If I do accomplish, these goals will change me as a person. My family is my supporters; my daughter is my future and touching people live will be phenomenal. I am willing to embark on this challenge to become who I believe I can be. By then it will make my heart a whole once I reach my dreams.

 

 

Rosa Chong’s eProfile Assignment

Hello my name is Rosa, I would like to first introduce myself as a very dedicated person. When I actually want to accomplish something I am committed to do so. I was born in Panama City, Panama. Since coming to New York my family had to move several times due to my dad’s new job placements. On the other hand growing up in Bensonhurst was very exciting for me, I get to meet new friends for every time I had to change schools, and with no doubt there were more than enough amenities to make Bensonhurst the place it is today. I enjoy cooking and baking with friends and family. When I was younger I wanted to be a flight attendant, with that being said I enjoyed anything that had to do with hospitality. I was lucky enough to be placed in the academy of hospitality and tourism program in my high school years. After graduating from that program, I wanted to exceed my education in this field of study. With the hope of possibly managing many luxurious hotels in different states around the world.

Growing up was a little tough for me, my mom was always sick and my dad was always at work. I was lucky enough to spent my whole childhood with my 3 sisters. As we got older, my older sister had to start working as well as college. I then had to take the role and responsibilities as the oldest one and watch over the little ones. I started working at the age of 13, I volunteered at a summer camp and I assisted teachers and went on field trips, traveling around NYC with little children. I helped out in my aunts street fair business selling jewelry, and my previous job was at a supermarket, getting a feel of retail. Currently I work in a pharmacy doing data entry. With plenty of experience working with retail, I am devoted to become a business manager. During school, I would like to intern at different hotels around New York City and work my way up from there. I will be graduating in Hospitality Managment with a bachelor’s degree. I want to be successful at what I do, so I can give my family the life that they deserve.

I can say some of my strengths are determination, and great communication skills. I am very energetic and a good team player, I can also work very well independently. I chose this major because I love to eat and I’m always willing to try new foods. I love to cook and bake and seeing someone’s smile when they try my food makes me so happy. I love traveling and meeting new people, I’m never afraid of change. I enjoy movement, I do not like to stay in one place, it excites me when I travel. I appreciate the customer service hotels provide when you check in a stay, I enjoy the feeling of busyness. I have a very strong passion to work in this field. With so much dedication towards this field of study, I will pursue my dreams to become a very successful entrepreneur.

Sonia J Eprofile

Hello everyone, my name is Sonia Jobity, and I am a transfer student from Kingsborough Community College with an A.A.S degree in Early Childhood Education. Now I am here at City Tech after 10 years, majoring in Hospitality Management. Yes, that is a big change in majors you say, you are probably wondering why the change. Well lets just say you cannot get a decent job with an Associates degree, and my last job I wasn’t recognized for my skills and experience.

I have been working almost 8 years in education, either as a Teacher Assistant or a Paraprofessional with children with developmental disabilities. The main reason why I chose this profession as I wanted to be home with my children when school was out. I have a child with high function autism and he was and still is my inspiration for working with children with developmental disabilities. Yes, this is a very rewarding field, but it also takes its toll as why I am here at City-Tech pursuing my Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality. Before I became a T.A, I was a Call Center Representative for 3 years while pursuing my A.A.S. As you’ve noticed, I’ve waited almost 10 years to pursue my B.A, but I chose to have a family and raise my children.

The reason why I chose Hospitality, because I enjoy talking to people, baking, creating things with my hands, and designing. My mind and my hands take the best of me as I cannot focus on one thing. I recently took a certificate culinary course at Kingsborough and realized that this is something I will love to continue doing. I tried looking for work as a prep cook or anything in this field, but was told I didn’t have enough experience. Only jobs that were recommended were counter jobs and fast food places, jobs I weren’t going to do. With these disappointments I decided that this was going to be one of the first steps that I was going to pursue of my interests/goals.

I bake as a hobby and hopefully after I graduate I can turn my hobby into a business, with event planning on the side. I do not wish to have a storefront as I do not wish to be tied down to one spot. I want my business to move with me. I will also like to work in a hotel, learn the ups and downs of what a hotel offers, and from that experience be able to own and manage my own hotel.

People ask me what are you going to do after you graduate? What kind of job are you going to get with this major? What is Hospitality Management? Sometimes I don’t even have an answer because I don’t always know. What I do know, I am going to graduate.

Kristen Tsui- eProfile Assignment

Hi my name is Kristen Tsui,I am 17 years old wondering what would my future be when I graduate from City Tech. People always ask me ” What your future career?” and my reply was always “I don’t know” or ” I’ll find out when I enter college” but the truth is I know what my future career is and it is to become a chef with my own style of cooking and being able to show my passion and skill through every dish I cook. Since I was small I never had much self confidence and I wasn’t able to speak up when I needed to which led me to become a bully’s victim. The feeling of being neglected and being picked on still linger inside me causing me to be in depression. For 5 years I was binge eating over and over because it gave me a moment of happiness which came with consequences.

When I was 9 I weigh less than 100 lbs but I when was 14 I weigh from 150-170lbs and that made me even more depressed because I felt I was so ugly. Since then I had the lowest self esteem and I couldn’t even walk outside without being afraid of people judging me. I always see classmates with their friend all crowded in a table talking about their future and what they want to become when they become an adult, some say they would become doctors and some say they will become fire fighters but for me I couldn’t see a future for myself. I wasn’t smart like my siblings and I had no interest in studying something I know I won’t like so my parent put me in weekends tutoring school to help study to get into those “good” schools to have a brighter future, but I didn’t live up to their expectation. I realize what my parent wanted me to do isn’t what I want, so I spend my last two month of middle school to seek what I want to study and have a career out of it.

Through those times I notice when my grandma was in the kitchen I always see with her a big smile and the food she cooked was always delicious so I went to ask why she always smiled when she in the kitchen cooking and her response was ” When I am in the kitchen cooking I think about the smile you guys have when you eat my food which make me happy.” Her response made me realize how important it was when someone put time and effort to make a dish to make the other person eating it  with a smile and that smile give motivation to continue doing what you enjoy. Then I realize maybe becoming a chef who cooks with their own style to make the consumer happy is what I want to be in the future.

So I attended Food and Finance High school and throughout high school I went on many internships to learn how successful owner run their restaurant and how chef work under pressure. Not only interning in restaurants but Food and Finance High School gave me an opportunity to win scholarship money through a program called C-CAP for high school student who are interested in culinary arts to compete for scholarship money and from that competition I won $9000 cash scholarship which made me feel I finally accomplish something on my own and have proven my parent that culinary art is my passion and I believe becoming a chef can be just as successful as anything in this society.

Here are some of the places I’ve interned at: North End Grill, Crepes & Delices, Kirkland and Ellis, Bank of America, The Golden Dragon Bakery, and last but not least Murray’s Cheese.

Mariama Bah – Profile Assignment

     Hello Everyone, My name is Mariama Bah and this is my first semester at City Tech. I just transferred from LaGuardia where I spent many years not sure of the career that I wanted to pursue. My major was physical therapy assistant but while going to many science classes and struggling to maintain a good grade I came to the realization that Science was not my strong suit and the only thing that was interesting about physical therapy was the money I would have been making. Now that I have a fresh new start at City Tech with a major that I know I will succeed in, I have made a couple of goals to make my experience here fun and worth it. Some of my goals are to Stay focused and remember the end goal, get out of my comfort shell and join clubs and participate in activities, STOP procrastinating Start networking because that the best way to succeed in the HM field, Make new friends and Ask for help. By achieving these goals and the many others I have set for myself academically I know that I will go far because it’s only the beginning.

     Since I can remember I always liked working, my father owned his own store and I would always beg him to take me with him on the weekends and during summer breaks from school, from working with my father I went on to work at various places doing various jobs such as babysitting, retail, food service and some more retail. The food service job that I had was Dunkin Donuts. It wasn’t much but it did give me a better view of the Hospitality Food from doing food prep, making donuts, taking temperatures and dealing with customers on a daily basis. From working at Dunkin Donuts it made me realize that I would want to open my own restaurant and bakery and that’s what I plan on doing and succeeding at it because owning any type of business isn’t easy but owning a food business I would have to say is the most challenging.

      Personally I would have to some of my strengths are always wanting to try something new unless it involves heights, challenging myself, and my creativity. When I want something I stop at nothing until I achieve or surpass that goal. Growing up food network was my favorite channel while every little girl I knew was playing with dolls I was playing with pots and pans making pretend food and serving it to my family and guest. When I was old enough to cook for myself I started creating random dishes using trial and error to perfect my food. When I received negative feedback I went back and tried again, When I received positive feedback It felt good and then I moved on to my next task. Cooking and baking was my way of expressing myself because I was allowed to do anything, mix different flavors, textures and etc. and come out with a great outcome. I started hosting little get together, or brought dishes over to friends households and from then I knew I wanted to be a Chef with plenty of restaurants and I still plan on being that Chef.

Noemi Mendez E-Profile

Hello, my name is Noemi Mendez and I consider myself a voyager. I believe in finding solutions and making them more efficient. I view life as a business. I believe in attributes of life; you are what you invest.  If a person doesn’t have any dreams or aspirations in life, that person will not accomplish many goals and will not become a productive citizen in society. That’s why I believe that the most important attribute you can have as a human being is being an important part of any endeavor that will improve your life for a better future no matter how difficult it is to overcome.

As an Immigrant, from the Dominican Republic, I have accomplished an extensive educational background as a single mother with three beautiful daughters. I have begun college since I obtained my GED in 1998 and I haven’t gave up by going to college as a part time student even though that there is a lot of sacrifices when children are involved in your life.  But, I never gave up and that’s why I have an Associate’s degree at Hostos Community College with a major on Early Childhood Education. I also, accomplished a Bachelor’s degree at Leman College with a major in Sociology and a minor in Childhood Education. So the big question that many of my coworkers and friends have asked me is why I decided to do a second Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and not do my Master’s degree in Childhood Education?

The reason why I decided to do a second Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management is because I have a big dream of owning my own restaurant and becoming a boss in my own restaurant in the future. I also believe that I have the necessary tools of becoming a successful entrepreneur in the food industry business. I know that being a restaurant owner is not an easy job and come with a lot of sacrifices. But life is a journey, and if you don’t follow your dreams you never know what you can accomplish in life.

Another big reason why I chose to do a second Bachelor degree in Hospitality Management is because I love cooking and everyone that tasted my dishes make great and positive comments on the flavor of any of my food dishes. I personally don’t possess any experience in the food industry, that’s why I decided to come to the New York City Tech of Technology College to learn all the strategies, training and techniques necessary of becoming a good chef first, then a food truck owner and then a restaurant owner in the future. I know that I want to accomplish a lot in life but one of my big strengths is that I never gave up until I accomplish what I want. Being an entrepreneur is very important for me as the leader that I am. I develop myself every day in the decisions I take in life and the role I play every day for the well-being of my children and society. One day when you go to your local supermarket on the frozen food isle you may see one of my dishes for sale. I do believe in myself and the talent that I can share for the world to taste. All you need is an open mind an empty stomach and a fork to digest my talents!

Jazmin Rodriguez E-Profile Assignment

Greetings everyone, my name is Jazmin Rodriguez, and this is my first semester back in school after eleven years upon deciding to pursue my Bachelors Degree. To give you an overview of who I am, and who I would like to become, you should know that I migrated to this country and faced several challenges such as, adjusting to a different culture and learning a new language. Now the challenges are different from those when I obtained my Associate Degree with high honors in Liberal Arts.  I am married, have three children and a very demanding full-time job. I’ve passed many years working and helping others accomplish their dreams while mine were put on hold.  There is no one to blame in particular, it was a mistake I made. However, I have taken it as a big part of my learning process and developmental stage of the professional skills that I now posses. Hopefully, not only I have learned from it, but also others will, including my family future generations to come. It is easy to fall into the trap of obtaining an Associate degree and immediately accept a job offer for a decent full time position and believe that you made it. You may think you are pursuing your dreams when in reality you are just helping others reach theirs. It takes more studying, preparation and complying with what is being stipulated in this ever-changing society.

When I graduated, an Associate degree was the socially acceptable standard. A Bachelor’s degree was acknowledged but for many jobs it was not a requirement. In today’s society, an Associate degree has as little value as a High School diploma and the Bachelor’s degree has replaced. One reason why I feel that returning to school is a challenge is because I am no longer a college student free of many financial and family obligations. Spare time may be an issue and my priorities have changed, but my dreams and goals have not. New priorities include my children; my oldest son is going to college next fall, my middle child is going to middle school and my youngest is still in elementary school. I am aware that I need to focus on school and face all obstacles while trying to keep my family’s lives balanced and be there for them when they need me. There are many factors that are encouraging me to further my education. I am confident that this is going to give my family and me much back in return. One of the most important things I want to teach my children is that until you have reached your upmost goal you must not stop trying and do not settle for any less than what you are seeking.

My professional experience is very extensive. I have been working for a CUNY College since I graduated with my Associate degree in different positions and departments.  I have worked with very talented, educated and professional individuals, including teachers, administrators and students. I can confidently say that I have experience and am sympathetic with the students’ needs and in some instances with the college administrators. Some of my personal strengths include being an initiator, a creative, honest, compassionate and humble individual. Additionally, I am very supportive of others and posses excellent abilities of persuasion, leadership, and self-awareness. My personal interest in enhancing my professional quality is primarily to grow and expand my knowledge as a professional and in the different areas of the hospitality industry.

I’ve always had a vision to own my business or at the very least, be in a position where I can develop my ideas and creativity freely while making a difference in the traditional ways of catering and managing. I’ve always liked to gather, entertain and serve as a host to my guests. I love to cook; growing up I viewed it as an art, allowing you to create and share. I would like to teach, manage, supervise and mentor new inexperienced individuals; that will be seeking an opportunity in this competitive field. I am looking forward to a productive semester with my professor, fellow classmates, and leaders of the hospitality industry.

Erick Tecuatl’s eProfile Assignment

People are afraid of change. For me, it was a huge change from being a computer science major, to being in hospitality. What inspired this big change? The answer is simple; I wasn’t happy. Being in a classroom full of students that had a talent for programming and math, I soon began to feel that I didn’t quite belong there. As I progressed into the major, I made it my goal to finish the program and earn at least an associate in computer science. After struggling, withdrawing, and even failing some classes, I did not walk away with anything, and successfully completed the program. I then had a huge choice to make as to which major I wanted to pursue; I chose hospitality.

When I left high school, I was uncertain about my future and didn’t really have any goals. My family needed some financial help so I was actually quite desperate for a job. Whether it was retail, construction, or even just working at a local deli, I was up to work for anyone. I finally got a call back from a small company called Bareburger, and I was hired as just a busboy. I was quite astounded as to how fun working can be, and quickly found enjoyment just from being a busboy. My managers were quickly impressed with how had I can actually work and how I had a talent for learning things very quickly even if it was first job. I was quickly promoted after only a couple months into a counter-person and soon after a server. I quickly aspired for more. The restaurant got a nice facelift, and built a bar. Not long after that, I began bartending. It was there where I picked up some major communication skills, and began meeting many interesting people. It was there where I became a valuable employee, being one of the few to be comfortable on any position at the restaurant. This is where I realized that there had to be more to restaurants, and I wanted more. My next goal is to gain some experience and manage the corporate store, maybe even open up my own restaurant.

Even though it is a relatively small restaurant, I learned a lot from just working there. Currently, I have been employed with the company for just under two years. My personal strengths are that I am an extremely hard worker, and just sheer determination. I learned that once I set my mind on something, it is easy to overcome obstacles and I don’t quit. I love to eat as much as I love to learn. Hospitality is my home.

Victoria A. Gaston – eProfile Assigment

Hello to all my City-Tech classmates, I am proud to say that I’m finally back at school and here to stay! Unfortunately I was unable to attend school for a whole year preparing for the arrival of my beautiful little girl, who made her special appearance last September! Now that I am back, I am ready to focus and see through my goals that I have set for myself in the next years to come at City-Tech as an undergraduate in the Hospitality Management department. I am on a journey to gain many academic experiences in college due to the fact that I have very little of it. So far in my academic career I have graduated early from The James Baldwin High School in January 2013, and took a year off from school. January of 2014 I began to attend City-Techs spring semester for my freshman year and although I did not complete my very first semester because of my pregnancy, I did enjoy myself during the time I had attended school. Having had been away for a whole year I had time to thoroughly think about the goals that I would like to accomplish when I returned to school, here’s a few:
1. COMPLETE your very first semester!
2. Arrive on time (if any attendance issues pop up, ALWAYS communicate them to the professor)
3. Do NOT be afraid to ask for help
4. Be open-minded and try new things
5. Rest up, so that I can remain focused in class
6. Study!
7. Network with my peers
8. Say YES to any given opportunities
Okay, so maybe that was more than a few, but you see the point. I am determined to check off each and every one of these goals this semester and I will continue to have these goals and many others added on to the list as I work my way to earning my bachelors degree. Overall, these are the few academic experiences and goals that I have.
I’ve been working since I was fourteen years old, so I definitely have a few different career experiences under my belt; none of which had anything to do with the hospitality industry up until this summer. I’ve been a youth worker at a children’s day care assisting teachers with two-three year old kids. I’ve also worked mostly in customer service and retail, having positions at AMC Lowes, Journey’s, and Zara; as well as many receptionist jobs. I’ve looked for a job within the hospitality industry for a very long time and I was fortunate enough to finally get a job this summer hosting at a restaurant. Reflecting on these many experiences, I must say that I honestly do enjoy everything but retail. My career goal is undecided at the moment, though I have a few ideas of what I may like to do in the future I have not officially made a decision, and that’s okay. I want to be able to take in everything that I learn these next few years in the hospitality department and then, when it is all over, decide what I want to do most. Or what I want to do FIRST! The most important career goal that I have is to make sure that I am completely happy with whatever it is that I end up doing in the future.
There are many things about myself that will help me achieve these academic and career goals. My personal strengths are, my determination, organization, leadership, communication skills, professional demeanor, and my sociable skills. These strengths that I have, I make sure to always present them in any and everything that I do. My personal strengths have always benefited me in life and I don’t see why they will fail me now.
With my personal strengths come my personal interests, because my strengths easily are shown when I am doing something that interests me most. It’s immediate; I put my all into the things that I enjoy. Such as singing, I’ve been singing since I was seven years old. I also enjoy cooking, and special events, and meeting new people. I enjoy reading books, doing yoga, being a mother is what I love most and I really like to learn new things. Every now and then when something random pops up and I have some curiosity about it, I almost always go for it and try it out. My personal strengths and my personal interests will definitely shape my career in the future and this journey that I am on right now will only guide me to what that may be.