Zoe Banfield
2020 Gilman Scholar
Hometown
Greendale, IN
Major
Hospitality & Tourism Management
College
Health and Human Sciences
Minor
Global Studies
College
Liberal Arts
Many people can relate to having poor service and bad experiences at hotels. Whether you are on a business trip, visiting family, or on vacation, no one wants to have a negative encounter that could have been avoided. Oftentimes, a bad experience at the hotel could lead to an overall negative experience while on vacation. As I pursue a major in Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM), I think back to my own experiences and am inspired and motivated to help others experience wonderful and memorable vacations. I hope to do my part and help families and tourists have great experiences while traveling with my future career in the Hospitality and Tourism industry. I am complementing my HTM degree with a minor in Global Studies and I aspire to manage a hotel or resort in an international location. There is only so much one can learn from a classroom, and exploring more of this world through a study abroad program gives me a wealth of experience engaging with other cultures; the future travelers I will support in my work. I am excited to immerse myself in another area of the world and explore how practices in HTM differ from America through business, relationships, environment, and so many other aspects.
In the Fall semester of 2019, I plan to participate in a five-month study abroad program in Mallorca, Spain where I will participate in an internship worth one credit hour and study full-time with about 12 credit hours of course work at the Universitat de les Illes Balears. It is a semester-long program designed specifically for HTM majors including hands-on instruction about the hospitality and tourism industry in Spain. In the internship, I will gain experience working in the front and back of the house as well as the restaurant and kitchen. Mallorca’s environment of many attractions such as the Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca, Drach Caves, and Cala Milloris crucial for the hospitality and tourism industry, and an important part of my education on how to run such a thriving tourism destination.
Interning with a tourist hotel in another country will allow me to learn how the company operates and how the hospitality field differs in separate countries. I additionally intend to harness my experience with two different dance organizations, Purdue University Dance Marathon and Higher Ground Dance Company, and seek out a dance organization that will not only get me involved but allows me to connect to different cultures through the world of dance.
As a first-generation college student, I knew little about the opportunities this campus was able to offer. This journey abroad can be hard on my parents as they are nervous to have me move across the world and are unfamiliar with the process of studying abroad. College has been tough to navigate, but exciting because of these new experiences.