Saint Kitts and Nevis

Grant

BBA in Hospitality Management/Concentration in Tourism

Monroe College

New York, USA

It is an honor and privilege to be a CTO grant recipient. It is an accolade I take with great pride and appreciation. 

This financial support allowed me the opportunity to complete my studies when I ran out of funding to complete my final semester. Without this support, I would have had to return to St. Kitts and Nevis, apply for an additional loan to complete my studies, which would have increased my already large student loan. Receiving this scholarship motivated me to work and push harder to complete my studies with the highest grades possible. As a result, I graduated with highest honors Summa Cum Laude. 

In addition to receiving the grant, I became a member of the CTO family when I interned at the CTO New York Office in 2019. This experience has shaped my career and interest in working in the tourism Industry, where I have been for over 10 years. My experience and affiliation with CTO, provided me with the solid foundation on which have resulted in my longevity and increasing interest in the Industry. I was also able to make some genuine friends, which always made me feel like family at the office. 

To continue to contribute to tourism in my country and the Caribbean, I have continued to improve myself educationally and professionally by obtaining an International master’s in business administration in 2019. 

I dream of receiving the opportunity to work with or for CTO once more and to assist in working closely not only with St. Kitts where I currently work for the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, but also with the other tourist boards in the region. I am of the opinion that although we are separated by water, we still share a common bond and characteristics which compliments each other and will make us a force to reckon with if we only consider working more closely together. Especially during this time, when the entire world and the tourism industry is negatively impacted by COVID-19, and all the islands are struggling due to our heavy dependence on tourism.

I look forward to our joint efforts to create a stronger, more resilient, and sustainable tourism Industry in the Caribbean region. 

Year of Grant

2009