Guest Speaker Reflections
Greg Van de Velde
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Mr. Greg Van de Velde first fell in love with the hospitality business at the age of 12, when he started cooking his own meals at home. He described his mother’s cooking as “not the best,” which is was motivated him to make his own meals and soon became fascinated with the art of food. After highschool, Greg attended the University of California San Diego, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Theory and Italian Literature. He also attended the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and graduated with a master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese Herbology. Greg has lived in Italy for 2 years, which is where he got his first job in the business at an ice cream shop. He then moved his way up the hierarchy and became the general manager of Bottega Americano. Unfortunately, the restaurant recently closed. Since then, he has been working as an entrepreneur to help open a new restaurant at Mission Bay.
Although Greg did not realize that he wanted to pursue the hospitality business early on, he ultimately knew it was what he wanted to do. One thing he talked about was the cultural experience he gained while living in Italy as he worked as a busser and server. Living and working there had helped him realize that he wanted to work in restaurant business. Italy is known for its art and architecture, and that is how Greg fell in love with the creation of a dish including the process, presentation, and everything in between. He also enjoyed the fact that everyday was different, unlike an office job. Everyday, he faced new people, problems, and situations. However, working in this business can be very difficult and stressful due to the long, continuous hours of work. He put a lot of emphasis on being able to have the right mindset to pursue this business. Greg could not put into words how important it is to walk into work and remind yourself that everyday is a new day, and you must move on from whatever happened the previous day. Otherwise, you will not be able to survive. However, the business is not all about problems and situations. There are many aspects that make the job entertaining. He appreciated how customers would remember his face or name, and greet him with kindness. Overall, people like Greg who work in hospitality like to provide customers a memorable experience, and that is what makes the difficult situations manageable.
According to the kaleidoscope, Greg would be considered a self-savvy person because he is a very optimistic individual. Rather than dwelling on situations that occurred in the past, he is able to move on from those situations and be professional. Not only does this impact himself, it also impacts his employees and co-workers in a positive way. Another reason I consider Greg self-savvy is due to the fact that he is able to self-develop. He is very individualistic, as he pushed himself to move to a foreign country and work in an ice cream shop where most people only spoke German. He worked hard to get to where he is now by experiencing different cultures and aspects of the hospitality business. His experience inspired me to study abroad in a different country and and learn more about the art and history of food. It also made me realize that I need to go into work with a positive mindset everyday. Often times I dwell on situations that occurred days or weeks prior, which can have an enormous effect on my mood and how I perform. Greg’s experience gives us all hope that we will someday be as successful.
Although Greg did not realize that he wanted to pursue the hospitality business early on, he ultimately knew it was what he wanted to do. One thing he talked about was the cultural experience he gained while living in Italy as he worked as a busser and server. Living and working there had helped him realize that he wanted to work in restaurant business. Italy is known for its art and architecture, and that is how Greg fell in love with the creation of a dish including the process, presentation, and everything in between. He also enjoyed the fact that everyday was different, unlike an office job. Everyday, he faced new people, problems, and situations. However, working in this business can be very difficult and stressful due to the long, continuous hours of work. He put a lot of emphasis on being able to have the right mindset to pursue this business. Greg could not put into words how important it is to walk into work and remind yourself that everyday is a new day, and you must move on from whatever happened the previous day. Otherwise, you will not be able to survive. However, the business is not all about problems and situations. There are many aspects that make the job entertaining. He appreciated how customers would remember his face or name, and greet him with kindness. Overall, people like Greg who work in hospitality like to provide customers a memorable experience, and that is what makes the difficult situations manageable.
According to the kaleidoscope, Greg would be considered a self-savvy person because he is a very optimistic individual. Rather than dwelling on situations that occurred in the past, he is able to move on from those situations and be professional. Not only does this impact himself, it also impacts his employees and co-workers in a positive way. Another reason I consider Greg self-savvy is due to the fact that he is able to self-develop. He is very individualistic, as he pushed himself to move to a foreign country and work in an ice cream shop where most people only spoke German. He worked hard to get to where he is now by experiencing different cultures and aspects of the hospitality business. His experience inspired me to study abroad in a different country and and learn more about the art and history of food. It also made me realize that I need to go into work with a positive mindset everyday. Often times I dwell on situations that occurred days or weeks prior, which can have an enormous effect on my mood and how I perform. Greg’s experience gives us all hope that we will someday be as successful.
Ben Raemaker
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/9/1/119103012/published/benramaeker.jpg?1524710153)
Mr. Ben Raemaker is originally from Wisconsin and attended school there. Although he struggled to find his passion and career path, he is very pleased with his current position as an outdoor program coordinator of Aztec Adventures at San Diego State University. When he attended college, he switched his major five different times because he simply could not decide what he wanted to do. He originally decided his sophomore year that he wanted to become a secondary teacher in math. However, he realized that he wanted to major in recreation management after partnering with the University of Wisconsin, working as a rope course guide. Ben really enjoyed being outdoors and inspiring others, and he had no idea that recreation management was even an option. For two years, Ben moved around for new jobs as a guide. However, he wanted to have a more consistent and stable job than having to travel and move very often. Although he enjoyed being a seasonal guide for rock climbing and snowboarding, he needed a place to call “home.” Now that he works as an Aztec Adventures guide, he has a much more stable job while still being able to enjoy the outdoors. Ben takes students on trips such as hiking, white water rafting, and so on. As of now, he has worked in recreation management for 10 years and has enjoyed every second of it.
Ben is the epitome of “learning from experience.” He could not decide what career path he wanted to take until he gained experience. It is much more difficult to decide your major as a teenager than some could imagine. What you study in school is basically what you will pursue for the rest of your life. Ben put a lot of emphasis on experience, because it helps you decide exactly what you want to do with your life. Even if you experience something you don’t like, it is important to still take in that knowledge. If you hadn’t experienced it, you might have never known if you liked or disliked something. Essentially, Ben advised that we let ourselves be vulnerable and take advantage of an opportunity, even if you think you’re not ready. He said that he was very surprised in himself, being able to jump right into things and learning quickly. Having experience also expands your resume. Through his own experience, he realized that many of the jobs he applied for required similar experience in that field. Once he was able to have that experience on his resume, he was able to get a full-time position at an amazing university with endless resources. Ben would not go back and change anything in his past, because experiencing various fields has led him to the job of his dreams. He enjoys the outdoors, as well as inspiring people to do things that make them step out of their comfort zone.
Ben is most definitely a people-savvy person. He is able to communicate interpersonally with others and motivate them to push themselves. He is also very networked since he has worked at six different universities. By working many seasonal jobs at different places with different people, he has expanded his network. Although I am an HTM major, his passion for his career made me very interested in recreation and tourism management. I am also very interested in Aztec Adventures. I did not realize that so many trips were offered by our school. Going on these trips could be a great way to take a break from school work and destress. Most importantly, what I learned from his presentation was to get as much experience as possible
Ben is the epitome of “learning from experience.” He could not decide what career path he wanted to take until he gained experience. It is much more difficult to decide your major as a teenager than some could imagine. What you study in school is basically what you will pursue for the rest of your life. Ben put a lot of emphasis on experience, because it helps you decide exactly what you want to do with your life. Even if you experience something you don’t like, it is important to still take in that knowledge. If you hadn’t experienced it, you might have never known if you liked or disliked something. Essentially, Ben advised that we let ourselves be vulnerable and take advantage of an opportunity, even if you think you’re not ready. He said that he was very surprised in himself, being able to jump right into things and learning quickly. Having experience also expands your resume. Through his own experience, he realized that many of the jobs he applied for required similar experience in that field. Once he was able to have that experience on his resume, he was able to get a full-time position at an amazing university with endless resources. Ben would not go back and change anything in his past, because experiencing various fields has led him to the job of his dreams. He enjoys the outdoors, as well as inspiring people to do things that make them step out of their comfort zone.
Ben is most definitely a people-savvy person. He is able to communicate interpersonally with others and motivate them to push themselves. He is also very networked since he has worked at six different universities. By working many seasonal jobs at different places with different people, he has expanded his network. Although I am an HTM major, his passion for his career made me very interested in recreation and tourism management. I am also very interested in Aztec Adventures. I did not realize that so many trips were offered by our school. Going on these trips could be a great way to take a break from school work and destress. Most importantly, what I learned from his presentation was to get as much experience as possible
Aztec Adventures:
Leadership Development Plan
Class: Spring 2019 - Section 2
Emphasis: Meetings & Events
Current Job: Contemporary Services Corporation
Expected Graduation: May 2020
My PRINT: Major 5, Minor 9
Emphasis: Meetings & Events
Current Job: Contemporary Services Corporation
Expected Graduation: May 2020
My PRINT: Major 5, Minor 9
The Ideal Hospitality Leader
I think that the most unique aspect of the Hospitality and Tourism industry is that it exists everywhere, no matter what country or time of year. It gives me plenty of opportunity to work wherever I want.
An ideal leader in the industry would be an individual who is very good with people and has the natural urge to learn and improve themselves. I envision myself to become a leader that employees feel comfortable talking to and trust in. In my opinion, having a good relationship with your employees is very important. I think that a leader should also be able to recognize one’s strengths and weaknesses, and be able to give constructive criticism as well as receiving it. Not only that, but they should be able to receive it well and want to act upon the feedback.
An ideal leader in the industry would be an individual who is very good with people and has the natural urge to learn and improve themselves. I envision myself to become a leader that employees feel comfortable talking to and trust in. In my opinion, having a good relationship with your employees is very important. I think that a leader should also be able to recognize one’s strengths and weaknesses, and be able to give constructive criticism as well as receiving it. Not only that, but they should be able to receive it well and want to act upon the feedback.
Career Goals
My dream career in the long term would be to have a job as an event coordinator. I believe that I would be a great candidate for this position because I am great at planning and possess time management skills. I am also very good at prioritizing my tasks, which is a skill that event coordinators must excel at. An ideal position would be to have a managerial position in the events industry 5 years after graduating. By then I should have a good amount of experience to have a managerial position. My short-term career goal is to network more and meet new people and industry professionals through networking events.
Other goals
1. I WILL get an internship at an event company
2. I WILL attend more networking events
3. I WILL do research and apply for multiple HTM scholarships
2. I WILL attend more networking events
3. I WILL do research and apply for multiple HTM scholarships
Simulations
My strength in the simulations was executing the ideas that were brought up by others, but my weakness was holding back on sharing my ideas. However, I feel that I shared more of my ideas for the second simulation than the first. I took the feedback I received from my observer for the first simulation into consideration before the second simulation so that I could improve in the areas that I lacked. Even with the second simulation, I have a lot of improving to do. I imagine that this is something that will develop over time through experience and by pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
My Perception and the Perception of Others
Both of my observers had told me that I had great ideas to contribute to the group but did not speak up as much as I should have. I realize that I need to take on a leadership role and speak up, even if I my ideas might get shut down. I am an easy going person and I am quite agreeable, so I tend to hold back when there are stronger personalities in the group. However, I always remain optimistic and make sure not to shut anyone’s ideas down but instead go off of their ideas to come up with something else.
Competency Assessment
Summary of Competency Assessment
The results from my competency assessment show that I show strength in interpersonal communication, professionalism, and planning. On the other hand, I lack spirit of optimism, networked, and self-development. Out of the three competencies to develop, I think the most challenging for me is become more networked. However, I am fully aware that it is one of the most important competencies in the hospitality industry, because by creating connections you are broadening your opportunities.
Development Activity Ideas
These are three development activities that I will complete before graduation. By doing these activities, I will be able to strengthen the areas in which I lack.