Okay everyone, now let’s head on back to Biscayne Bay campus and meet Tanith. She is a bit of a social media star, sharing on TikTok what life as a hospitality student is like. She’s had some unique experiences volunteering at the star studded South Beach Wine and Food Festival, and taking a class with the king of hospitality himself, David Grutman. You are on.
First of all, thank you Alex for your introduction. Hi everyone, welcome to the chaplain school of hospitality and tourism management on our beautiful Biscayne Bay campus. I’m a graduate student in the hospitality management program. I was raised in Berlin, Germany and moved to the US a few months back. Back home in Germany, I got my bachelor’s degree in international tourism and event management. I was born into a hotel family, so I always knew I wanted to work in the hospitality industry. I came to FIU because it is one of the best schools for hospitality in the US and I always loved South Florida. One of the coolest things I’ve participated in at FIU is the David Grutman experience class. Grutman is one of the leading hospitality entrepreneurs in Miami owning several hotels, restaurants, and clubs. Last year, he joined the chaplain school as our real life experience professor. In our class he had celebrities like David Beckham and Pharrell Williams, who gave us a peek behind the scenes of their own hospitality stories. It’s not just the classes that are different here at the chaplain school. Every year the school and more than 1,200 students help run the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, one of the biggest and most prestigious wine and food festivals in the world. It gives us students a unique chance to gain real life experience, working for this mega festival. To date the festival has raised more than $31.8 million for our chaplain school. This year, I work at the registration counter for three days. It was a great adventure and a huge chance to be part of such a mega scale event. Did I mention FIU also offers an online master’s degree in mega event planning and execution? The Miami boat show Olympic games are Bazell, Coachella. The sheer scale of these mega events can create engineering and logistical nightmares. FIU was one of the few places in the world that train students to make these events go off without a hitch. Thank you for letting me share my story with you. What comes back next is Alex.
What an interesting industry with so many logistics to plan and execute, without even graduating you and your fellow Panthers are already helping Miami maintain this place as the top of the tourism and entertainment industry. Thank you Tanith for sharing your experience with all of us, take care of.
Now let’s meet Khaleel who is at the FIU stadium. Khaleel graduated from FIU with a bachelor’s in recreation and sports management, and is now working on his law degree to become an in-house counsel for a sports team. He’s had great training as a Panther. FIU is a division one school with 17 teams in conference USA. In addition to an on-campus stadium, the Panthers play at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center on the main campus, and train in one of the premier aquatic facilities within the State of Florida and the east coast of the United States at Biscayne Bay campus. The swimming and diving team there is the real deal, seven time conference USA champs. Khaleel take it away.
Thank you, Alex. I’m currently going into my second year here at FIU college of law. Both of my parents were born in Jamaica and came over here to make a better life for me. As the international university, FIU is holding people from all over the world. Growing up, I loved to play baseball and basketball, and that ultimately led me to choose recreation and sports management as my undergraduate major. As a division one university, FIU has many opportunities both on and off campus. In Miami, we have the Heat, the Dolphins, the Marlins, the Florida Panthers, and Inter Miami. You can literally wrap up classes at five and then head downtown to a heat game shortly after. As a Panther, you can either be a student athlete or a spectator, with multiple club and intermural sports, such as basketball, flag football, soccer, and rugby. There was no better feeling than ending my day with an intermural game in our recreational center. Both friends and even family would come out. And as honestly one of the things I’ll miss the most about my undergraduate experience, whether you wanna catch a basketball game, or you wanna watch FIU beat the U again, FIU will provide. In addition to sports, I was a part of the Dean Student Advisory Council, where we made recommendations to the dean, on how to make FIU an even better university. This experience really showed me that FIU really cares about what the students think. I chose recreation and sports management as my major, cause I wanna be in-house counsel for professional sports organization. It’s funny because the way I came about this was through my Title Nine major required class. Not only did I get an internship with the Orange Bowl because of the connections I made, but I also learned about the FIU law, pre law path program, after showing interest in law school and sport and entertainment law. I wanna take my love of sports and incorporate that with my love of the law. This free program ultimately gave me a glimpse of what to expect in law school and that it was the right decision for me. I’m currently the vice president of sport and entertainment of the Sport Entertainment Fashion Art Law Society here at FIU. We just held our first ever national sports symposium with speakers from all across the country. We covered topics such as name image and likeness and the future of sports betting here in Florida. I look forward to my upcoming years here at FIU, and I know the experience gain will definitely pay off. Well Alex I spoken enough, so it’s back to you and paws up.
Paws up Khaleel, it’s great to see how focused you are on your goals. There’s no stopping you it’s true Panthers are really bringing it on the field and in the classroom cheers.
Next we’ll Valeria. She’s a senior marketing and international business major and the first person in her family to go to college. As a national leader in student achievement, FAU is home to award winning programs that ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed. She’s waiting at the Student Support Services Building to share her story. Valeria, you are up.
– Thanks, Alex. Hi, everyone. When I was looking at colleges, I made it my goal to find a school that supports and equips first generation students like me with the proper resources to succeed. I discovered FAU, where student retention and graduation rates aren’t impacted by things like income, first generation status, or race. Once I started at FAU, the Office of First Generation Student Success immediately connected me with a mentoring program that helped me navigate college life with someone who’s been in my shoes. They helped me get a job on campus, directed me to the career center for internship opportunities, and referred me to Owl Central to find different organizations that would allow me to grow within my field. South Florida is an economic center for the state and offers opportunities for jobs with major companies, so you don’t have to wait until summer break to get an internship. The career center taught me the importance of growing your personal brand and making yourself marketable to different companies. I was able to get an internship my freshman year with a digital marketing agency and was promoted to digital media coordinator within six months. This experience led to my current role of working in digital marketing for a software development company, all while attending FAU. The support I’ve received as a first generation student has inspired me to help other students and I became the president of First and Proud, FAU’s first gen student organization. I also served as the director for professional development for American Marketing Association, and the VP of professional activities for Delta Sigma Pi. Through these roles, I’ve been able to help students reach their full potential with the help of professional development and the right FAU resources. I am first and proud. That’s my story, now back to you, Alex.
– Wow, Valeria! I’m so impressed by the success you’ve already had in your career and your dedication to helping other first generation students thrive. It’s fitting that a school founded on the principle that higher education should be available to everyone specializes in lifting up traditionally underserved students. What a special place, thank you so much for that.
Next we’ll hear about FAU’s award winning undergraduate research program from Wayne. He’s a junior studying neuroscience and behavior and he’s doing some incredible work. We’ll meet him at FAU’s newest hub of research and inquiry, the Sandbox, a creative space for students from all disciplines to come together and actively learn about artificial intelligence. Wayne, take it away.
– Thank you, Alex. My interest in FAU started with their reputation of research, especially in the field of neuroscience. The office of undergraduate research has a dedicated group of faculty and staff dedicated to helping students along their path of becoming the next great researcher. Interested in anything other than science? Well, there’s research opportunities in every field and the office of undergraduate research is here to help. In addition to great faculty, FAU has partnered with the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and the Florida campuses are doing research, giving students a chance to work alongside world-renown scholars. I’m fortunate to be a part of two labs here at FAU, one that focuses on neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and another that focuses on evolutionary changes through genetic mutations. I love to know that my work will contribute to the growth of knowledge in our world of science. I find it important to surround myself with people that have a great work ethic and that are wise and kind enough to share their wisdom. Their advice not only helps me with my research, but also helps me in my personal growth as well. In my sophomore year, I found it in important to help people just like me. I became president of a research club named Learn, where I would help my fellow classmates get connected to their own research opportunities. And in a way, it gave me a chance to give personal life tips with the little wisdom that I have. As you can tell, research here at FAU not only gives you a space to conduct experiments, pursue a career, and make scientific advancements, but it also gives you a space to connect with great minds and like-minded people. That’s my story. Back to you, Alex.
– Thank you, Wayne! The important work you’re doing as an undergraduate student is truly exceptional, as are the connections you’ve made through FAU’s office of undergraduate research. How amazing that students in every field from the arts, to business, to science can win grants to do research, that is fantastic. Thanks again.
Next, we’re heading to meet Tyler Gleason. Tyler is a junior theater education major here at Fort Lewis College and is going to give you an overview of this college’s location here in Durango, Colorado, which let me tell you is absolutely amazing. It’s an incredible mountain town. You’re gonna wanna watch this. Tyler, you’re on, take it away.
Hello, everyone, bienvenidos. Welcome to Durango, Colorado. We are located in the Southwest part of Colorado, also known as the Four Corners. The Four Corners are where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado state corners meet. We have a lot to offer here in Durango. We have breathtaking views, restaurants, coffee shops, stores, food trucks and a diverse community that welcomes and accepts us, college students, and encourages us every single day.
One of the most well-known attractions in our town is the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This train brings so many tourists from all over the country to our small little town. The train takes passengers from our town to the neighboring city of Silverton. Durango is a quaint mountain town that was established in 1880 and has evolved since then, from being a gold and silver mining town into now what is known as a college town.
From here in the Animas River Valley to the 14,000 foot San Juan peaks, we have direct access to Colorado’s largest wilderness area. That’s why I like to call Durango a bucket list mountain town. Durango has year round festivals because we like to get outside and have fun. This includes a taste of Durango, a foodie’s dream, Durango PlayFest, the Celtic Festival and Durango Bluegrass Meltdown and Snowdown. Snowdown is our wild and entertaining festival where everyone in the town gets dressed up and competes in crazy competitions.
If you like that small mountain town film, I don’t have a better place for you. Speaking from experience, when your college is located in Durango, Colorado, all your friends and family will want to come visit you. It’s a very special place. All right, that’s enough for me, back to you, Alex.
Tyler, great job. Thank you for that. You’re a hundred percent right. Durango is truly a special place. Thanks again, cheers, Tyler.
Okay, everyone, next, we’re gonna go meet Sadie Wendt. She’s a senior and transfer student and she is incredible. And we couldn’t be more excited to have her talk about academics here at Fort Lewis. Hey Sadie, you’re on, take it away.
Hello, everyone. I am so excited to be here to talk to you all about academics here at Fort Lewis that I have found incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. There are many opportunities within the majors and programs to find your home.
There are over 50 majors to choose from, as well as minors, concentrations and certificates that you can combine to make your own. Fort Lewis offers programs in arts and humanities, science, business and education. For example, I’m a theater performance major here, but I have been involved in the music department and I’ve recently taken an interest in the education classes and programs we have here on campus.
The faculty at Fort Lewis have been incredibly welcoming and personable and I have been able to connect and make relationships with professors. Honestly, that’s something I didn’t have at my last college and something I really appreciate about Fort Lewis. The best part is the small class sizes. You really get to know your professors and your classmates. Fort Lewis’ curriculum is very engaging and I love that we as students get to experience our areas of study hands-on. We’re not just sitting in a lecture listening, we’re going out and doing.
Depending on your major, that could be teaching in a local elementary school or doing your own research in a lab. For me, it’s performing on a stage. Overall, Fort Lewis has been one of the best academic decisions that I’ve made in my life to help prepare me and support me for my future, especially the hands-on learning experience. I hope you’ve learned a little bit about the academics here at Fort Lewis. I’ve had so much fun. Back to you, Alex.
Sadie, thank you, great job. That was awesome to learn more about the academics through your personal perspective and experiences. That was great, thanks again. Bye, Sadie.
All right, everyone. Next, we’re heading to the Olin Quad where students dive deep into the university’s many engineering, and science programs. Here, we have Giulio Cristello waiting for us. A graduate of Florida Tech’s most popular major, aerospace engineering. And a current, system engineering master’s student. He’s going to talk to us about all the amazing hands-on projects Florida Tech students get to take part in. Giulio, You’re on.
Thanks, Alex. I got my start as an aerospace engineering student at Florida Tech. And now, I’m here as an alumnus pursuing my master’s degree in systems engineering. If there’s one thing you need to know about this university, is that Florida Tech, and hands-on experience, go hand in hand. Our engineering program simulates students in all sorts of environments. From the earth with civil engineering, to the with software and computer engineering. From the water with ocean engineering, to air and space with aerospace engineering. Even the human body gets worked on by biomedical engineers. We build cars, robots, rockets, aircraft, and even 3D printed body parts. And since most of the programs extend up to doctoral levels, we have access to faculty, and graduate students who are working on some really cutting edge projects.
If you choose to be an engineer like me, you start in your major of choice from day one. This means you get to put project experience on your resume, as a freshman. And that’s just the beginning. Every semester you’ll find yourself in a lab course where you learn how to put into practice the concepts you learned in class. Then of course, come senior design. Every engineering major is required to complete a senior design capstone project. Senior design is where you get to put to the test everything you’ve learned over the years. And most of this happens at the L3Harris Student Design Center.
My senior design, was called the Mars Aerial Survey System, and it was a pneumatic drone launcher for rollers on the surface of Mars. The idea behind the project is that, in the Martian atmosphere, drones would use most of their energy just in the takeoff section of their flight. So my team and I thought, instead of making the drone take off, why don’t we launch it using a piston? My teammates and I spent months coding, soldering, assembling, and testing at our bench. The hours spent learning how to manufacture parts at the machine shop, and learning how to make 3D models using CAD software, were some of the most challenging, but also most rewarding hours of my life as an undergraduate at Florida Tech.
This project, alongside all the other senior design teams during the annual Northrop Grumman Engineering and Science Student Design Showcase, was incredible. It allowed us to make incredible connections with lead engineers at Kennedy Space Center, and even Professor Andrew Aldrin, the son of famous moonwalker, Buzz Aldrin, who runs the Aldrin Space Institute at Florida Tech. As a result, almost everyone on the team graduated with a signed job contract in their hands. The presentations, the team dinners, and the tests I’ve conducted with my friends, are memories I will treasure forever.
When I first started college, I would not have imagined I would have learned so much. I receive a lot of positive feedback from recruiters because of Florida Tech. I’m not only learning those engineering and communication skills that make us stand out, but also how to enjoy my work, while working towards my dreams. Back to you, Alex.
Giulio, thank you. Great job. What you’re all getting to work on in the world of engineering, is awesome. Thanks again. Cheers, Giulio.
Next, we’re going over to the Panther Aquatic Center here on campus. Here, we’re going to meet Gennaro Zappariello, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, and also a star on Florida Tech’s rowing team. Gennaro is going to walk us through athletics here at Florida tech, and explain what panther pride is all about. Gennaro, you’re on, take it away.
Thanks, Alex. I’m here to talk about Panther Pride, and athletics. You know, it wasn’t too long ago where I was a high school athlete, thinking about taking my last strokes as an athlete. A quick email I sent to Coach Granger over the summer, rekindled my passion and love for rowing, and pushed me to pursue competing at a higher level.
This story is not uncommon at Florida Tech. A lot of our student athletes here are walk-ons to novices, and everybody’s experience is valued. Participating in collegian sports has allowed me to meet people from all over the world. I have teammates from Lithuania, Greece, and even some from right here in Melbourne. We’re a diverse group here who come together collectively to represent the Panthers. So what’s being an athlete at Florida Tech all about? As a mechanical engineering student, I’ve mastered the balancing act of a rigorous course load, and being a collegian athlete. It’s not easy, but without self-discipline, success is impossible.
For me, and a large group of students here on campus, our days begin before 6:00 a.m. It’s a great opportunity to get practice in before class, and it allows us to catch every sunrise here on the Space Coast. After practice, it’s typically a protein shake, or six eggs, Rocky style, and then it’s off to a full day’s worth of classes. I get asked a lot, “Gennaro, when do you have time to study, “or do some homework?” And I always respond with, “Your teammates are there for you, not just in competition, “they’re there for you in the classroom as well.” This is why the athletic experience at Florida Tech is like no other.
We get to excel as NCAA Division II athletes, and as students. And while I’m a little bit partial to rowing, I can confidently say among our 19 varsity sports, the other students can attest to this as well. While we’re putting in work at practice to make those three pointers, home runs, and goals, come game time, we’re also putting in the work in the classroom for when it’s game times in our career. At Florida Tech, I like to say, “You’re not an athletic student, “you’re rather a student athlete.” That’s all for me, Alex. I got to get back to practice, back to you.
Gennaro, that was great. Awesome job. Thank you for bringing us into the world of Florida Tech’s student athletes. It’s super impressive how you and your fellow panthers, balance competitive sports with extreme academics. Thanks again, that was great. Cheers, Gennaro.
Next, we’re heading over to meet Ethan Vlchek, a six foot, four, 295 pound offensive lineman and captain of the football team, who’s gonna tell us what Fort Lewis Athletics is all about. Ethan, you’re on.
What’s up, everyone. I’m here to tell you all about Fort Lewis Athletics and what we’re all about here. Now, what I’m about to say, a lot of other athletes have said before, but here it is a fact. Every single athlete here that plays at Fort Lewis College knows that there’s something special going on here. From the beautiful scenery at practice to the preparation before game day, to every single person in those stands watching us compete day in and day out and I can guarantee you, there is nothing better than when it’s crunch time and it’s all on the line.
Fourth and one on the goal, tied matching volleyball on the last set and those cyclists and runners going through the end, there is no better feeling than putting the team on our back and coming in clutch. For those of you that are curious about all the little details, Fort Lewis College is a Division II school in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference or the RMAC for short. We play teams all over the Midwest, Adams State university, Chadron State, Colorado School of Mines and New Mexico Highlands just to name a few. The only team that operates a little bit outside the RMAC is our cycling team. They compete in the USA Division I program and they have a ton of championships to boot ’cause we’re that good.
Now, in the day to day, I’ma be real with you. It gets pretty tough being a student athlete here. The way it was put to me was growing up, you now have two jobs. You are a full-time student and a full-time athlete and you gotta find a way to make it work. And they weren’t kidding about that either. So, a lot of these people come in thinking they’re gonna be great and amazing. And then, they get hit by a truck the first time that they go through with it. But if you’re like me, it’s a blessing in disguise. A lot of us figure out who we are as a person, what we wanna do and what we can figure out in the classroom as well.
Now, when I first came home from my first semester of being a football player, my folks didn’t even recognize me. When I left, I’d struggled with my weight, my time management and I could barely communicate in severe fashion to anybody. But then when I came back, I figured it all out. I dropped 20 pounds, I was able to manage my time properly and I was able to say what I really thought to my parents. It was kinda funny ’cause they looked at me and they just went, “Where’s Ethan and what did you do with him?” I know what some of you guys are thinking, this is great and all, but I’m not a student athlete. This next little bit is just for you.
There are tons of things that you can do to help support your student athletes, such as going to the games, get fired up for those rallies. Every single athlete loves having you. We all want you to be there every single time we compete. And I’m gonna be honest, in the stands, it is an absolute blast. Every chance I get, I go to a basketball game, a volleyball game or another type of athletic event and it is no doubt some of the most fun I’ve had in college. There’s always gonna be something to do from an athletic standpoint so you can always support your Skyhawks. And that’s Fort Lewis Athletics in a nutshell. Go Skyhawks, talons up. Back to you, Alex.
Ethan, your energy and excitement for athletics at the Fort here is contagious. Great job. I wanna go back to college and play sports right here. That was awesome, thanks again.
All right everyone, now we’re gonna go head over and see where Panthers live, and meet Delaney. She lives and works on campus while studying neuroscience based life coaching. Delaney can’t wait to tell you about all the opportunities to get involved at FIU. You’ll need some coffee or cafecito as they call it around here to keep up with her and her fellow Panthers. Take it away Delaney.
Thanks Alex, and hey everybody, my name is Delaney Dockstader. I’m gonna do the best I can to give you a true look inside the FIU culture. Here we’re all about diversity, hence our name Florida International University. Our campuses have students and professors from all over the world. Just imagine where you can learn outside of the classroom, just by getting involved on campus. That’s why it’s so important to get yourself out there and get going on professional relationships and start finding your lifelong friends, because those are gonna be the people that suit you best for your future. Your drive to connect with people on top of your academic devotion, will set you up for the greatest thing success can bring. So I encourage you, but really I challenge you to get the heck out there, go to the pool, go play some volleyball with your friends, ask professors to have lunch with you, and don’t ever forget about having fun. Head over to the recreation center because when you do visit, you’re gonna see why it’s everyone’s favorite place on campus. We have all sorts of activities from Kendo, to badminton, fencing, to archery, to special Olympics practices, we have it all go get in on that. Now lemme tell you a little bit about what I do every morning. Do my federal work study job, I’m an assistant athletic trainer. And when I first started I’d stay hours after work every day getting the therapies down. The why, the when, the how, the who should and shouldn’t receive the treatment. Fast forward a couple of months and here I am administering all sorts of therapies from cryotherapy to cupping, to electrical stimulation, to compression units on a daily basis. These are the types of experiences you gain here from FIU. And trust me strive for those internships in research labs, because our school is classified as R1 by Carnegie, which means it has some of the highest research activity in community engagement in the country. Right now I’m applying for my second round to the neurocircuitry in cognition lab here on campus. And I am so excited to connect with the researchers, and stay tuned because big things are happening and I can’t wait to see you here doing your thing too. So peace out, go Panthers and back to you Alex.
Wow, this is definitely a vibrant university for a vibrant city. Thank you Delaney, it’s great to see you bring that energy to the research lab, take care.