Page 17 - ARUBA TODAY

A17
Monday 15 January 2018

Hotel Hustle

Column by: Shanella Pantophlet

Educating the future

Growing up my mother tried her very best to get my brother and I to go into
the field of teaching. Obviously she had no luck, with me being in hospitality
and my brother working in finance. However, before you feel too bad for her,
she did get her wish in a way for at least one of us to be a teacher.

One of the most important parts of an education in the hospitality sector
is the internship process. During my time as a student at EPI hotel & tourism
sector, I had to do two internships, both for the experience it would provide
me and to further my personal growth and focus as to where I felt I would be
best suited working in a hotel. Needless to say, as much as I love to cook, the
kitchen was not for me, but front desk and reservations definitely are where
I felt at home.

In the years since I started my working career we’ve had quite a few interns come through from different levels of schooling. It’s fascinating to
me to interact with them and get their opinions and see them growing during their time with us. I know some of my colleagues may not be as
enthusiastic about it as I am, but I’ve discovered that I love having an intern and teaching them about the business that I love. (See my mother
got her wish in a way!)

In my opinion with tourism being as important as it is to the local economy it is vital for those of us already in the work force to take on the role as
educators to a younger generation. Aruba’s illustrious reputation as being “One Happy Island” hangs on our future generations and what they
learn from us. In my own experiences I’ve had people pass off grunt work, not explain the workings of a resort or the importance and impact
of their job in the grander scale. It can be demotivating to someone who comes in fresh and ready to learn and grow and it’s for that reason
I try to teach those coming into my department as much as I can, while also letting them have their own input.

As members of the current workforce we are their teachers, but we must also be willing to learn from them as well. The ideas and the questions
that some of these students come up with really tend to make you see the way you work in a different light. Allowing them independence to
challenge you and ask questions and fully experience hospitality is a benefit to them, to you and to your resort as a whole.

I know that many of my colleagues in the hospitality business may see students as a nuisance or a threat to them and their job security, but
they really aren’t. The goal of an internship is really to show the complexity of the work we do and have them understand how important their
impact is on the experiences of visitors to our Island. The sustainability of the Aruban tourism industry is dependent on hospitality students and
the people who guide them during their internship, it’s a responsibility we should all take great pride in. So the next time you get an intern, re-
member to go forth and teach!q

Aruban born and bred Shanella Pantophlet is passionate about tourism. That is the world she studied and works in, so we might as well
call her a specialist. Luckily for Aruba Today Shanella also loves to write. And together with the fact that the majority of our readers are
tourists, we found ourselves a perfect combination for a column: Hotel Hustle.