Hatshepsut Mahdee

de•sire: a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen.

I grew up in a household where going to college was never an option but a requirement. Sounds simple enough but has proven otherwise especially when you have big shoes to fill. My father, a graduate of Clarion University with a degree in Accounting and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, is the director of the South East Region of the Department of Labor. My mother, a graduate of Temple University with a degree in English, ultimately ending up in sales working for Altria, the parent company of Phillip Morris, as a District Sales Manager.

I began my undergraduate journey at Tuskegee University in the fall of 2008; majoring in Hospitality and Tourism Management. While attending Tuskegee, I began to build and apply my knowledge of the hospitality industry by obtaining an internship with Marriott International as well as working part time for Marriott thereafter. It was not until extra-curricular life began to take over my academic life that I became discouraged. Mid fall semester of my junior year, I unenrolled myself from the University, prior to my parents’ knowledge, and moved back home.

But this time was not wasted. I worked full time at the Crabtree Valley Marriott as a Guest Service Representative. While this was not the job I wanted, it still afforded me the opportunity to gain much need experience in the hospitality industry while instilling the importance of earning a college degree. As time rolled on, the desire to earn my undergraduate degree returned. One evening after a particularly stressful day at work, I flipped open my laptop and googled, “North Carolina colleges with Hospitality programs.” NCCU automatically stood out since it was an HBCU. That day, I filled out my fasfa and application and began the process of becoming a transfer student. From there on everything fell into place. I was accepted into the University and was able to keep a large majority of my credits from Tuskegee. In addition, I qualified for Pell Grants and financial aid that pays the entirety of my tuition.

Two years later, I am proud to stay I am a rising senior, graduating May 2015 with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. My goal upon graduation is to have been accepted into Marriott’s Manager in Training program.