妮可·斯科特从小就在蒙哥马利郡的兰斯代尔长大，她 recalled loving the outdoors. She thought that one day, 她对自然世界的喜爱会转化成某种事业. 当 她于2018年开始上大学，她的愿景正在走上正轨，但事情并没有成功 out with her chosen major as she had hoped.  

 

“我大一学的是生物专业，并不觉得这是我的使命。” Scott 说, after taking some classes.  

 

她决定离开大学，在进入蒙哥马利县大学之前休一年假 Community College in 2019. However, she was still undecided about a goal for her professional 未来. 

 

“我在冰球突破豪华版待了一个学期，不知道自己想做什么，”她说.  

 

感到有些漫无目的，斯科特遇到了MCCC的一位顾问，他建议她参加 旅游与酒店管理导论，由Shawn Murray教授，酒店管理 Assistant Professor.  

 

“上完默里教授的那门课后，我把专业转到了 旅游 and Hospitality Management Program," she 说.  

 

Next, she took a Sustainable Hospitality and 旅游 Managment course, 还有默里教授，这帮助她确定了对酒店管理学位的兴趣.  

 

“它结合了环境科学和酒店管理，这是我的两条轨道 wanted to do, and they aligned so well,” she 说.  

 

上课后，她对完成必修课程有了新的热情 to get her associate’s degree in 旅游 and Hospitality Management. Scott shares 全球可持续旅游的焦点让她如此热情.  

 

“这与第三世界国家的许多海滩目的地和地方有关 -发展程度不足以满足旅游业需求的地区; so it is not helping but hindering it,” she 说. “There is always a need for sustainability to help solve their issues, so that it’s not invasive.” 

 

在2021年从MCCC毕业后，Scott完成了她的旅游和酒店管理专业 internship at Yellowstone National Park in food and beverage. Murray helped her get the internship through a relationship he has with Yellowstone.  

 

在过去的三年里，八名中冶旅游与酒店管理专业的学生 我充分利用了这种关系，并获得了很棒的经历，”穆雷 说.  

 

Scott shared some highlights from her experience in working there.  

 

“我是一名办公室助理，我交了很多真正的好朋友，这是其中之一 of my favorite summers,” she 说.  

 

MCCC created the foundation for her next degree  

The following fall of that year she transferred to 佛罗里达国际大学卓别林旅游与酒店管理学院 来攻读全球可持续发展学院提供的新学士学位 旅游.  

 

“我将成为第一个获得全球可持续旅游学位的毕业生 她说，并补充说，目前还有其他人在入学 in the program won’t be graduating until the fall.  

 

穆雷讨论了像妮可这样想要转学的大学生 去旅游领域顶尖的四年制大学，可以受益于周围的环境 FIU has to offer.  

 

“迈阿密的佛罗里达国际大学提供了一个很好的学习背景 在可持续旅游和旅游业中探索这种多样化的生态系统和生物多样性， which she has taken advantage of,” he 说.  

 

斯科特现在是北迈阿密的居民，她回忆说，中冶集团是多么适合她 after graduating from high school. 

 

“我没有分清轻重缓急，他们也在意我是否坐在椅子上 that day and if I was doing well in my classes,” she 说. “I felt like I needed that as someone young coming right out of high school.” 

 

如今，她是FIU 58,000多名学生中的一员，她是FIU的荣誉 roll student, the recipient of a South Beach Wine & Food Festival scholarship and 在大学的刊物上刊登了关于前沿领域的文章 of sustainable tourism. Now in her final year as a senior, Scott works two part-time 工作.  

 

“第一家是Hillstone餐厅集团，我在那里当服务员 在奥莱塔河州立公园，我是一名生态和自然导游和活动专家，” she 说.  

Scott’s roommate at FIU, Briana Napoli, also is a former MCCC 旅游 & Hospitality Management graduate.  

 

“我们真的是好朋友，我们已经在一起住了快一年了。” she 说.  

去年夏天，斯科特通过她参加了一个在意大利的留学项目 在FIU的学术课程中，她专注于意大利文化和语言.

  

“My dad’s side of the family is from Southern Italy,” she 说. “I wanted to see where 我的根来自这里，我在这里做我的工作，但我经历了不同的文化.” 

 

7月份，她在意大利萨莱诺学院学习，并前往 many different regions. 

 

“We ate at hundreds of restaurants,” she 说. “It was a really cool experience, and I felt like I experienced hospitality from their perspective.” 

 

International study abroad program  

 

这个月，斯科特将参加第二个国际留学项目 called Hospitality at Sea. It is a 14-day sustainable tourism course hosted on a real-life cruise ship.  

 

“这门课程探索了智利、阿根廷和乌拉圭等南美地区。” she 说. “我们将进行骑马、徒步旅行和皮划艇等活动. 我们还将探索不同的地区，看看他们如何管理旅游业，使其积极发展 benefits the economy and the environment.” 

 

穆雷说，妮可的所有成就都对其他人产生了积极的影响 pursuing the field of sustainable tourism.  

 

“妮可是一位了不起的领导者，她正在为当前的旅游业创造蓝图 and Hospitality Management students to follow,” he 说. “I am so proud of how she 一直在指导MCCC旅游专业的学生并亲自帮助我吗 continue to foster our partnership with Florida International University.”   

 

目前，斯科特不确定她毕业后的未来是什么， but she is open to travel and working in different countries. She is looking at positions in Hawaii and other beach regions craving sustainability.  

 

“I’m excited to graduate,” she 说. “Sustainable tourism is such a new industry, and I feel like I’m at the forefront of it. I’m very excited to see what happens.”