Gia Levis describes her biggest passions as: serving people and making people happy. When she shared these interests with a recruiter at a job fair in high school, they suggested she consider a career in the hospitality industry. Now, as a senior in the Hospitality and Tourism Management program at York College, Levis has a new passion to add to her list: travel.
From a month-long internship in the United Arab Emirates to a five-month semester in Austria, Levis has taken full advantage of the travel opportunities available to York College students. These experiences have helped Levis identify the aspects of the industry that appeal most to her, while helping her grow as a person.
Internship in Dubai
All Hospitality and Tourism Management students are required to complete three internships. Levis’s first internship was at a country club in her hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Her second internship turned out to be almost as far from home as it gets: Dubai.
“There was an alumnus who was very generous and wanted to give back to our program. He sent four hospitality students to Dubai for a month,” said Levis. “There was a really long interview process and I ended up getting really lucky because I got chosen to go there. It was such an amazing experience.”
Traveling to Dubai was Levis’ first time leaving the U.S. She described her hostess job at SUSHISAMBA Dubai as challenging and exciting. It provided her first glimpse of cultural differences while boosting her résumé with work experience at a highly ranked restaurant in one of the world’s top tourist destinations.
Ten Days in Greece
The Graham Collaborative Innovation Fellowship is part of The Honors Program at York College and offers eligible students opportunities to fund travel experiences. Levis participated in a ten-day trip to Greece with several other Graham Fellows, two scholar alumni, and three faculty involved in the scholar program.
They explored Chania, Crete before going to Athens, where they saw the Acropolis.
"Being part of the Graham program meant I received funding to be a part of a unique opportunity that I would’ve never had on my own,” said Levis. “Partnering with a college in Greece was the first time I made friendships with international students my age. I even had the privilege to travel with a friend I made in Greece when I was studying in Austria!”
Semester in Kufstein, Austria
Regardless of major, York College students are encouraged to take advantage of study abroad programs that can broaden perspectives and build cross-cultural skills. Levis spent a semester in Kufstein, Austria, where she took seven business courses over five months alongside other college students from around the globe.
“I met people from all different countries,” Levis said. “I have friends all over the world now—Canada, Mexico, Finland, Spain, Turkey, Germany, Austria—I have an insane network of friends all over the world, which is so cool to be able to say. What a blessing but also what a curse because I know and love people who are so far away from me now. It’s hard in a way, but what an opportunity!”
Out of the 50 international students in the program, Levis was the only one from the U.S. “It forced me to not gravitate towards anyone so I got to genuinely make friends with people who are completely different from me in a lot of ways.”
Discovering Career Goals
During her semester abroad, Levis coordinated her own excursions throughout central Europe via the train system and booked flights to the U.K. once her courses ended. She visited nine countries in total. She also arranged for her parents to visit her for two weeks while she was abroad.
Levis explained, “It was kind of like being a travel advisor because, from the day they came to the day they left, I did everything for them. It was really cool and special—it was their first time leaving the country. We went to four different countries and I really was their tour guide. I got them on and off every public transport, I booked all of our trains, I got us to and from our hotels or Airbnbs and I loved it. It was so fun doing that for them and I could definitely see myself doing that long term. So right now, I’m definitely searching for something similar to that—applying for a travel agency or anything like that.”
“I realized that I had a huge passion for travel planning, for myself but also for other people.”
- Gia Levis, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Class of 2024
Personal Growth
In addition to the business course material and cultural awareness Levis learned while traveling, she described personal growth and stress management as some of the most valuable skills she acquired during her time abroad.
“I learned how to manage stress more than I ever could have learned here,” she said. “Before studying abroad, I was not very good at handling stress—I wouldn’t use my problem-solving skills as fast. Being able to talk to a stranger and ask for help is something I’ve always struggled with. I got really good at doing that because when you’re alone, you have no one else to rely on, so you have to do it, or you’re never going to get an answer. So I learned how to be insanely independent, I learned stress management and how to fix my own mistakes.”
Advantages of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Major
Part of why the Hospitality and Tourism Management program appealed to Levis is that it offers so many avenues to choose from. “Anything that makes an experience for a person is hospitality,” she said. “You can do anything in hotels, restaurants, cruise lines, casinos, clubs, events, tourism, travel agencies—all the choices can become overwhelming. But the program is training you to become a leader. It gives a practical, well-rounded perspective of the business world.”
In addition to the broad range of potential career outcomes, Levis was drawn to York College’s hospitality program because of the tight-knit community.
“Hospitality and Tourism is such a fun major—definitely underrated,” said Levis. “I don’t think enough people know about it. It’s very small—you get a personalized experience. You get to know your classmates and professors really well. That was really important to me when choosing a college. I wanted a classroom where I knew people’s faces and they knew mine and I could talk to my professors like they’re a friend or a family member. In a way, they truly do become like family—you spend so much time with them, and you look up to them so much.”
Levis graduated from York College in December. If she doesn’t take on travel-related work after college, she may also pursue a career in wedding or event planning.
