Essays

MUDASSER HANLEY, Nevis
General Academic Scholar 2009
I would like to express my profound gratitude to the CHTA Educational Foundation for selecting me as one of the scholarship recipients for 2009. I applied to the foundation for financial aid in order to help facilitate the pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel and Resort Administration at the Southern New Hampshire University.

Being from a small developing Caribbean nation, it can be quite challenging to achieve success with the limited resources and opportunities that exist. This is one main reason why I sought financial aid. It would help me to complete my education in a reasonable time without the distractions of having to stop, pause or restart due to insufficient funding. Another reason why I applied for this scholarship is because it will also help me to remain motivated, disciplined and committed, since being a scholarship recipient I would be looked upon as an ambassador for my country & my sponsor. In addition, my success would highlight the ability of Caribbean nationals to excel to the highest levels within the hospitality and tourism industry.

I would like to assure everyone involved that my sponsorship has been and will continue to be a worthwhile investment. The 14-month program that I am currently pursuing at the Southern New Hampshire University is designed for persons who have previously completed 90 credits of course work in the Hospitality or Tourism field at an accredited institute. I had completed an Associate Degree program at the Trinidad & Tobago Hospitality & Tourism Institute 2 weeks prior to transferring to the Bachelor program in New Hampshire which commenced on June 20th 2009. I will be back in Trinidad during November 2009 to celebrate graduating as the top student in my previous program (Hospitality Management).

While in New Hampshire I have built on the industry principles that I learnt in Trinidad and expanded my knowledge through rigorous coursework, team projects and interaction with the future hospitality and tourism leaders from many diverse cultures and areas of the world. I have been fortunate to form new friendships, interact with and share ideas with classmates and future colleagues from Indonesia, Peru, Canada, China, The United Sates, Nigeria, Cameroon and close neighbors Trinidad and Jamaica.

I have learned how to begin applying my previously acquired knowledge to tourism and hospitality on an international scale through courses like sales management, finance management, business communication, economics, psychology, consumer behavior, strategic management, legal issues within the industry, resort development and management, hospitality and tourism management and much more. The faculty and staff of the university are highly qualified in their respective fields and are highly motivated to ensure the success of the students; my fellow students and I are just as motivated to succeed as they are to see us learn. This makes for a perfect learning environment. Apart from academics, the program also stresses the importance of punctuality, integrity, attitude and professionalism, traits that are essential for the survival of any hospitality based organization.

In October / November 2009 I was on internship at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel after having completed the 1st half of the program and I have been fortunate enough to be one of the few students that were named to the President’s list for this year. Working at the Marriott has been a remarkable experience thus far.

The hotel is one of the largest in the city at 1329 rooms, the city is one of history and fun loving people and I have been showcasing my newly acquired knowledge and skills within the housekeeping department.

After 3 weeks as Rooms Supervisor I was given the opportunity to manage the evening shift. This has greatly developed my interpersonal skills, my judgment and leadership abilities since I am solely responsible for all aspects of the housekeeping operation during that period. I have been able to use my judgment to resolve guest issues that may arise by reading body language and applying conflict resolution techniques learned in training. I also communicate, plan and interact with other departments on a management level. Overall I have learned how to manage the key areas of the housekeeping operation as well as the importance of effective communication & planning with various departments to ensure that all guest needs are met.

It is my intention to use my acquired skills, knowledge and experiences to make a significant contribution towards the development of the hospitality & tourism product on my island of Nevis.

Areas such as sport tourism, cruise tourism, hospitality management and marketing are in need of fresh ideas in order to develop new techniques for attracting high end hospitality providers.

Also, my aim is to apply the international core principles and techniques of hospitality and tourism management to an Island setting and help provide leadership with regard to the management of high end hospitality organizations and to the continued growth and development of tourism within the Caribbean region


Written by
Mudasser Hanley

A brief update!
Things are going very well ........I am currently on internship at the New Orleans Marriott. The people at the hotel are very helpful and the city is great!

New Hampshire University is great also .........I made the presidents list this semester so I'm very motivated to keep doing well.

Thanks CHTAEF and for your personal encouragement


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