The following are responses from Laniel Smith, a 2006 graduate of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Where do you work and what’s your current position?

I’m the owner of Marion Street Eatery.

What are some career steps you’ve taken since graduating from Red River College?

I have never gone a day of my working life without working within the service industry. I’ve worn many hats within the industry starting as a line cook and dishwasher at the local ski hill.  I grew up in the service industry as my family has owned and operated the Marion Hotel since 1984.

I am a graduate of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program, 2006. Throughout my time at the College, I competed in the Canadian Skills completion for two years placing third at the 13th annual Canadian Skills competition (volunteered for two years after graduating).

First co-op, and where I continued to work throughout my time at the College, was at Amici/Bombellini/Amici catering where I gained knowledge in the fine dining experience – here I was restaurant busser and dishwasher, catering server and assistant to a server.

After graduation I went on to work at Bergmanns on Lombard which specializes in serving the finest food catering experiences and event planning. I started as banquet server setting up and serving private events eventually moving into a lead role as front of House manager. This position taught me how to offer guests the hospitality experience and gave me the opportunity to work alongside the incredibly talented David Bergmann and his culinary team to create unique and memorable dining experiences.

Afterwards, I took to my current and most rewarding role in the family business at the Marion Hotel in 2011.

In 2014, I had the opportunity to pursue one of my ultimate life goals of opening a restaurant – an achievement I still am grateful to get to enjoy everyday. The Marion Street Eatery – a neighbourhood food spot serving up good food made simple.   The eatery was opened alongside my most cherished friend, business partner, Red River College Culinary Arts grad and now RRC School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts instructor Melissa Hryb.

In 2018, we recently appointed past RRC graduates Camila Gamboa and Hayley McMurray to operate and run the Eatery. I have since chosen to take on a larger role as General Manager of the Marion Hotel (where I learn something new everyday). The Marion Hotel is a local institution and community hotel which I operate alongside my sister Milanne, graduate of the RRC Business Development program, and father Doug.

What’s a highlight of your professional life after graduation?

The highlight of my post graduate career lies in the eyes of our employees and our regular customers at the Hotel and Eatery. I love developing and building relationships, I love good food and I love making people happy. This community continues to ignite my passion for the industry.

I am a proud member of Manitoba’s hospitality industry. The RRC Hospitality and Tourism program has made an impact on my life – the skills I learnt and the connections I made gave me the confidence to take on and make a mark on my own personal career.  The College gave me confidence through knowledge and it taught me that my own dedication is my own destiny.  The College taught me to set high standards for myself, and to those I employ, and taught me to bring true professionalism to my endeavours.

How did your time at Red River College help you achieve your goals?

Since graduating, I continue to challenge myself through personal and professional development programs and lots of community involvement. I choose to always stay connected and to stay involved – I will forever be thankful to Red River College as they gave me my foundation and I am now responsible for its success.

I will continue to be passionate, I will continue to work hard and to empower those within our industry. I will continue to be creative, different and unique and I believe that great things start at Red River College.

The following are responses from Jennifer Thompson, a 2009 graduate of Tourism Management.

Where do you work and what’s your current position?

I’m the Director of Events and Catering at the Winnipeg Football Club.

What are three career steps you’ve taken since graduating from Red River College?

1. Upon completing the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at Red River College, I applied and took a position with Walt Disney World as a Cultural Representative at the Canadian Pavilion in Epcot. This was a one-year position based on the type of US work visa that I had.
2. Following my position with Walt Disney World, I had a desire to remain with the company and applied for a position with Disney Cruise Lines. Upon being hired with Disney Cruise Lines I started as a Guest Services Representative and was rapidly promoted working in positions as Guest Service Systems Coordinator, Groups and Events Manager, Guest Relations Manager and Concierge Manager.
3. Upon leaving Disney Cruise Lines, I spent a few months in South Africa before returning home where I was hired with the Winnipeg Football Club as a Catering and Events Manager. Approaching nearly five years with the Winnipeg Football Club, my role has changed and expanded significantly to where I am currently the Director of Events and Catering, managing such areas as stadium events, catering, premium game day service, community relations, game day entertainment and halftime.

What’s a highlight of your professional life after graduation?

A highlight was my time with Disney Cruise Lines. When I first started with them, I was out of my comfort zone doing something completely foreign and new to me. I quickly fell in love with working on cruise ships. I loved working for an amazing company who taught me so much and what customer service really is and I cherish the time with them that allowed me to travel and see the world.

How did your time at Red River College help you achieve your goals?

Above anything else, I think that the program gave me confidence. Through the classes, it gave me the knowledge to feel confident in my abilities, and what I could bring to the industry.

The following are responses from Jamie Kerslake, a 2009 graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Where do you work and what’s your current position?

I’m the Lead Planner with Madeline’s Weddings & Events.

What are three career steps you’ve taken since graduating from Red River College?

1. Took the Wedding Planning Institute of Canada course to become a Certified Planner.
2. I continued working at Bridge’s Golf Course (where I did my co-op) and familiarized myself with all of the décor and planners in the city to determine who I wanted to apply for .
3. I approached Madeline’s Weddings & Events and was hired based off the experience they had with me at Bridges.

What’s a highlight of your professional life after graduation?

Madeline’s Weddings & Events was nominated for and won the top choice award for Event Planner of the Year! This award is voted on by our industry peers and past clients, so it felt amazing to be not only be nominated but to also win!

How did your time at Red River College help you achieve your goals?

I use the skills I attained in school on a regular basis! I was hired at Bridge’s Golf Course because of my serving and bartending skills and I was promoted there because of my leadership skills. I was promoted at Madeline’s Weddings from Assistant Coordinator to Lead Coordinator within my first season because I had the knowledge and skills to troubleshoot & stay calm in a stressful situation and speak confidently and give direction to a group of people. All of these skills I learned or mastered during my time at Red River College.

The following are responses from Hayley McMurray, a 2014 graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Where do you work and what’s your current position?

I’m the Front of House Manager at Marion Street Eatery.

What are three career steps you’ve taken since graduating from Red River College?

1. My first big career step was accepting a position at Walt Disney World for my second co-op program. I grew as a server in a fine dining restaurant, plus was encouraged to think outside of the box when it came to “creating magical moments” for guests.
2. My second step was accepting my first managerial position at Marion Street Eatery. The Eatery was the perfect place to take this step as it was run by two strong females who also attended to Red River College and were willing to help me learn. The Eatery is all about providing comfort to guests and I’ve immensely enjoyed being in this type of setting. Being a smaller company, I get to really connect with the tight-knit staff and take on a lot of different responsibilities.
3. The third step would be the continued education I have done with Manitoba Tourism Education Council. I’ve been able to take away lessons from each class there and apply them to my position within the Eatery.

What’s a highlight of your professional life after graduation?

My biggest highlight is gaining the manager position at Marion Street Eatery. I never expected to get into a manager role as soon as I did after school. I was very appreciative to have gotten the chance to grow and prove myself as a leader. Plus, it’s a very positive work environment.

How did your time at Red River College help you achieve your goals?

Of course everything I learnt from all of my classes and instructors at the College has helped me move forward in my career. But the biggest aid I’ve gotten from the school is through the networking they provide. My goal of becoming a manager came faster than expected as it was an instructor who got me the interview with Marion Street Eatery, and I’m forever grateful! Also, by still keeping in touch with RRC now, I fell I still get to network and connect with multiple people in the industry. The College itself creates a great community.

The following are responses from Crystal Seman, a 2010 graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Where do you work and what’s your current position?

I’m the Sales Administrator for Tourism Winnipeg, a division of Economic Development Winnipeg.

What are three career steps you’ve taken since graduating from Red River College?

1. The skill set from experience and the hands-on education I received from RRC allowed me to excel by advancing in my first job after graduation to a newly created position that encompassed social media and online reputation management. I quickly began to manage the hotel’s online reputation through channels such as TripAdvisor and other online booking and review sites. My work in this area created a voice for my employer to be able to respond to and manage online reviews, increasing our online hotel rating across many platforms and applications.
   Completed three month Hotel Revenue Management Certificate program through eCornell (Cornell University’s online platform).
2. I was selected to be part of the brand’s national revenue management team for Catering Services, reporting on and assisting the Director of Conference Services and the Catering team to meet and exceed revenue goals while consistently placing top five properties in the company for forecast accuracy.
3. Moving to Tourism Winnipeg, I am able to put my experience and education to work again as I support our Sales Team in attracting large conventions and special events to the city. Having the hospitality and revenue management experience I am a strong asset to Economic Development Winnipeg  in supporting not only our sales and management teams, but also our local members and partners.

What’s a highlight of your professional life after graduation?

Working at our city’s DMO and having the ability to advocate for and liaison with the local tourism industry. Working with previous employers and my own industry mentors together to promote our city and our tourism assets to clients around the world.

How did your time at Red River College help you achieve your goals?

I started my education at RRC as a mature student. The level of professional education, mentorship, and support far exceeded my high expectations. The instructors are truly experts in their field, they all have real-life experience on top of their teaching backgrounds. Many were also graduates of the very same program, which shows the success of the program has not only been long standing, but the passion and life-long dedication to learning has brought these industry professionals back to Red River College.

Hospitality started as an interest for me and Red River College gave me the foundation to grow from. Hospitality has become a true passion of mine and I attribute that to the strong start I received at Red River College. Now working at our city’s destination marketing organization, I could not think of a more fitting position for me to use my skills, education, and experience to play a crucial part in promoting our city to increase visitation, develop long-term tourism strategies, and support our local tourism industry.

The following are responses from Carson Robertson, a 2011 graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Where do you work and what’s your current position?

I’m an Account Executive for Marriott Canada Account Sales.

What are three career steps you’ve taken since graduating from Red River College?

1. Once I received the two-year diploma from Red River College I decided to continue my education at Ryerson University in Hospitality and Business Management – Graduated from Ryerson in June 2013.
2. Six months after graduating I received a job as a Sales Coordinator at Starwood Hotels in the sales cluster office which looked after four Toronto-based properties. Within three years, I had moved from coordinator to Sales Specialist to then Sales Manager!
3. In 2017, the Marriott/Starwood merger went through and I had the amazing opportunity to move to the Canadian Marriott Sales Office in Toronto, now selling seven properties across downtown Toronto! After eight months, I moved into my current position looking after over 40 accounts for our Marriott Hotels across Canada.

What’s a highlight of your professional life after graduation?

When I graduated from Red River College in 2013, I had described my ideal future job to my teachers, which was a position in sales and the position I have now is exactly what I described. Looking back at my ‘short’ time in the hospitality industry, I am so proud of where I am now.

How did your time at Red River College help you achieve your goals?

Red River College was a vital step to get me to where I am now. The unique Hospitality/Tourism program they offered sparked my love for hospitality and set me on a path for success. Their partnership with other universities allowed me to continue my education and follow my career goals.

The biggest thing I learned in the Business Administration program wasn’t any one particular course or skill. It wasn’t economics or digital marketing or consumer behaviour. Rather, my biggest takeaway was learning a business mindset.

Through real world experiences, challenging problems to solve, teamwork, and personal instruction, I found myself building a foundation. I began forming an attitude that looks for opportunities, gathers resources, mobilizes others, and takes action—even when results aren’t guaranteed. This was especially true in the entrepreneurship course, where I helped to lead a team in creating a business plan from start to finish.

The real test, however, was to see if this newly acquired business mindset would work in the outside world. I’m thankful that it did, as I started a dream job in my field just three days after taking my final exam. This foundation built at Red River College enabled me to start off strong in the workplace, and it’s been serving me well since then.

To any prospective business student, I encourage you to jump into the program with both feet. Dig in and make the most of your experiences, the wisdom of your instructors, and the opportunities you’re given. This season of learning is just the beginning for you.

My name is Stephany Opyc and if I were asked to describe my two-year journey through the Business Administration program in one word, it would be, ‘success.’ Graduating in the Spring of 2019 with honors through the Marketing stream wasn’t my only success story. From becoming a successful tutor in Business Computing to working on a marketing communications proposal through the Applied Projects course, my stay at Red River College was more than just graduating with a diploma.

The classrooms at the Notre Dame Campus were full of relevant and current material that I now use every day in my current marketing position. While the course material and textbooks have provided me with a great deal of my business knowledge, the credit must also be shared with my amazing instructors at the College. These instructors are more than teachers, but mentors who coached, educated, and taught me course material. In fact, some of the most valuable lessons I took away from RRC were taught under Harv Mock and Janine Carmichael, two very passionate and knowledgeable instructors who made a very positive impact on me, in more ways than one, during my stay.

Some of the most memorable and largest takeaways were through the opportunities provided outside the classroom. One of which that was particularly influential was through the Business Solutions Team. This applied learning volunteer program allowed me to take the textbook knowledge that I gained from the classroom and apply it to real-world situations. Our incredible team of 10 developed a comprehensive business plan for a group of Manitoba investors and was the best experience I was proud to be apart of at the college. Additionally, the reference letter from the investors made a strong influence on the hiring decision of my current employer.

My Journey at Red River College has been one of the best decisions I have made for myself as a growing individual and I am proud to be a graduate of the program. I have learned a great deal from all my courses and my instructors; however, the additional opportunities offered outside the classroom were some of the best learning experiences I was honored to be apart of. If you are considering taking the Business Administration program, remember that it is more than just a diploma, it is a success story.

I graduated the Business Administration Diploma Program as a Financial Services Major at Red River College in 2018. Currently, I am a Collections Contact Officer with the Canada Revenue Agency.

My time at Red River College helped me achieve my goals through the vast opportunities you are exposed to, including a direct path to my current career. You will receive a well-rounded education, gain knowledge that will help you in your career and everyday life, and cultivate valuable networking opportunities.

The instructors were hands down the most influential part of my college experience. Having someone teach the courses that has come from the industry allowed us to gain first-hand knowledge that was actually useful. The instructors were candid, intelligent, and overall great people. I attribute a lot of my success to the wonderful people who raised us for those two years.

Two experiences at the College that stand out most for me are the CIFP Case Challenge and the First Impressions Recruitment Event. I participated in and led the first-ever RRC team for the CIFP Case Challenge. We flew to Calgary to compete in the West and won against Universities that had been studying finance for a year longer than us. Winning that competition got us an all-expense paid trip to Halifax to compete nationally. It was an experience that I will never forget and has allowed me to excel in my career that I likely would not have without the First Impression Recruitment Event. The “F.I.R.E.” was essentially speed-dating but with potential employers. I had eight 12-minute interviews in one day with various banks, insurance companies, and the Government. I had my first interview with the CRA through the F.I.R.E. which led me to the job I’m in today.

College wasn’t all about academics for me. I participated in every volunteer opportunity available, such as the RRC Food Bank, Research and Innovation Day, Business Technology Management Talent Mash, and the Intercultural Mentorship program. I was also a tutor and First Year Student Mentor and sat on the Student’s Association Board. Volunteering not only looks great on a resume and scholarship applications, but it was rewarding in many other ways.

My advice to those considering this program: Do it. It’s an incredible experience that has set me up for life. Ensure that you get involved with the College and your campus and you will gain experiences and friends for life.

I graduated from the Red River College Business Administration program in the Spring of 2019. What struck me most during my time there was how practical and all-encompassing the program was. Having an interest in people and commerce, I am thankful to have been a part of a program which guided me through a wide range of curriculum, assignments and presentations.

There is something to be said for the small class sizes and instructors that know you by name. The program takes a holistic approach to applied training and education that helped me find and develop my interests and pushed me to excel.

Events like the Directions Business Conference and First Impressions Recruitment Event (FIRE) offer a great chance to meet fellow students, cultivate relationships with local professionals and develop rapport with potential employers. I was lucky enough to have met my future recruiter at the Directions Conference through an instructor I had in my first year of classes. I would recommend taking up any chance you have to “shake a hand” (or bump an elbow…) to build your network. Most importantly, if you are curious about how someone got to where they are now – ASK! The world is a kind and giving place and those within the RRC Alumni/business community are always willing to help.

My one piece of advice to new students would be to extend yourself. Get out of your comfort zone and watch yourself grow! I had the opportunity to take part in the Vanier National Marketing Case Challenge, which sees three marketing majors travel to Montreal and compete in a pressure-cooker style pitch event with other Canadian colleges. This competition and the training involved allowed me to develop and practice my ability to think quickly, critically and persuasively. This primed me for future job interviews, gave me confidence to promote myself and skills not only in the interview process, but through day-to-day life.

For those considering enrolment into the RRC BA program, go into it with an open mind and drive to learn. Be prepared to be challenged and inspired. You will graduate not only with a diploma, but with a network of learned skills, applications and relationships you will be proud to carry with you post grad.