26 Sep Unstoppable Tourism Scholars Begin 2nd Year
Last year, our very first class of Unstoppable Scholars took the initial steps toward pursuing their dreams. This month, 20 bright young women return for their second year in the 2-year Tourism and Hospitality program at WE College – the new and only college in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya.
With a booming tourism industry in the beautiful Maasai Mara, there is a substantial market demand for these skilled professionals. Upon graduation, students will be qualified to join any safari lodge or to open their very own hotel.
In their first year, students worked on building a strong foundation of the skills necessary for the scholars to succeed in the program. Here’s a quick breakdown of what they covered:
- Communication Skills
- Foreign Language (French)
- Information, Communication and Technology (ICT)
- Natural History of Fauna and Flora
- Fundamentals of Tourism
- Tour Guide Techniques
- Travel Operations & Customer Care
- Touristic History
“Not only is my education providing me with the knowledge to become a professional in my field, but my leadership studies have given me the confidence and skills to become a leader and role model in my community and Kenya at large,” Seema, a smart, bubbly student, shared recently with donors. Some of you might remember her from attending this year’s gala!
In their 2nd year, scholars will apply the skills they’ve learned in their first year through a second round of internships at several safari camps in the region.
The internships provide on-the-job-training from tour guiding to food and beverage service, to reservations and bookings. One student, Mercy, loved the diversity of positions the internship provided her with, from tour guiding on game drives to working the front desk.
“I was so excited for my internship!” exclaimed Mercy. “All year I had been learning about these camps [at WE College] and the safari experience in books and then [through my internship] I got to see it in reality.”
Unstoppable Tourism Scholars
We couldn’t be more proud of our Unstoppable Scholars! Not only are they the future of Kenya, but they are blazing the trail for young people across the Mara who are hoping for their chance to learn.
This would not have been possible without the support of our friends and donors, Sherry and John Phelan, who generously funded this class of Tourism and Hospitality.