Kate Guilday

My name is Kate Buonanni and I am a senior at the University Of Central Florida Rosen College Of Hospitality Management. I will be graduating in December with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management. I am currently working as a front desk agent at the Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld, which is a 1004 room full-service hotel. On a daily basis I resolve guest issues and check in an average of 200 guests per day. Prior to working at the Doubletree, I dedicated myself to a year of service in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps program. I worked alongside the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help prepare the country for and actually respond to natural and other disasters. One of my main tasks in this program was to work as a recruitment liaison, which gave me the opportunity to plan and facilitate 9 recruitment events. At the end of the year, I was awarded the AmeriCorps Recruiter of the Year and the Bronze Congressional Community Service Award for completing 1400 hours of voluntary community service. My short term goal is to find a full-time position after my graduation this December. I am looking for a position in the hotel industry that will allow me utilize my past hotel and leadership experience to grow my career in the hospitality industry. My long term goal is to be a General Manager at a Hilton property. In order to achieve this goal, I would like to work in a few departments such as housekeeping and Food and Beverage, which will give me a different perspective and to fully understand how the hotel operates.