Excelsis | Spring 2022

XCELSIS E SPRING 2022

A B AT T E N H O N O R S CO L L E G E P U B L I C AT I O N | V I R G I N I A W E S L E YA N U N I V E R S I T Y

Adventures in Ecuador and the Galapagos

Self-awareness in Leadership CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY Leaders of Tomorrow

SAND, SNORKELING, AND SERVICE

Adventures in Ecuador and the Galapagos

By Abby Mahoney

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cuador is the most diverse country I have ever visited. Its four main regions (not counting the micro-regions within) include part of the Amazon Rainforest, the Andes mountain range, the coast, and the Galapagos Islands. This incredible variety of geography allows for a vast range of microclimates, biodiversity, cultures, and traditions.

Our trip began in the Andes mountains in a city called Quito. This city sits at over 9,000 feet (nearly 3,000 meters) above sea level. For visitors, this means dehydration, headaches, nose bleeds, and exhaustion for the first day. Our group was no exception.

I found myself humbled on multiple occasions by a single staircase.

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In Quito, we visited national parks, museums, town centers, markets, small businesses and plenty of restaurants. Our first national park was called Pululahua (try saying that ten times fast) where we were standing in the clouds.

Next, we visited the museum dedicated to Latitude 0.0º, where we learned that it was actually ancient indigenous tribes who discovered (years ago) that they were located at the center of the Earth. The museum showcased some of their technology such as a clock-like tool that measured tuta manta, pajta, and chisi or morning, afternoon, and evening in Quechua.

This museum particularly has made

great efforts to preserve the history and culture of the original area.

Our trip to Otavalo was one of the two main highlights of everyone’s time in Ecuador. This was the day we visited Otavalo, an indigenous community located an hour outside of Quito. Our time in Otavalo was incredibly special because we were able to go outside the realm of tourism, and get in touch with a local man who guided us through the village.

We met Sara, Cecelia, and Sisa (all Quechua names) on our way to the community, a man who still uses the traditional weaving method for his scarves, farmers who rely on bulls to plow their fields, a group of women who have dedicated their time

and effort towards bettering their community through producing various goods (jewelry, jam, etc.), and plenty of other locals willing to share their stories. We ate local foods (every single meal is served with some sort of potato), learned about indigenous traditions from indigenous people, and were able to experience for ourselves what life is like in a community like Otavalo.

This experience was particularly unique not only because it cannot be taught in a classroom, but because we (as foreigners) were welcomed into an indigenous village in an effort to teach the outside world about Quechuen culture.

The second highlight of our trip (as agreed upon by the group) was certainly the time we spent in the Galapagos Islands. Specifically, our class was given the opportunity to give back to this very special place.

A local from San Cristobal Island

was the head of an NGO that partnered with tourist groups in efforts to build up his community. He does everything from beach clean ups to painting community properties.

We were split up into three groups: painters, tree-choppers, and trash collectors. The service project lasted about four hours, and was super fun.

On our first day in the Galapagos, we witnessed a protest against the “tourist tsars” and the fact that the government prioritizes the needs of the visitors above the needs of the locals. This island chain gave us so much: from life lessons to life-changing experiences. The least we could do is aid in tidying up a local park.

Overall, this trip was beyond incredible. It included art, music, history, politics, biodiversity, climate, culture, tradition, and so much more.

This was only achieved because of Ecuador’s vast diversity, and very welcoming culture.

By Cara Caruso When I first learned about the study abroad program, I knew I wanted to make the most of it. So, once I learned that there was a group going to Ecuador, I jumped at the opportunity.

However, I knew nothing about it. I was expecting to go to a South American country, go on some city tours, and explore the Galapagos. It was so much more than that.

We not only got to see the diversity and culture in every place we went to, but we also got to immerse ourselves in the different cultures of Ecuador. We got to go to local villages, meet local people across the country, learn about their sustainability practices, and even swim with sharks! The trip really gave us a new perspective on life and how we should cherish it. It reminded us of the importance of family, history, culture, and sustainability. I had never seen such a country so loyal to keeping its environment clean. People who had so little and gave so much. The trip was truly eye-opening. Ecuador exceeded my expectations, and I would go back in the blink of an eye.

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The role of self-awareness in leadership

By Evelyn Weaver

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nfortunately, the HON 150 Leadership & Civic Responsibility course was virtual as a result of the pandemic. Despite the unrelenting, undeniable, constant curveballs that the pandemic has rocketed at us, we all pulled through and attended a class which addressed many concepts integral to leadership. The speakers–all of whom were women–addressed plenty of powerful ideas, but a particularly striking one was self-awareness. Class entailed hearing directly from multiple successful leaders each day. It was clear that as all of the speakers’ endeavors–in life and in career–progressed, they learned more about themselves. Their leadership abilities grew in tandem with their self-awareness. In my eyes, the underlying feature of all of these women’s stories was the cruciality of understanding yourself in order to lead.

Our speakers emphasized that in order to capitalize on your strengths, you have to understand your own personality and the inherent strengths that come with it. No two people have exactly the same personality, so no

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two people lead in exactly the same way. Kristin Saboe, the current senior manager at the Boeing Company, addressed this in the context of introversion, extroversion, and ambiversion.

The leadership strengths that come with being an extrovert are self-explanatory, but Saboe drew attention to the neglected positive leadership qualities that come with being an introvert. According to her, introverts are wonderful leaders because they listen. Leaders have all succeeded through different means, but they all “Use who [they] are to navigate situations most effectively” (Saboe). The most effective leaders know where they fall on the introvert-ambivert-extrovert spectrum and use that knowledge to their advantage.

Furthermore, multiple speakers commented on the benefits of personality tests. They are insightful as they give you somewhere to work from.

When you know your personality type, you gain a grasp on the strengths and weaknesses that come with it. This permits for the fostering of said strengths and compensating for said weaknesses.

Leadership matters most to the leader when she is involved in something she cares about. Fulfillment in leadership comes when you focus on your passions. If you recognize the problems that you want to solve and take actions to solve them, your role as a leader will be more than successful–it will be rewarding.

Leaders must understand their personalities and their related strengths and weaknesses. Leaders must be aware of their passions and how they play into the problems they want to solve.

Life is about self-discovery. As your life progresses and your experiences grow, you become more capable of leading effectively. Just like all of the speakers, our trajectories in life are always changing.

With self-awareness, leaders can pave their paths in the framework of their passions and strengths. If all of us are self-aware and work to expand upon our awareness, we can follow our constantly altering paths with hopefulness and confidence.

Works Cited: Saboe, Kristin. Work Stress and Work Transitions. Virginia Wesleyan University, Jan. 11, 2022.

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Staying True to Yourself When Becoming a Leader

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he opportunity to take HON 150 was an invaluable one. I called my grandmother on the last day of January term to tell her all about it; she was interested to know what we were doing in class since we couldn’t go to Washington, D.C. like we’d planned. During that phone call, I realized how much I really got out of this program. The Osgood Center brought in so many leaders from so many

By Katie Baker different fields who all have different perspectives and personalities. Kristin Saboe was one of my favorite speakers. She is an industrial-organizational psychologist, army veteran, and strategist who talked to us about work stress and work transitions. She has a purpose statement and she returns to it constantly to make decisions. It makes life easier for her; if something aligns with her purpose, she says yes to it, and if it doesn’t, she says no. She says that linear paths are not the ways to success anymore; nonlinear paths are more useful to achieve personal fulfillment. This means making decisions based on your values, because if you have intrinsic motivation to do your work, you will love your job and experience less stress.

While listening to the speakers, I found myself reflecting on my own experiences. I spent my first semester of college taking classes I enjoyed, including an introduction to women’s and gender studies. It was a discussion-based class, and though I’m an introvert with social anxiety, I talked frequently every class because

By Kimberly Koscinski

I was very interested in the material.

I attended two different talks given by a Samaritan House employee about what the non-profit does and the issues of domestic violence, women’s rights, and social justice. I plan to reach out to Samaritan House or a similar organization to gain experience working with a non-profit that shares my values and purpose.

Saboe mentioned that introverts often make much better leaders than extroverts because they listen before they act and process internally. They do, however, have to learn to speak up. In the future, I will try to follow Saboe’s advice of writing down my thoughts during meetings to make a little script for myself so I can share my ideas with less stress. The best leaders know themselves and adjust who they are to help everyone, says Saboe, and they use their skills to take care of themselves as well.

I was pleasantly surprised at how

many speakers emphasized self-care and mental health as integral parts of their professional success. Instead of overworking themselves, they prioritize doing what feels good and right in the moment. Saboe says that a good leader has to know when it’s time to take a break and when it’s time to push. Asking for more time, missing emails, and not going after every promotion is okay, she says, because you should focus on taking care of yourself. I hope to achieve the same level of peace and happiness within my professional life as these speakers, and after listening to them talk I feel like that’s possible.

When I called my grandmother to discuss my J term experience, she was happy to hear all about it. She audibly gasped in excitement when I told her that every speaker was a woman. She was one of the first councilwomen in our county, has marched on Washington for women’s rights, and is very much a feminist.

She told me how proud she is of me because of my academic success, but also because I’m a kind and wellrounded person. She recognized that I now have potential contacts with leaders in a wide variety of fields, as well as advice from some of the most successful people in the country. I got so much out of a course that lasted only a few weeks, from career-specific advice to the permission to take things slowly. I feel more prepared to continue on my professional and personal journey, and I’m excited to see where I’ll end up.

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CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS STUDY AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS

By Connor Merk

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tudents in the Batten Honors College are required to take HON 110 Contemporary Environmental Issues during their first semester.

The instructors for this course are Professor of Political Science Dr. William (Bill) Gibson, Professor of Philosophy Dr. Lawrence (Larry) D. Hultgren, and Professor of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm. This is an interdisciplinary course that explores scientific, ethical, economic, societal, and political aspects of contemporary issues with global environmental impact.

After teaching HON 110 for five years, this is one of Dr. Malcolm’s favorite courses to teach, especially because of the opportunity to learn about environmental ethics and

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policy from Drs. Hultgren and Gibson.

“As the course has evolved, we have been able to better emphasize the connections between our disciplinary perspectives. Solving complex environmental problems really requires looking at an issue from many different perspectives and being able to work with people with different expertise,” Malcolm said. “I also learn something new from our guest lectures every year.”

Students in the course are required to complete a group assignment and for the past two years, this research project has focused on campus sustainability. During this collaboration, students had the opportunity to choose a topic, investigate current practices at VWU and other

universities, and develop recommendations. In addition, they interviewed VWU staff and off-campus experts or conducted student surveys.

The student projects will contribute to a future submission for VWU to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (ASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).

“The project really allows the students to think critically about a problem, conduct research, and come up with creative solutions,” Malcolm said. “The final student presentations are always a highlight of the semester.”

Looking forward, Malcolm wants to continue to incorporate current events into the course discussions.

“In previous years, this has included

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wildfires in the west, hurricanes, new reports on climate change, and changes in the federal government,” Malcolm said. “It’s important that the course continues to investigate issues of local, regional, and global importance.

Those issues will change over the years as the instructors choose which case studies will best engage students.”

First-year student Kaitlyn Duswalt’s group selected to study biodiversity because of their personal interests in animals and the ecosystem at VWU. Their research primarily included interviewing the gardeners, groundskeepers, and Dr. Malcom about the campus biodiversity in order to get a full understanding of biodiversity.

“Our key findings were current practices at VWU that promote biodiversity. This included the Campus Physical Plants Operations, Grounds and Housekeeping efforts to maintain the beauty and diversity of the native forests, ornamental trees, numerous pons, athletic fields, and flower/shrub beds,” Duswalt said. “Additionally, student organizations on campus like Marlins Go Green help to remove invasive species that kill off native plants. Also, we compared ourselves on the STARS (a program of AASHE) to see what we would score under their criteria and we ranked a 1.00/2.00.”

The recommendation from Duswalt’s group for VWU was to increase the campus focus and monetization of biodiversity through survey and restoration attempts. They conclude that there is a lack of research or surveillance on the presence of biodiversity on campus, meaning there is limited knowledge on how the organisms are thriving or not thriving.

“For example, the knowledge on the ecosystem in the forests on campus are solely due to individual practices like Ezekiel J. Hera-Bevan, a

student who researched bat activity and identified 3 native endangered species,” Duswalt said. “Additionally, preserving biodiversity isn’t best maintained in the forest. Skyler Lattuca working with Botanical Gardens has helped to work with Marlins Go Green to perform invasive species removals and has expressed great concern on how aggressive these invasive species really are.”

First-year student Sara Traver’s group selected to research the Boyd Dining Hall. “I worked at Dunkin’ Donuts for three and a half years while in high school, so I was familiar with how much waste a restaurant could produce. To research VWU’s practices we spoke to Tim Lockett, and learned how we recycle food waste and food packaging waste,” Traver said. They discovered that food trimmings are reused in a lot of ways, like making the soup of the day and adding to a

vermicomposting bin.

Their recommendations for VWU include expanding the recycling program for plastic and tin products, placing more recycle bins around campus, including more meatless food options, encouraging students to donate food waste to the composting program, and increasing education about how much food is wasted.

“We found that education is the most important part. Multiple studies showed that students who were educated on food waste and the food production process were more environmentally conscious,” Traver said. “They were also more likely to participate in sustainable on-campus gardening, which also has many health benefits.”

Future students of the Batten Honors College enrolled in HON 110 will continue to study contemporary environmental issues and research campus sustainability efforts.

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REFLECTING ON YESTERDAY AND BUILDING THE

LEADERS OF TOMORROW

By Lindsay White

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ast fall, half of the senior cohort of the Batten Honors College came together to tackle our final BHC course- Honors 480: Senior Seminar, led by our new BHC Dean, Dr. Travis Malone. The class focused on our past achievements as well as our future challenges, and how to maintain a sustainably-focused mind throughout leadership in our lives. The course consisted of three main in-class tasks: reading books, think tanks, and the capstone.

The first of these came from Adam Grant’s Think Again and Laura Calandrella’s Our Next Evolution.

These books looked at new ways to view leadership and collaboration, with a focus in leading a sustainable lifestyle through these methods. The greatest lesson I learned from these books is how to think like a scientist in all situations. In other words, having a mindset that “favors humility over pride, doubt over certainty, curiosity over closure” (Grant 28).

With these new lessons and skills in mind, we faced our biggest taskthe capstone. The assignment was to integrate our knowledge and skills that we have gained during our time in the Batten Honors College (things like our interdisciplinary honors courses and our study away experiences) to sustainably and responsibly contribute to the improvement of a complex issue that addresses one of the UN’s 17 Goals for Sustainable Development.

Not a light task. With the mentorship of a faculty member that we selected ourselves, we completed our semester-

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long, 4000+ word research papers and presentations.

My capstone project was an indepth analysis of the lack of women in STEM, with a specific focus in mechanical engineering, aiming to address UN Goal 5: Gender Equality. As a mathematics major who is going on to receive my master’s in mechanical engineering, this topic was selected out of personal experience and a personal drive to seek change. Under the direction of Dr. Kellie Holzer, I was able to incorporate historical documents, scholarly journals, news articles, and personal interviews into looking at historical context, the effects on society, statistics, demographics, and how to rethink STEM education from elementary to middle and high school to college. I learned that a complex issue has an even more complex solution. Nevertheless, I found it helpful to think like a scientist and to see all perspectives, lessons I learned in other assignments in the course.

Although the whole class was given the same task, this capstone had the freedom to be taken in many different directions. And we did. Each student used their areas of interest and expertise gained from their major and minor studies. Kacy McBride, earth and environmental sciences major, focused on UN Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production in which she looked at single-use plastic consumption at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater. Katie Yeager, political science and communication major, showed us the business side of how to

utilize bikes and light rail systems for more sustainable public transportation in Norfolk, tackling UN Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Math major Tess Jones took a mathematical approach to UN Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being by using computation and statistical analysis of clinical biomarkers to characterize dysautonomia. No matter what our academic strengths, everyone found a way to incorporate their specific skills as well as knowledge gained from our BHC experiences to create imaginative, sustainable solutions that could, and will, better our world.

The Honors 480 experience is a unique one, and one that all BHC students will have the opportunity to experience. I am grateful for the experience, and I look forward to seeing the ways in which my classmates, equipped and ready to be leaders, will improve society.

Sources: Adam Grant. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know. Penguin Publishing Group, 2021. United Nations - Sustainable Development Goals - sdgs.un.org/goals

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IM M ERSIV E E X P E RIE NCE

A Different Life

By Meghan Pease

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rowing up and attending college in the Hampton Roads area, I always knew that I wanted to see more of the world. Then, after visiting Peru for my Honors 200 course, I realized how much more I wanted to travel and experience life in other countries. Consequently, I pursued the opportunity to do a semester abroad. Much to my surprise, even with COVID, it worked out! For the Fall 2021 semester, I traveled abroad and studied at a university in Bradford, England. For nearly four months, I got to experience a whole new world.

Looking back, not having my car was one of the hardest challenges.

Now that I’m back in the states, I can drive wherever I want, whenever I need to. In England, however, I had to walk almost everywhere. Even when I went to go get my groceries!

Whenever I was going farther distances, though, I made use of public transportation, which required me to learn a whole new set of skills.

Even though public transportation is not a huge part of life in the United States, I know that my new navigational skills will come in handy when I travel to other countries or even bigger cities, like New York City or Washington D.C. The layout of my classes was also very different. As a science major, I’m used to lectures and labs taking up much of my week, along with a ton of homework being due every week.

During my time abroad, however, each class only had a one-hour lecture each week and no homework.

In fact, my grades only consisted of two assignments during the whole semester. The grading scale was also very different, where a 70-100% was considered an A. This was a huge difference from my college classes at

Virginia Wesleyan. As a result, I had a lot more free time!

With this new free time, I was able to spend more time exploring my host country and even picking up a new hobby- weightlifting. As a pre-med student, I really enjoyed experiencing more of life outside of school. I also got to spend a lot of time with my new international friends and learn new things through them. I already miss them deeply, but we are already planning to reunite in about five years’ time to catch up!

The transition back to Virginia Wesleyan’s classes has been somewhat of a struggle. I quickly got used to not needing to worry about all the assignments I had due for the week, so I’ve been trying to retrain my brain to be disciplined. Nonetheless, I think anyone who is interested in studying abroad should jump at the chance. I made memories that I will forever cherish, and I want others to experience that for themselves.

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I M MER SIVE EXPERIE NCE

Aquarium internship leads to community outreach for sustainability issues

By Ryan Westpfahl

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ver since receiving my first Virginia Wesleyan University postcard my senior year of high school, the Batten name has guided me to where I am now. While completing an Earth and Environmental Science Major in the Batten Honors College, I applied for a Batten Fellowship with the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center (VAQ). After completing my summer at the VAQ, my supervisors invited me to continue as a special projects assistant.

I accepted and continue to work at the VAQ while at VWU. Several months ago, I recently ran into my supervisor in the bathroom. Before exiting she turned] when she casually[ and ]declared “you know, we’d love to have you as a full time staff member once you graduate,” and I can promise I have never felt more relief than in that moment. Post graduation, I will continue at the VAQ as a special projects assistant and lead a summer volunteer program known as Watershed Warriors.

Developing educational programming for the Watershed Warrior volunteer program allowed me to put my college experience into action. I was essentially teaching my volunteers material I had learned throughout my time at Virginia Wesleyan. In describing my curriculum for volunteers, my professors even sent me supplemental materials I

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was able to provide my volunteers and VAQ guests. The ability to relay my knowledge beyond word for my volunteers, guests, and supervisors has been incredibly rewarding. I want nothing more than to create meaningful experiences for others while advocating for the environment and that is the nature of my work at the VAQ. Come by the VAQ this summer to meet the Watershed Warrior team and learn about soil profiles and maintaining the health of the marsh!

When working with Sensible Seafood, I work on site at the VAQ or travel to different venues to talk about sustainable seafood options and the aquaculture industry of Virginia.

Most recently, I was able to attend the Virginia Aquaculture Conference.

There I was able to network on behalf of the Sensible Seafood Program and myself as I got insider knowledge surrounding aquaculture’s current hardships and developments.

Regulators, professors, local fishermen, and students gathered together to discuss information that was relevant to my understanding of the issues the Sensible Seafood Program communicates to the public. While I have a foundation of knowledge from my time working for my marine science minor, it has been difficult to

convey the importance of sustaining the health of our waterways to those who have little understanding of its significance to our environment. This is why my job is of great importance and frustration. As an EES major, and while working as a community educator, it has become clear that the hardest conversations are those that present new information to uninterested people. Thankfully, my experiences with VWU professors and the VAQ provided great examples of the stewardship and advocacy that help me navigate the difficult conversations I am passionate about.

Both experiences have provided endless opportunities to apply my knowledge and improve my communication skills. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue representing VAQ in the name of environmental education and eager to see what I can make of this opportunity.

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Ethics Bowl

CREATES SPACE FOR STUDENTS TO COLLABORATE AND COMPETE

By Christian Palmisano

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y experience with Virginia Wesleyan University’s Ethics Bowl team this year was one to remember. The VWU Ethics Bowl team had been preparing vigorously from August 2021 all the way to the date of the competition in late January, 2022. From what I witnessed, the practice certainly paid off, with Virginia Wesleyan University picking up three wins and one loss in the Cardinal Division at the 2022 VFIC Wells Fargo Ethics Bowl competition, hosted by Randolph-Macon College. Virginia Wesleyan University won against the University of Lynchburg in a bye match, Marymount University, and Emory and Henry College, losing only to Bridgewater College in what turned out to be a thrilling competition.

This year, the VFIC Ethics Bowl’s topic was pandemic ethics. A topical issue to be sure, ethics surrounding the pandemic made this year’s competition particularly difficult, since nearly everyone has had their lives somehow impacted by the pandemic and have found themselves engaging with these ethical conundrums over the course of the last few years.

Are there any better conditions for honing one’s critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and public speaking skills?

I have my teammates, Casey Bennett, Amalia Houff, Rowan Stuart, and Kainaat Trehan to thank for helping me improve my own abilities, as well as Dr. Kathy Merlock Jackson, constantly

offering helpful advice and leading the VWU Ethics Bowl team to what proved to be an altogether successful competition.

Virginia Wesleyan University’s Ethics Bowl team was composed entirely of students from the Batten Honors College. The vast majority of the team, myself included, are freshmen, the only exception being Kainaat Trehan, currently a sophomore. I think this certainly bodes well for the future success of the team.

This Ethics Bowl team is currently incredibly strong and we received several compliments from a variety of judges throughout our rounds regarding the exceptional teamwork we were able to display under the pressure of the competition. I expect the team, which already has strong

bonds with one another, will only become more proficient in practicing teamwork and successful ethical debate as time goes on. Considering the young age of Virginia Wesleyan University’s Ethics Bowl team and the already impressive skill set we possess, I am confident that we will only be more successful in subsequent competitions.

The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges has designated that the 2023 Ethics Bowl competition will be taking place at Virginia Wesleyan University’s own campus.

This opportunity is nothing short of exciting, not only for VWU itself, but also for the Ethics Bowl team, and I state with confidence that we look forward to fighting to win the competition and bring the trophy home next year!

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ALUMNI Spotlight

Find out where some of our most beloved Alumni have been and what they have been up to since graduating from the Batten Honors College.

Sophia Gonzales ‘21

BROADFORK FARM APPRENTICE - CHESTERFIELD, VIRGINIA

“I am a recent BHC Environmental Studies graduate perusing a career in sustainability. I am currently studying for the LEED Green Associate Certification, which affirms a professional’s thorough comprehension of green building principles and practices. In March, I start a fulltime apprenticeship at a Certified Naturally Grown vegetable farm, concentrating on biological/ecological farming methods.”

Anitra Howard ‘21 WELCOME CENTER COORDINATOR VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

“I help direct students to the right resources regarding their applications, complete data entry for the enrollment office, and serve smiles!”

Destiny Kinka ‘21 LONEHOLLOW RANCH-ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, VANDERPOOL, TEXAS

“I am currently working as an Administrative Assistant at LoneHollow Ranch, Young Life’s newest camp, located in Vanderpool, Texas! I am thrilled to work for this amazing organization that strives to help young people grow in their faith as they experience the beauty and adventure at Young Life camps across the world! I am thankful for a vocation that allows me to combine my passion for service and hospitality while using Spanish to enhance communication with our guests.”