TEYLA PITASSI
FINALLY THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
TEYLA PITASSI
ABOUT ME
Hello! My name is Teyla Pitassi and I am a senior at San Diego State University. My major is Hospitality and Tourism Management with an Emphasis in Meetings and Events. My journey to graduation has not been the cookie cutter journey, with obtaining a degree in four years.
I am originally from the beautiful small beach town of Ventura, California. I moved to Vista, California, located in North County San Diego in 2010. This was only a month after I graduated from High School, and I and my whole family were ready to embark and embrace the “Beautiful San Diego!” Once there, I started to attend Palomar Community College in the Fall of 2010 with a Business Administration Major and working at Krikorian Metroplex 15 Movie Theatre. I didn’t know what I wanted my future career to be. I took many intro courses and continued to work to gain experience. In 2012, I took a leap and even switched my major to Architecture. The saying that one would hear over and over if you didn’t know what your future career would be, they would say, “Do something you enjoy and like, and look at your hobbies you truly enjoy.” I knew being creative and having strong math skills is what I enjoyed. So I took a Hand Drafting class, and found out I really enjoyed it and I was good at it. However, it wasn’t a career for me. I have a personally that enjoys interacting and socializing with others, where Architecture was more reserve and individualized. During this time, I started work at Panera Bread located in Vista, California. This was a light bulb moment in my life.
Soon after I switched my major to Hospitality and before I ended up realizing, I have worked three years and moved my way to the top, starting from an associate then ending in a Shift Supervisor/ Training Specialist position. I loved this job and every moment after. I finished my studies at Palomar and Mira Costa Community Colleges, and eventually transferring into San Diego State University in the Fall of 2014. I originally didn’t get accepted into SDSU right after High School, but I knew I was going to be an “Aztec for Life” one way or another!
Since the Fall of 2014, I have been able to obtain so many opportunities and build an extensive network of industry professionals, students and colleagues. Gain valuable leadership experience on and off campus, that has ultimately made me who I am today, and it has allowed me to be a better person overall. The simple example of being able to juggle work, volunteering, and school work showed me that I can accomplish a lot more than I thought, as long as I put my mind to it.
The title of my portfolio, Finally the Light at the End of the Tunnel, describes so much of my journey. My six year journey to be exact. Like I said, I am not the cookie cutter college student journey of being done in four years. I describe it as a tunnel because there are many milestone moments and obstacles one needs to face before hitting graduation. If that means, creating an extensive network of industry professionals, continuing my self-development, finding the right career path for after graduation, or even traveling. These are a few of the things I have come into contact with. I love interacting with others, taking on challenges, constantly learning and growing my knowledge base, and learning how to be the best leader I can be. Most importantly, I have a true PASSION for this industry and know I am in the right spot.
As I come to my graduation date in a couple of weeks (December). The realization that I will be the first person in my family to graduate from a University and embark in a position in the Hospitality Industry. I have exceeded many opinions and thoughts that I wouldn't be able to do it, and show the ones that told me no along the way that anything is possible. I am so proud of the decisions I have made and where I stand in my life today. So starting after Christmas, I will be taking a temporary position with Cadence Travel as a Registration Coordinator. I have no exact position I want to obtain but rather to keep learning about the Meetings and Events Industry and how I can continue to be a part of it. A few of characteristics I love is, training and see others grow, catering/ food & beverage and traveling the world exploring new lands and meeting new people. I know that dream career will change many times, so that is why I am not too worried about finding that perfect position now. I would rather embrace those bad positions and learn from them, so when that perfect position comes around, I will be ready and have an optimistic point of view. It won’t be easy, but I am ready for the challenge just like the last 6 years of my life. I am an “Aztec for Life” following the light and passions in life.
SUMMARY OF HIGHLIGHTS
As seen in my Leadership Journey, it is not common but rather unique and individualized to me. Everything I have taken part in to all the work experiences have help create who I am today and help guide the direction to the industry that I have a deep passion for. Every experience I have embraced and received a good or bad experience has helped me get one step closer to the destine career path. The one career path, which I would be the happiest to work in.
Starting from attending Palomar Community College and taking about a 100 units while experiencing the working life at Panera Bread that ultimately helped change my career path to Hospitality. Then landing myself in not only my dream school at San Diego State University, but in an amazing Hospitality and Tourism Management Program. This program might seem easy to anyone not in it, but it is a very challenging program that provides so many opportunities but allow you to grow as a person. From the required deliverables of studying abroad and obtaining two internships to all the extra curricular involvement on can get exposed to. From the student associations, industry associations, and even being able to advise and mentor others. All these items helped grow my knowledge in the industry and help to expand my professional network. It has also allowed me to gain important skills within the field, but the skills that were taught in the classroom were just as valuable. The saying that is well known in our program, “Always Go Above and Beyond, “ is in drilled in my mind, but has been the most valuable lesson to learn in the industry. Thus with all these aspects has helped create the position I am in today with graduating in about 3 weeks. I couldn’t of been more proud. To learn more, please take the time to go through my website covering all the details within the six sections: Leadership Coursework, Work Experience, Industry Connection, Leading in Action, Promising Pitfalls, and More… Please enjoy!
