Message From Jacques Duplessis  jdpgwu@yahoo.com
January 20, 2003

Hi Polly

It was wonderful finally meeting you at the residency. Thanks for all the time you spend with us while being there. I enjoyed our conversations and now it feels as if we had known each other for much longer.

I am actually writing this e-mail to thank you for all the help and advice you gave me throughout the past 20 months.  I had great ideas when I started the course, but boy did they grow and change while involved in the courses and also while doing practicum work.

This course is much more than just theoretical knowledge. The program made me aware that I am stronger than I think.  I have the capabilities to take on great things and live my dreams!

I attach some photos of my sister's wedding, however they are not the really nice ones. I will forward them once I receive them.

Thanks for 20 valuable months !
Jacques

Valedictorian remarks – Phaedra Link
Winter Graduation:  January 16, 2003

Greetings – Professors, staff, friends and family, and most importantly welcome and congratulations to my graduating colleagues.

“At the center of a successful career in tourism are education, performance, experience and service.  As a student in the AMTA graduate education program I can begin the pursuit of a fulfilling career in Event Management.  An undisputed global leader in Event Management, George Washington University provides the skills, knowledge and competencies that employers are seeking today.

The quote I just read to you was the first paragraph of the Statement of Purpose I wrote when applying to this program over two years ago.  And yes, taking the advice of Dale Carnegie I was trying my hardest to make those in the accepting process feel good about themselves and their school.  But now, two years later, I can say those words again sincerely and as a proud graduate.  The George Washington University and the AMTA program have provided us the skills, knowledge and competencies that not only employers are seeking but also what the entire Tourism industry needs today.

Each of us started this program with different goals and we had our own ideas about what we wanted this program to accomplish.  We each started with different backgrounds, some with strong roots already planted in the industry and the material continued to feed the knowledge that brought them here.  Others started in places not remotely close to tourism and wanted to explore new horizons.  The fantastic design of this education allowed each person to develop a course of study that fit our individual desires and yet, it still managed to bring us to the same basic conclusion.   That tourism is a vast industry with countless possibilities for development.  From the environment
to one’s culture to all aspects of hospitality services the tourism industry is an all-encompassing giant.  According to the Travel Industry Association of America, “Travel and tourism is the nation's largest services export industry, third largest retail sales industry and one of America's largest employers. It is in fact the first, second or third largest employer in 29 states.”  What ever your passions might be you can find your niche in this community and make a difference.

I challenge you; before life carries you away and the experience of the last 18-24 months fades into the past, reflect on what you’ve learned, not just what was in the books and in the lectures but what this experience has taught  you about yourself.  What strengths did you discover?  What weaknesses?  How do you look at the world differently?  In what ways have you changed from the person two years ago and who you are now.  Embrace those changes.  Embrace your accomplishments and your struggles.  Apply all that you’ve learned about yourself and about the tourism industry and make a difference wherever you are and wherever you go.

We have obtained the information found in an outstanding education.  We have been given the opportunity to learn from great professors with years of priceless experience.  Placed in the fire we have developed new levels of knowledge that can’t be described in any college pamphlet.  This knowledge does not come free, however, and carries with it great responsibilities.   The task before you, no matter what specific field of the industry, is that of a leader within the tourism community.  It is your job to help develop ideas, to create destinations, to manage growth and most importantly to help mold the future of what tourism will be in years to come.  As tourism professionals we must nurture this industry that is still quite young but gaining maturity on a daily basis.  For you have not just earned a degree to hang on the wall but learned lessons that will last a lifetime. Lessons that are needed to take tourism into this next century as a highly sought after and respected career.  Tourism and hospitality management is not just fund-raising or entertainment for the masses.  We are not glorified
“party planners” or merely organizers of events.  The jobs we do throughout the industry every day greatly impact local and international economies.  Events we produce enable people to come together sharing a common purpose and making the world a better place.  Ideas we create have the capability to impact each continent on this globe for tourism and all it encompasses is a common thread between everything that happens today.  You could not have chosen a better industry to make a difference in our world.

In addition to the responsibility of our career fields we also have a duty to one another.  Although we did not sit beside each other in a classroom each day and some of us just met for the first time yesterday, we now have a commonality between us.  Individually we’ve read the books, written the papers and studied for the exams but together we’ve expanded our horizons and pushed ourselves to this point in time.  This accomplishment is shared by each and every one of us.  We join the ranks of AMTA alumni that have gone before and we’ll welcome those that follow behind us.

When a future cohort member is searching for a place to do a marketing plan or needs an informational interview remember your own struggles and lend a helping hand.  And the next time your looking for a job or need some insight on an area of the industry you might not know much about, remember to call on the network of friends and associates that comes with being alumni of this degree.

Life is a journey… not a destination.  This is neither the beginning nor an ending but rather a scenic route on the highway of life, on which we have gathered information to better prepare us for the roads that lie ahead.  Thank you for joining me on this journey, I’ve truly enjoyed the company.  Wherever your road may lead I hope we continue to journey forth together no matter how brief our crossings may be along the way.

Good luck, God Bless you and Congratulations!  You have the right to be proud of this accomplishment.  You’ve worked hard and you earned it!