My undergraduate story continued with an unexpected detour.
By my second year of college, I was ready to submit my application for Officer Training School (OTS).
But I was told I was ineligible, the military required a cumulative GPA, this includes any failed classes (no grade replacements) and I didn't meet that threshold.
Even though I could have stayed in ROTC and better my chances in another year, I made the difficult decision to step away after two years and focus fully on completing my Finance degree.
This is where a new type of competition began:
Career fairs
Recruiters
Resumes
Internships
Everyone was fighting for the “top” opportunities.
In my junior year, I made a strong connection with a career guidance counselor who referred me to an internship with the JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson.
The Director of Finance and Assistant Director appreciated my ROTC experience and took a chance on me.
It was my first real-world accounting experience. Mistakes were made, but I learned fast.
After the summer internship ended, I was invited back to work in their events department as a on-call bartender during the school year. I said yes without hesitation.
A few months later, I attended another career fair. Hundreds of students crowded around the investment banks, real estate firms, and marketing companies.
I noticed the Marriott booth off to the left, surprisingly with no line.
I recognized the HR Director. She recognized me.
One conversation led to an interview for the Marriott Voyager Program, their manager-in-training program.
At the time, I had just shattered my knee playing intramural soccer and showed up to the interview on crutches, and a bruised ego.
(Which probably made me a little more human in the process!)
Despite minimal technical experience, I was selected for the program.
Looking back, I now realize they weren’t just hiring for skills, they were hiring for character, work ethic, and potential.
It’s a lesson I’ve carried with me into leadership:
Hire for qualities you can’t teach.
Skills can always be learned.
Opportunities come and go. You must be ready to seize the moment when it arrives.
I share this story because others took time to mentor, guide, and take chances on me.
And if this experience helps even one person look for opportunity where others aren’t, it’s worth sharing.
Sometimes the best move you can make is to take a left turn when everyone else is going right.
University of Arizona
Marriott International
First published on LinkedIn.