Stephanie’s Story

“Being given more opportunities to express myself in original ways brought out the best in me. As a result, I will be of better service to other people and to society at large.” Stephanie

Stephanie is a recent graduate from the MBA in International Tourism and Hospitality Management online programme at Barcelona Executive Business School. Stephanie been working as the Director of Academics at Lantana College for the past four years, and found a true passion in the hospitality and catering industry.

Women like Stephanie who have already achieved the highest level of training available within the country must pursue educational opportunities outside of Nigeria to further their careers.

WONDER provides partial scholarships to help ambitious women complete their higher-level studies in Spain. By doing so, women like Stephanie can become the next generation of leaders and teachers in hospitality schools like Lantana and Wavecrest.  

“This qualification has broadened my knowledge and given me many professional insights and soft skills, like better communication, networking and problem solving skills,” Stephanie explains. “My teaching style has also been influenced. I am going to foster more individuality and teamwork among my students.”

With these skills, she hopes to be able to construct better relationships with customers and to become a competitive businesswoman. “I have learnt a lot of technical things about the industry. But most of all, I have learnt and come to realize that hospitality boils down to looking after people,” she said.
 

The experience abroad also allowed Stephanie to experience a different teaching method than the one that is used in Nigeria, such as the use of case studies to assess knowledge. Overall, this allowed her to become more confident in her learning and overcome her shyness. 

My teaching style has also been influenced. I am going to foster more individuality and teamwork among my students

“Being given more opportunities to express myself in original ways brought out the best in me,” she says. “As a result, I will be of better service to other people and to society at large.”
  

“I have learnt a lot of technical things about the industry. But most of all, I have learnt and come to realize that hospitality still boils down to looking after people.”
 

By providing women with the economic support to pursue further education, women will be able to return to their communities with enhanced knowledge and skillsets to impact the lives of the people there. As a result, women can become leaders and have an impact on the people around them, allowing for their community to flourish and inspiring young girls to follow in their footsteps. 
 

At Lantana College where Stephanie works, students receive both practical skills and a strong ethical orientation, which prepares them for the challenges they will face in the hospitality industry. “I would recommend the training school to young women, because they would receive an all-round hospitality education. They will be equipped not only with theoretical and practical skills, but also with many soft skills,” she said.
 

“I am so grateful for the opportunity to improve my education and outlook. My professional skills have improved in so many ways,” Stephanie said. “This will be translated into improving the quality of education that the students receive from our colleges, so that they can be even better professionals.”