Even after time at Lakeland, many alumni continue to show fellow peers and the community the growth and accomplishments in the professional world. As a graduate of 2022, Ms. Emely Ortega branched out into the community with her newfound Hospitality Management degree to start her professional career.
After many weeks of collaboration with Lakeland’s own Launch program, and her internship experience California, Ortega proudly accepted her role as the hotel manager at Sheboygan’s own Harbor Winds Hotel. Harbor Winds is a private, local business based in Downtown Sheboygan, that often hosts various job opportunities to current Lakeland students.
As a student, Ortega was involved in various opportunities on and off campus. Most predominantly, she was a member of both the woman’s soccer team and the Pi Kappa Gamma sorority. Upon starting at Lakeland, Ortega wasn’t fully aware of what she planned to do after graduation. A big part of her start at Lakeland was spent looking at and building on the family-like experience she was able to attain from school, on top of educational skills and opportunities.
Ortega felt most prepared for her professional goals with the experiences she was offered. She believes Lakeland could further help students prepare for life outside of their major goals with more sense of hands-on experiences outside of the classroom, and preparation for the adult life after the end of their school lives.
One of Ortega’s biggest suggestions for any current or potential student is to take advantage of all opportunities that come around. Many of Lakeland’s faculty know of connections both locally and outside of the community and are available to help find different paths to explore. Exploring various network opportunities, studying abroad, interning out of state, or taking unique classes for your electives are all great ways to grow skills and find the best placement for students considering future jobs.
Throughout her studies, Ortega was motivated by her friends, family, and her advisor Britanni Meinnert, feeling as though she did better as a Lakeland student due to the sense of family and community the school holds, and the connections it offers into the community. With friends, family, and faculty at her side, Ortega gained the confidence she needed to push through her education at Lakeland.
In the future, she plans to go further into her career field and expand, including the development of opening a few of her own bed and breakfasts businesses around the country. She hopes to stay local for now, close to her Lakeland home and friends, eventually planning to utilize her skills, and follow some of her other classmates in traveling outside of Wisconsin and Illinois.
“Some of the best friends I’ve had in my entire life, I’ve met at Lakeland,” she says.