Home  Regional News PUERTO RICO & DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WIN INAUGURAL YUCATAN HOLIDAYS ACADEMIC TOURISM SCHOLARSHIPS
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PUERTO RICO & DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WIN INAUGURAL YUCATAN HOLIDAYS ACADEMIC TOURISM SCHOLARSHIPS |
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Tuesday, 30 June 2009 |
 TERESA ESCANDON PUERTO RICO HOTEL & TOURISM ASSOCIATION, ANDREA PHILLIPS CFO CHTA, JEREMY SANCHEZ & LEMUEL GONZALEZ, TRUSTEE EDUCATION FOUNDATION  TERESA ESCANDON, PUERTO RICO HOTEL & TOURISM ASSOCIATION, ANDREA PHILIPS CFO CHTA, FAMILY OF VILADYS RIVERA & LEMUEL GONZALEZ, TRUSTEE EDUCATION FOUNDATION  JEREMY SANCHEZ, PUERTO RICO  VILADYS RIVERA, PUERTO RICO  ORLANDO LILIAS, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (June 26, 2009) - Jeremy Sanchez and Viladys Rivera were recently selected from over 90 regional applicants to receive the annual Yucatan Holidays Academic Responsible Tourism scholarship awards administered through the CHTA Education Foundation.
Erika Garcia, CEO Yucatan Holidays expressed delight at this honor for Puerto Rico "it is Yucatan Holidays deep belief that we must impact and develop the Spanish Caribbean tourism product by giving funds to allow professional study & growth within the tourism & hospitality sector. Our academic scholarships target young Hispanic students who desire to change the way their islands do business and embrace the global changing mood that places sustainability and responsible tourism as the drivers. We are firm believers that this works for all!"
Viladys Rivera is studying for her Masters in Eco Tourism at the University of Costa Rica, she commented "Many thanks for given this scholarship. Receiving this scholarship is extremely important to me since it will provide me with the opportunity to grow professionally and eventually bring to my Island all the acquired knowledge in the Masters on Eco-tourism and sustainable hotels I am currently perusing in Costa Rica, again, many thanks!"
Jeremy Sanchez has worked his way through the ranks within hotel kitchens in San Juan, beginning as a dishwasher. He is passionate about local cuisine, farm & sea to table programs and engaging tourists in the best food Puerto Rico has to offer. Jeremy has chosen to increase his knowledge & exposure by taking the Associates Culinary Arts program at the International School of Tourism with plans to move on to Johnson & Wales for his Bachelors. Jeremy maintained a 3.75gpa and soaked in the work experience offered by the Hotel Palacio Real in Madrid, Spain for 3-months this year. Jeremy commented "I am thrilled to have won the Yucatan Holidays scholarship as it will really assist me in completing my Associates. Late last year I made a hard decision to leave my workplace and go to Europe for the experience and growth; I think it was a smart long-term decision but I am hurting financially right now so thank you Yucatan Holidays & the Education Foundation!"
Viladys & Jeremy join Orlando Lilias of the Dominican Republic who is studying for his B.Sc. Hospitality Management with responsible tourism electives at PUCMM. All three are the inaugural Yucatan Holidays scholars and Lemuel Gonzalez-Marcano, Trustee CHTA Education Foundation & GM Condado Lagoon Villas was delighted that Puerto Rico & the Dominican Republic had won so convincingly this year, he also commented "I really encourage people working within the tourism industry, in any field from engineers to housekeepers; grounds men to event planners & marketing, HR, Yield Management to seek out professional development short courses and apply to the Education Foundation for awards next year - we cannot become complacent but need to raise our standards to compete effectively". Visit www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com click on EDUCATION FOUNDATION for more information.
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