While other students may be taking things slow and sticking around after graduation, accounting major Miquel Swann is ready to dive right into his new job. Swann will be working as a Guest Services Manager at a resort in Turks and Caicos, a small island nation below the Bahamas.
Swann has a dual-citizenship in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, and it was when he was visiting home over the winter break that he was sought out for the resort’s manager position. By the end of March, the position was available and Swann was told to apply. He was one of two locals to apply for the job.
After finishing his over-the-phone interview, Swann landed the job at the high-end resort. Although he is already familiar with the requirements of the job, he knows there will be more challenges to take on.
“The standards of service and delivery are much higher,” Swann said. “This is a higher grade, upscale and high-class resort.”
Swann is originally from the Bahamas but came to the states for higher education in January 2013. He earned his associates degree at Butler Community College and then applied to schools all around Kansas. As he was applying, Newman University caught his eye. Swann said the many scholarship opportunities and the small classroom size interested him the most.
During his four years at Newman, Swann studied accounting, which he says is something he could easily see himself doing for a decent amount of time.
“One good thing about accounting is that you are required to take business classes also,” Swann said. “I think it is a good foundational degree for me to expand my horizons wherever I decide to go.”
During his time at Newman, Swann worked for about a year alongside Newman alumna Brandi Boese on the Campus Activities Board. Swann also worked as a student assistant in the president’s office for two years.
From 2011 to 2013, Swann worked at Hartling Group Hotels, a resort also located in Turks and Caicos. Hartling Group Hotels had two properties at the time, and Swann worked under both. In one property, Swann was the concierge supervisor and in the other, he was the duty manager.
In Turks and Caicos, hotels and resorts are not rated on a five-star scale, but instead on a diamond scale. The resort Swann will be managing is ranked as a four-diamond resort. Here, he will be one of three managers in charge of guest services for the department as well as concierges, front-office agents, bellman, airport greeters and hotel operators.
Swann originally planned to spend the next 18 months to two years getting his MBA at Newman, but because he was offered the job at the resort, he plans to earn his degree online. In the meantime, Swann says he is eager to work and get back to making a salary.
“As hospitality and the economy grows, the possibilities are endless,” he said. “I am a bit nervous for the new challenges but ready to face them and grow as a result.”
