I finished my undergraduate degree and couldn’t resist applying for the masters programme. There’s still just so much more I want to learn!
MSc Tourism and Hospitality
Serena Gasparrini is an MSc Tourism and Hospitality Management student here at the University of Sunderland in London. She tells us how a change in her health led her to look for a different career and finding a new passion.
I finished my undergraduate degree and couldn’t resist applying for the masters programme. There’s still just so much more I want to learn!
“Before coming to the University of Sunderland in London, I had a very different career path in mind for myself.
I’d been a hairdresser for many years, working my way up to becoming the Art Director and Assistant Manager.
But after many years working with strong chemicals, I developed some health conditions that meant I had to find a new path in life.
Over the years I’d developed a good sense of customer service, so I wanted to find a sector where I could use those skills.
That’s when I found tourism and hospitality. I started off with a Higher National Diploma (HND), which was a good introduction and a test to see if I would enjoy studying.
When I graduated, I knew I wanted to take things further, which is why I decided to apply for my first degree at the University of Sunderland in London.
I chose to do the BSc (Hons) in Tourism and Hospitality Management (Top-Up) which allowed me to take my HND up to a full honours.
I finished that last year and couldn’t resist applying for the masters programme. There’s still just so much more I want to learn!
My time at the University of Sunderland in London has never been dull. You get to do so many activities, go to conferences and visit places around the city to really understand with the subject.
Plus, I was a member of the Travel and Tourism Society, so I got to spend even more of my time exploring my new passion.
My role was to work on the social media advertisements so we could promote our activities to the wider student population.
It taught me a lot about working in the sector, the kinds of things people enjoy in tourism and what they expect to see.
I’ve really enjoyed all the modules in my course, but the tourism, concepts and issues module is so creative it definitely stands out.
It’s fair to say that I’ve become a bit of a keen student. I’ve already started thinking about applying for PhD because I’d love to become a social sciences researcher.
It would be an opportunity to use the knowledge I’ve gained at the University of Sunderland in London in a way that would really improve people’s lives.”
Want to follow in Serena’s footsteps? Take a look at our Tourism, Hospitality and Event courses now.
You can also register your interest or book a personal consultation to find out more.
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