![user profile avatar](https://static.bold.org/profilePictures/dsc027623a325e5425094bc68f514bed184dd9bd.webp)
Hobbies and interests
Baking
Singing
Hospitality
Italian
Movies And Film
Music
Cooking
Spanish
Piano
Photography and Photo Editing
Travel And Tourism
Business And Entrepreneurship
Television
Marketing
Coffee
Concerts
Culinary Arts
Reading
Walking
Fashion
Food And Eating
Public Speaking
Reading
Adventure
Adult Fiction
Business
Classics
Cookbooks
Fantasy
Food and Drink
Novels
Horror
Mystery
Romance
Thriller
Young Adult
Women's Fiction
Westerns
True Story
Travel
Suspense
Science Fiction
Retellings
Literature
Literary Fiction
I read books daily
Alice LaBan
645
Bold Points1x
Finalist![user profile avatar](https://static.bold.org/profilePictures/dsc027623a325e5425094bc68f514bed184dd9bd.webp)
Alice LaBan
645
Bold Points1x
FinalistBio
Hello! My name is Alice LaBan, and I am starting the Master of Management in Hospitality Program at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University this upcoming fall semester. I went to the University of Michigan for my undergraduate studies, where I majored in business at the Ross School of Business. Since graduating college I have worked in both the hospitality and media industries. I spent a year in the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World, and I am currently in the Page Program at NBCUniversal.
Education
Cornell University
Master's degree programMajors:
- Hospitality Administration/Management
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Hospitality Administration/Management
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
Career
Dream career field:
Hospitality
Dream career goals:
East Coast Page
NBCUniversal2023 – Present1 yearFront Desk Concierge/Disney College Program Participant
The Walt Disney Company2022 – 20231 yearPastry Assistant/Marketing Assistant
P.S. and Co.2021 – 20221 yearConsulting Intern for Ross School of Business Consulting Corps
MYCOTOO2020 – 2020Production Intern
Greater Philadelphia Film Office2019 – 2019Lifeguard/Camp Counselor/Off-Season Staff Member
Camp Michigania2018 – 20191 yearFront Desk/Bartender/Lifeguard
The Lombard Swim Club2014 – 20217 years
Future Interests
Entrepreneurship
Sylvester Taylor "Invictus" Hospitality Scholarship
It has always been my dream to own a hospitality business, more specifically, my own restaurant. When I was diagnosed with Celiac disease in 2021, I thought that dream would never come true. How could I run a food business when I couldn’t eat gluten? My life has always centered around food, not only because my father is the restaurant critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer, but because of my passion for baking. I even started my own baking company when I was 13, and had spent years collecting and perfecting my favorite recipes with the goal of eventually serving them at my own establishment one day. The thought of all the commitment and years of practice becoming useless was truly devastating.
Fortunately, I came across an opportunity quickly after my diagnosis that changed my perspective, and allowed me to see Celiac disease as an opportunity, rather than just a hindrance. While exploring the gluten-free options in my home of Philadelphia, I discovered an entirely gluten-free bakery named P.S. and Co. Coincidentally, they happened to be looking for an assistant baker! I submitted an application, and was offered the job. What followed were eight months of learning all about the wonders of gluten-free baking and how it can impact people’s health and lives in general, as well as absorbing some of the best business and hospitality practices that I have carried with me since.
After I worked at P.S. and Co., I entered the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World. I worked as a front desk concierge at the All Star Music Resort, and I learned so much about customer service and the difference between service and hospitality. Disney encourages its cast members (a.k.a. employees) to create magical moments as often as possible. One of the main ways that Disney does this is by not just resolving the situations that have gone bad, but by getting ahead of issues before they happen. This especially applies to guests who have eating restrictions, like myself. Disney has mastered the art of accommodating allergies (which I’ve learned from personal experience is not always easy to do), and it can mean so much to someone who struggles with finding safe food on a daily basis. Guests with allergies can rest easy when enjoying food at a Disney property, and that is how Disney gets ahead of so many issues that can arise from hosting guests with eating restrictions.
I believe my dream of having my own restaurant one day will come true, and now it will have even more of a positive impact in the world than it would have before I was diagnosed with Celiac. That, combined with the knowledge I will gain in the Master of Management in Hospitality program at Cornell, will allow me to successfully establish a safe place for people with allergies to come and eat delicious food, experience first-class hospitality, and leave feeling healthy and happy.