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.