Ever since I was a child, I knew that I wanted to be in the hospitality industry. As I admired hotels, restaurants, and amusement parks, I’d imagine what changes could be made to improve their services and appeal. To this day, I love the idea of owning and managing a hotel. Two years ago, I was introduced to restaurant management. I began to work at Chick-fil-A, a company renowned for its service, making me fall deeper in love with the industry. Eventually, I became a team leader at Chick Fil A, which helped me grow as a person and develop my leadership skills. It really is much more than a simple “my pleasure.” It is how it makes the customer feel, how you ensure a positive experience, the relationship that comes out of it, and getting guests to return. My ultimate goal is to be happy doing what I love, and I know this will become a reality with a career in hospitality. One of my favorite things about this industry is that it acts as a vessel to have a positive impact on the community. Through establishing relationships, creating reputations, and uplifting someone's mood, each aspect of this industry creates a space for everyone to be themselves and have an impact. One of the most rewarding experiences I have had working at Chick Fil A is making someone’s day by communicating with those who have a language barrier. As a Spanish speaker, I have the gift to make someone comfortable in ordering and receiving service in their native tongue with no judgment. When people realize I can take their order in Spanish, their eyes light up and I feel great knowing I made their day just a little bit easier. These occurrences happen a few times within my shifts, and they open the opportunity for me to connect and establish a relationship with the guest. In this way, hospitality allows me to have a positive impact on others. Working at Chick Fil A definitely has its ups and downs, but one thing that always remains strong is the bond I have with my co-workers. I truly work in such a supportive, uplifting environment with my co-workers who are more than just that- they are my family. Moving forward, I would love to mirror an environment where one can express their ideas, be supported, and grow their skills. Creating leaders and being able to help others grow is an enriching part of being in this industry. Moving forward, it is obvious to me that I wish to continue educating myself in this field. The “Bright Lights Scholarship” will help me kick-start my education and career. This scholarship will help fund my education at the University of Georgia to pursue a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and food industry management. I hope to use the knowledge I will gain to continue positively impacting those around me with genuine hospitality.

"If you're happy doing what you love, nobody can tell you you're not successful." This quote by Harry Styles encapsulates my feelings toward my future. Ever since childhood, I knew that I wanted a future in the hospitality industry. As I admired hotels, restaurants, and amusement parks, I’d imagine what changes could be made to improve their services and appeal. To this day, I love the idea of owning and managing a hotel. Two years ago, I was introduced to another area of hospitality- restaurant management. I began to work at Chick-fil-A, making me fall deeper in love with the industry. Eventually, I became a team leader at Chick Fil A, which helped me grow as a person and develop my leadership skills. It really is much more than a simple “my pleasure.” It is how it makes the customer feel, how you ensure a positive experience, the relationship that comes out of it, and getting guests to return. My ultimate goal is to be happy doing what I love, and I know this will become a reality with a career in hospitality. One of my favorite things about this industry is that it acts as a vessel to have a positive impact on the community. Through establishing relationships, creating reputations, and uplifting someone's mood, each aspect of this industry creates a space for everyone to be themselves. I always strive to have a positive impact on whoever has an interaction with me in life and at work. One of the most rewarding experiences that I have had working at Chick Fil A is being able to make someone’s day by being able to communicate with those who have a language barrier. As a Spanish speaker, I have the gift to make someone comfortable in ordering and receiving service in their native tongue with no judgment. When people realize I can take their order in Spanish, their eyes light up and I feel great knowing I made their day just a little bit easier. These occurrences happen a few times within my shifts, and they open the opportunity for me to have a connection and establish a relationship with the guest. In this way, hospitality allows me to have a positive impact on others. Working at Chick Fil A definitely has its ups and downs, but one thing that always remains strong is the bond I have with my co-workers. I work in such a supportive, uplifting environment with my co-workers, who are my family. This industry has allowed me to meet and learn from incredibly talented individuals. Moving forward, I would love to mirror an environment where one can express their ideas, be supported, and grow their skills. As a team leader, I have experienced what it is like to become a leader among my peers as well as developing other team members. Creating leaders and being able to help others grow is a very rewarding part of being in this industry. Seeing my own team members succeed under my guidance makes my efforts worthwhile. I am beyond excited to begin my educational career at the University of Georgia, where I will be pursuing a Hospitality and Food Industry Management degree. The impacts of hospitality never fail to amaze me as possibilities are endless in the industry. Knowing I may pursue careers in restaurants, hotels, or some other yet unknown sector, I feel relieved to know I will be happy in an industry that fulfills me. This will allow me to be successful by every measure because ultimately, I am doing what I love.

Arianna Castillo is a UGA honor graduate who owns and operates a successful business in the hospitality industry; she uses every opportunity she has to positively impact those around her with genuine hospitality, and is happy doing what she loves the most.

Ever since I was a child, I knew that I wanted to be in the hospitality industry. As I admired hotels, restaurants, and amusement parks, I’d imagine what changes could be made to improve their services and appeal. To this day, I love the idea of owning and managing a hotel. Two years ago, I was introduced to restaurant management. I began to work at Chick-fil-A, a company renowned for its service, making me fall deeper in love with the industry. Eventually, I became a team leader at Chick Fil A, which helped me grow as a person and develop my leadership skills. It really is much more than a simple “my pleasure.” It is how it makes the customer feel, how you ensure a positive experience, the relationship that comes out of it, and getting guests to return. My ultimate goal is to be happy doing what I love, and I know this will become a reality with a career in hospitality. One of my favorite things about this industry is that it acts as a vessel to have a positive impact on the community. Through establishing relationships, creating reputations, and uplifting someone's mood, each aspect of this industry creates a space for everyone to be themselves and have an impact. One of the most rewarding experiences I have had working at Chick Fil A is making someone’s day by communicating with those who have a language barrier. As a Spanish speaker, I have the gift to make someone comfortable in ordering and receiving service in their native tongue with no judgment. When people realize I can take their order in Spanish, their eyes light up and I feel great knowing I made their day just a little bit easier. These occurrences happen a few times within my shifts, and they open the opportunity for me to connect and establish a relationship with the guest. In this way, hospitality allows me to have a positive impact on others. Working at Chick Fil A definitely has its ups and downs, but one thing that always remains strong is the bond I have with my co-workers. I truly work in such a supportive, uplifting environment with my co-workers who are more than just that- they are my family. Moving forward, I would love to mirror an environment where one can express their ideas, be supported, and grow their skills. Creating leaders and being able to help others grow is an enriching part of being in this industry. Moving forward, it is obvious to me that I wish to continue educating myself in this field. The “Sylvester Taylor "Invictus" Hospitality Scholarship” will help me kick-start my education and career. This scholarship will help fund my education at the University of Georgia to pursue a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and food industry management. I hope to use the knowledge I will gain to continue positively impacting those around me with genuine hospitality.

There are many components when it comes to what fuels your life. What is it that motivates you? What keeps you going when things get tough? What gives you the energy to keep pushing? Everyone has different sources that give them "fuel." One of my main "fuel" sources is my dream to own my own restaurant or hotel. Just thinking about being able to achieve this dream excites me. I want to keep pushing because of where I want to be down the road. This dream is one that I have had since childhood, and every day I remind myself that I am closer to achieving it. I have worked diligently to prepare for my future in the hospitality industry, and one thing I have done was get a job at Chick Fil A. Getting a job where hospitality is a priority made me fall deeper in love with the industry. That leads me to my next fuel source, my coworkers. Working at Chick Fil A definitely has its ups and downs, but one thing that always remains strong is the bond I have with my coworkers. I truly work in such a supportive, uplifting environment with my coworkers who are more than just that- they are my friends. In my future in the hospitality industry, I would love to create an environment where one can express their ideas, be supported, and grow their hospitality skills. With this being said, my goals and co-workers are my major fuel sources in my life to achieve my dreams in the future.

Growing up I never thought money would be a problem in attending my dream school and getting my degree. But now as a high school junior, it has all been getting more real. In my family, I would be the first college graduate. All my parents have ever wanted in life was for my brother and me to be successful and to reach heights that they weren’t able to. With recent events and an upcoming deadline for college applications, being able to pay for a college I want to go to seems like it is slipping from my grasp. It’s not impossible, but boy is it hard. I will be pursuing hospitality management, something I have known for ages. But it’s scary not knowing whether or not my family and I can pay for me to get the education I would love to have. Getting this scholarship is more than $1,000; it would be a stepping stool for me to get to my goals. I would be one step closer to being able to afford college and pursue my passion. One step closer to getting books. One step closer to achieving my dream and owning my own business in the hospitality industry. So my answer to the question is somewhat simple, but it’s real. I would save the $1,000 right now until the time comes for me to pay for my books and tuition.