Andrea Arrigucci

I have some incredible relationships with people in this space, as well as within our industry. I think my family has always really exemplified and practiced service to others, and I think that that's just something that's deeply ingrained and something that has been portrayed in our values. I don't know that I would have labeled it or understood it until I kind of reflected on it when I was older, knowing that that was what everybody in my family has found a way to devote themselves to - to find ways to serve other people. And so I think that those examples have been what gives me purpose and meaning, and what makes what I am doing feel important and have result. Those family examples really set a standard and showed me how to find fulfillment through serving others.

Recently, a mentor from when I was an undergrad told me, 'You'll only get as much out of something as you're willing to put in.' It was a response to the difficulty of being an instructor when 60% of the class is not taking it in, you know? And so it was actually meant to be for the perspective of the student, but in my perspective, I was like, that is so true. Taking everything I learned from being able to teach, and everything I learned from being able to travel or to collaborate with other groups, I think that advice really resonates, and I think it's really important. No matter what the task is at hand, you'll only get out of it what you're willing to put into it. Those examples are the things that will either help people take - lead by example and follow your lead, or let it go by the wayside.

I think that with any position, especially when you're making career changes and stepping out of your comfort zone to something that's either challenging or bigger stakes, always knowing what your strengths are - in terms of what you can sell to the employer, what you're providing, and how those things are transferable to whatever your next step is - is going to be a really important practice of awareness and practice of self-confidence and weighing risk. I think that that is the thing that's been most valuable in being able to make as many transitions from different types of roles and being confident that I could be able to rise to the occasion. And then on top of that, if you don't know, make sure that you find out, because in those situations, it's not just you that's at stake here. There's a lot of people relying on you - students, or stakeholders, or faculty - especially when you're kind of a public-facing person. My ability to connect with people or the way I represent us is important, and I take that very seriously. So having the accountability to recognize what your stakes are and what you're responsible for, I think are the things that really keep me motivated, but also keep me in line to keep that reality check still forefront of mind.

Higher education has been devalued, I think, in a lot of the overall scope in terms of either importance or of what higher education can provide in a career path, or if it's worth the cost or the consequence of debt. One of the things I love about my institution in particular is that it is a land-grant institution, which means that it is priced in a way that is meant to be accessible to as many people as possible, including that there's state funding and federal funding and scholarships, and there's a lot of focus on providing to first-generation populations. I keep trying to highlight that and to not discount it as an entire cause, but to find purpose and to find why the value is still worth any sacrifice or the time you put into it. Particularly even after the pandemic, so many people got laid off in the hospitality industry, but in reality, these are the businesses and the industries that we live our lives in all the time. People will always have to rent a car or be on an airplane. Our commerce, our local economies revolve around these things - where they stay, how they get somewhere, what purpose brings them to places. It's also how we celebrate in big moments of our lives, whether it's a birthday, a wedding, an anniversary, a graduation, or even how we come together in times of sadness, for mourning, for remembrance of life, or for community activism. All of those things are the way that we gather in those places and what brings us together, but it all revolves around places and food and people, and that's what hospitality facilitates. I think that that's really important to continue to put into context, to really fight for that as something that is highly valuable, but also full of growth and opportunity for people who are looking forward into different career paths and how education can help them.

I think being ethical is incredibly important. When I was in sales, I would always tell my salespeople, I will back you up and I will be there for you and I will go to bat for you, but if I find out that you are using my word when I have to go to bat for you with a customer and you are being fraudulent, my word means something to me. I want to be ethical, and I want you to understand that my word means something. That's also true with the positions that I work with now, where I tell students, my job is to sell this institution and this program and this experience to people as something of value and something that they're gonna get a lot out of. So I have a responsibility to advocate for students and to understand what could be better at this university and advocate for that, to make sure that when I'm endorsing this experience, nobody's making a liar of me and my word. So leading with ethical and integrity as a guiding force is very, very important to me. I think that's important in my relationships and everything - those are the things I really navigate my decision-making behind.