Faber est quisque fortunae suae
(Every man is the architect of his own future.)
By Kelsey Butler ’13 ’14
Published Monday, Nov. 11, 2013
Some say people get lucky, others say it was fate, and the rest of us believe hard work is the key to all of our achievements. Mark Wilchinsky ’13 is one of these people. The hospitality management alumnus never believed a job was simply going to fall into his lap, so he became proactive.
Searching for schools seemed to be getting repetitious for Mark, every school’s mission statement, opportunities, and environment were virtually the same. After writing off roughly 20 schools, Mark came across Lynn University’s mission statement and read about the unique internship opportunities. It took Mark no more than a couple of minutes to fill out an application and decide Lynn was the place for him.
New beginnings meant new goals. The goals Mark set when he got to Lynn were not your average set of goals from a college student. If you surveyed a group of average college students in America what their goals are, the majority would have a one word answer: “Graduate.” This was not the case for Mark, his goals were:
1.) Start off the school year strong and with the conviction that I would let go of any counterproductive habits in my life.
2.) Obtain a job in my field of study by dedicating a plan that would further my education outside of school; and work a minimum of 25 hours per week.
3.) Obtain an internship.
4.) The more I struggle, the harder I will work.
5.) Find a job within 6 months after I graduate.
6.) Give back to those who have given to me.
Not your average goals. While most students aimed to graduate, Mark moved straight toward finding a job post-graduation.
While in school Mark had a busy schedule daily. He kick-started each day with a 3 mile run at 4:45 a.m., attended classes at Lynn from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and wrapped up the day by driving to Ft. Lauderdale to attend bartending school from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Mark knew all along that accomplishing his goals would require self-confidence, discipline and a high level of self-efficiency. “Good habits are the key to success and bad habits unlock the door to failure,” he said. Mark feels the educational innovation at Lynn enabled him to discover more about himself and his abilities.
Lynn helped Mark obtain an internship at the Wyndham Hotel, making his schedule busier, but giving him hands-on training to apply what he was learning in class.
Following graduation, Mark stopped by the Wyndham to fill out forms to finalize his internship hours and, to his surprise, the general manager offered him a full time position.
Mark admitted he already felt like part of the team. What more could he ask for, he was making money just a few weeks out of school? His new position put him in charge of coordinating marketing initiatives, building a social media platform, generating promotions, and even hosting events.
After four months, Mark was promoted to sales manager and continues to rise in the ranks. “I truly believe that all this would not have been possible, were it not for the personal attention and care I received as a student at Lynn,” Mark said.
Lynn will guide you in the right direction, but it is up to you to set goals and design your future. Faber est quisque fortunae suae.