Hospitality Management A.A.
When Jennifer Kupka set her sights on a Hospitality Management degree, Bucks County Community College was the obvious choice for her to begin her educational journey. She was attracted to the excellent educational program as well as the campus’s proximity to her home and job and knew that Bucks was a smart financial decision.
“At the time, I was working at Applebee’s as a front-of-house team member, so enrolling at Bucks was the best decision for my career path. I graduated with an associate degree in Hospitality Management in 2016.
“My overall experience at Bucks was great and helped me to develop personally and professionally. In addition to the friendly professors, who genuinely cared about your academics, there was one professor who was a wonderful mentor to me: Professor Goldman. He was very passionate about his students’ developmental plan and was a great professor to all. Professor Goldman taught his students many things that weren’t taught in textbooks, which could be applied to real time situations.”
Jen also took full advantage of the rich student life offered at Bucks by joining the women’s basketball team, a sport she loves that provided some of her most memorable college moments. In addition to the fun and challenge of the games, she particularly enjoyed the rides to and from away games with her teammates, which she remembers as a great bonding experience for the players.
As for many Bucks students, the ability to balance work and school was one of the main reasons Jen chose to earn her degree here. However, after graduating in 2016, Jen had the luxury of not needing to go through the extensive job search process most graduates must undertake. Her degree opened management opportunities in the job she already had at Applebee’s and allowed her to transition from the restaurant to the corporate office of its owner/operator, The Rose Group.
“Bucks prepared me for this role through the internship I did with The Rose Group as a “Key Hourly,” which is part of company’s career path for management. I was able to apply many skills from my time at Bucks to my everyday job working at Applebee’s and, later, to my role at The Rose Group.
“In 2016, I transitioned from operations to administrative work at The Rose Group’s corporate office. I accepted a full-time position as their Executive Assistant and am proud to say I’m still working there today. I feel as if Bucks prepared me for this position as well, as their hospitality management program also included business administrative courses.”
Jen has a wide range of responsibilities in her current role, from acting as event manager for large corporate outings as well as smaller executive meetings to managing guest relations and serving as office manager. She feels very fortunate and grateful to have a supervisor who supports her continuing education and development, including funding her CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) and work to become a notary since she has been employed by The Rose Group. Her position has even led to some new activities in her personal life. The Executive Vice President/COO of The Rose Group introduced Jen to “Spartan Races,” a trifecta of three different races in one year which they're accomplished together!
Jen recommends that current Bucks students reach inside themselves to find spirit similar to what she relies on when facing such challenges as the Spartan Race.
“My advice to students who may be discouraged, struggling, or considering giving up is to just keep moving forward with your goal and to see it through. I understand if an individual needs to take a break to regroup, but never quit. Life will present you with many challenges and obstacles, some of which you may not be able to walk away from. Remaining focused and committed to your goal will provide you with a great sense of accomplishment once you achieve it.