Find Your Path

From the Desk of Mary

Event Manager - Entrepreneur - Adventurer

Earlier this month, I was honored to present at G. James Gholson Middle School's Career Day. Professionals in a variety of industries were invited to share information and highlights about their chosen career.

Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to encourage youth to explore the multifaceted world of event management! In the past, I've delivered speeches for conferences, presented in university classes, and spoken at graduations, but I must say… delivering five back-to-back lively presentations to keep 12 and 13-year-old students engaged has been the most challenging and rewarding.

The candid questions from these delightful students were refreshing and made me reflect on the path I took to my career. How did you choose your career?

What should have been a simple question to answer was actually complicated.

Why did I choose Event Management?

Truthfully, I didn’t choose to go down this path from the beginning; I was guided. My passion has always been travel and exploration, which led me to my undergraduate degree in Travel & Tourism Management.

As I neared the end of my undergraduate studies, I knew I wanted to continue to my Master’s, but had no clue what I wanted to specialize in.

It's interesting how life is similar to a puzzle. You may have all the pieces, but sometimes you need a little help pulling it all together.

It took my close friend and colleague, Dr. Kristin Lamoureux, to open my eyes and match my skills to the perfect field. Kristin and I met during our undergraduate program at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. She graduated a year prior to me and began her Master's program in Washington DC. ​ One evening, I received a call from Kristin claiming she’d found the perfect Master's program for me in the School of Business at George Washington University. It was the Master's in Tourism Administration with a concentration in Event Management.

Her call made me realize that I've always been a high energy, strategic person with a knack for problem solving and pulling together intricate details in any situation. Coincidently, I had completed an internship during my junior year with an event management company in Washington, DC. It all fell into place and I realized why I so thoroughly enjoyed my time planning events. My path was clear! Though event planning is a fun challenge for me, it can be very daunting, time consuming, and overwhelming for others. You might have the vision, but don't know where to start. Just like how Kristin helped me connect the dots and guide me to my path, sometimes outside support is all you need.

My team and I highlight the path for our clients by ironing out the minutiae and clarifying a plan. I love helping others bring their vision to life​ and lucky I was able to find the perfect profession. What about you? What made you choose your current profession? ​ I'd love to hear other answers! Please make sure to follow Occasions, Inc. on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.