Grad Plans to Open Bed and Breakfast After Getting Experience in Travel/Tourism Field

Ashley Lauren Havanec doesn’t want to work in an impersonal career.  She wants to interact with people.

“There are so many industries that are impersonal. Customers speak to machines and are taken care of by machines,” she said. “I want to work in a field where human contact is still seen as an important piece of the customer’s experience.”

So the 23-year-old has charted her course to work in the hospitality industry. She’ll graduate this May with an associate of applied business degree in Hospitality/Tourism. Her next steps include continuing her education and earning a bachelor’s degree in business management.

In the meantime she will seek employment with a hotel to gain the necessary experience she will need to eventually open a bed and breakfast.  The Vermilion resident hopes to open the B&B in the Vermilion area.

While her course is now clear, it wasn’t always that way for Havanec.  As a single mother she had to transfer to LCCC from the University of Toledo because of financial burdens. But what she found at LCCC in her courses and participation in Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) helped stabilize her life and crystallize her goals.

“The LCCC SIFE team has been a staple in my life the past two years. It helped me to become more confident in my public speaking, as well as confident overall in myself,” Havanec said.  She is currently the team’s vice president and participated in the team’s first place finish at the regional SIFE competition and first runner up finish at the national competition last year as well as its first place finish at the SIFE regional competition in March.

“SIFE has helped me so much. I would tell anyone coming to LCCC to get involved in something on campus. There are so many clubs and organizations; there really is something for everyone,” Havanec said.

Being involved in a club gave her the additional support she needed when things got tough as a single parent going to school.  “It will make your time in college more enjoyable,” she added.

And, Havanec said going to school would not have been possible without the help and support of her mother. “My daughter Kathryn is 19 months old. It was hard working full-time, going to school full-time and being a single parent. The past few months involved a lot of 20-hour days, lack of sleep and not being able to spend as much time with my daughter. These were the toughest things for me. I was lucky enough to have my mom to watch Kathryn while I went to school. My mom was able to give her some stability and routine,” Havanec said.

Lastly, she noted the dedication and support she received from SIFE advisor and LCCC professor Maria McConnell. “Mrs. McConnell was there for me as a mentor and encouraged me to continue school when I was having a hard time. I owe her a special thank you,” Havanec said.