A Day
in the Life!
BY ALEXANDER MENRISKY
The life of a spa professional is a continuous cycle of daily
responsibilities that help make the spa world go round. Pulse
asks ISPA members to give us a sneak peek into their daily
lives to help us understand the roles they play and the
difference they make on a daily basis.
between scholarship recipients and the
broader industry. In turn, this fosters a
networking habit crucial for young
professionals entering the field
ISPA
with spa veterans. “Meeting
ION
FOUNDAT CHI
C
A
B
A
professionals and being
T
Y
R
MA
SHIP
SCHOLAR
involved in the discussions
COand research on the topics that
T
RECIPIEN
matter to the future of spa business provide newcomers with a sense
of community. In the future, they can
turn to this network when in need of
ANNE-LIISE VERPSON
inspiration, useful advice or a skillful
Spa Student, University of Tartu
partner,” she says. “Such a mutually
Pärnu, Estonia
rewarding combination of relationships
and activities provides strong foundan the process of earning a
tions for sustainable industry progress.”
master’s degree in Wellness and
Verpson hopes to use this experience
Spa Service Design and
to
help
her facilitate partnership projManagement at the University of
ects,
specifically
between the ISPA
Tartu in Pärnu, Estonia, Anne-Liise
Foundation and the Estonian Spa
Verpson learned about the ISPA
Association in order to help develop
Foundation Mary Tabbachi Scholarship
international spa relations for future genand its mission from the ISPA website. “I
erations. More importantly, she plans to
admire [ISPA’s] generosity in supporting
directly relate her experience to younger
newcomers with an incredible scholar-
I
ship that would help novices like me to
reach our career goals and contribute to
the development of the spa industry,”
Verpson says.
She applied for the scholarship while
on a three-month internship in Italy. The
interview took place a day after her
arrival back in Estonia. “My preparation
for the interview started when I began
my studies in the spa and wellness field
a few years ago,” she says. “When the
scholarship interview took place, it was
my chance to let the [selection committee] know of my general knowledge of
the industry and where I see myself in
this big picture.”
For Verpson, ISPA’s scholarship
opportunities are an integral part of the
future of the spa industry, creating the
ability to forge strong connections
84 PULSE
■
October 2015
spa students, who one day might follow
in her footsteps. “I would like to arouse
the enthusiasm of novices in the field
and encourage them to work on their
dreams rather than stay at home and
hope that one day they will do something,” she says.
On the day she received the news
about her selection as one of this year’s
ISPA Foundation Mary Tabacchi
Scholarship winners, Verpson recalls a
simple time spent with family that was
made more memorable after receiving a
much-a waited surprise in her inbox.
★ 10 am Worked in the garden and
dug up beds for beans and peas
gathered during a trip to Italy.
★ 4 pm Visited her 97-year-old grandmother for some candy, in exchange for
a back massage and news about her
internship experience in Italy.
★ 9 pm Received an email announcing
her selection as a co-recipient of the
2015 ISPA Foundation Mary Tabacchi
Scholarship ■
Tips for a Successful Application
Verpson offers the following tips to help spa students interested to
apply for next year’s ISPA Foundation Mary Tabacchi Scholarship ace
the application process.
●
Compile a thorough professional resume. This should include all
of the steps and achievements on your educational and career
path that you consider significant in reaching your goals in the
field of spa and wellness.
●
Start gathering useful documents (e.g. school diplomas, reference
letters) as soon as the application process is declared open. That
way you can be operating within an adequate time frame.
●
Have properly functioning digital devices and a reliable Internet
connection for the Skype interview.
VISIT experienceispa.com to learn more about the ISPA
Foundation Mary Tabacchi Scholarship.