A Day
in the Life!
BY MAE MAÑACAP-JOHNSON
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.
ISPA FOUNDATION MARY TABACCHI SCHOLARSHIP CO-RECIPIENT
KELSEY MARIE BRINK
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, Florida
elsey Marie Brink, a senior
taking up a degree in Resort
and Hospitality Management
at the Florida Gulf Coast
University (FGCU) in Fort Myers, Florida,
first heard about the ISPA Foundation
Mary Tabacchi Scholarship through Dr.
Mary Wisnom, an FGCU professor and
active ISPA member. “Dr. Wisnom is
incredibly involved with the spa industry
and always informs students of ways to
become a part of it,” Brink says.
She was inspired to apply for the
scholarship after attending the 2014
ISPA Conference & Expo, where she
personally met the scholarship recipients
of that year, Josee-Ann Cloutier and
Nicole Meneveau. Last year, Brink
applied for the scholarship but was not
selected. However, she didn’t allow one
setback to derail her dreams—so she
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applied again and, this time, succeeded.
“My biggest inspiration for applying
for the scholarship was the 2014 ISPA
Conference & Expo. I heard about the
event and saved up to attend,” she says.
“The Conference was such an amazing
experience, both professionally and
educationally. Seeing the support the
two scholarship recipients received from
the ISPA community at Conference had
a big impact on my impression of the
industry as a whole.”
Brink will have her chance to
experience this inspiring community
support as she, along with Margot
Mangiarotti (Cornell University in Ithaca,
New York), will be recognized on stage
as 2016 ISPA Foundation Mary Taccachi
Scholarship co-recipients.
So what did her day look like when
she first learned she is one of this year’s
scholarship recipients? Brink recalls that
day:
★ 10 am Worked on finishing up an
assignment for one of her summer
classes.
★ 2 pm Finished getting the house
ready for a Memorial Day cookout she
had planned later in the weekend.
★ 4 pm Received the exciting news! “I
was in the parking lot headed for work
when I received an email from ISPA
about my selection as a scholarship
recipient. I must have read the email five
times—and then called my mom to tell
her the news!” ■
Tips to Ace the ISPA Foundation Mary Tabacchi Scholarship
Application
● Apply! The worst thing that could happen is you don’t get
selected. “I applied previously and was not chosen, so I can’t
stress how important it is to p ut yourself out there again,” Brink
says.
● Start early in the application process. This will ensure you are
able to complete all requirements, such as submitting university
transcripts and letters of recommendation.
● Prior to the panel interview, double-check that your Skype
connection is up-to-date and working.
● Learn to calm your nerves prior to the panel interview. “I took the
time to think about my previous experiences in the industry and
all of the things that I want to accomplish once I graduate. I was
nervous but thinking of my different spa and educational experiences helped to calm my nerves and get me in the right mindset
for the interview,” she says.
WANT TO READ MORE? Click here and keep an eye out on the
post-Conference edition for a feature on this year’s ISPA Foundation
Mary Tabacchi Scholarship co-recipient Margot Mangiarotti.