Comprised of approximately 25,000 senior-level professionals in 80 nations around the world, Sk氓l International鈥檚 vast global network unites all branches of the travel and tourism industry through exclusive seminars, workshops, and conferences that benefit the professional sector.聽As a member of Sk氓l International, Dr. Ross will be able to take advantage of exclusive industry publications and databases, as well as networking opportunities and meetings at the local, national and international levels to remain on the cutting edge of the global travel and tourism industry.

鈥淚 am extremely honored to be accepted into such a remarkable and highly-respected organization,鈥� said Ross. 鈥淚 look forward to meeting many new industry colleagues and taking advantage of all the wonderful opportunities that Sk氓l offers its members. Additionally, I believe that my membership, along with Dean Pizam and Dr. Iskat, will help UCF鈥檚 Rosen College establish a greater global presence among the travel and tourism industry.鈥�

Ross was inducted into Sk氓l International at the Orlando chapter鈥檚 October meeting at the Buena Vista Palace. Lenore DeMeo, a Life Member from Hotel Sales, sponsored Ross鈥� membership.

In addition to Ross, Pizam, and Iskat, UCF鈥檚 Rosen College currently has six students participating in Sk氓l International鈥檚 Young Sk氓l program. The Young Sk氓l program allows students to participate in networking events, attend local Sk氓l meetings, and offers scholarship and mentoring opportunities.

UCF鈥檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management is the only academic institution in the region currently involved in the Young Sk氓l program.

For more information about Sk氓l International or Young Sk氓l, please visit.

鈥淵oung Sk氓l is a membership category of Sk氓l International specifically for students and young professionals directly related to travel and tourism,鈥� said Dr. Wilfried Iskat, Associate Professor at Rosen College and Sk氓l International member. 鈥淏y participating in this program, our students will be mentored by senior-level industry professionals, introduced to various businesses, partake in industry events, and network with Sk氓l members from around the world.鈥�

Sk氓l International鈥檚 Orlando chapter recently held a dinner meeting at the Rosen College campus to welcome Jed Miciak, Beatriz Alvarez, David Woodstein, Megan Joyce, Nicole Cutrufo and Aaron Rask as its newest members of the Young Sk氓l program. All six Rosen College Students will receive guidance from local Sk氓l members, attend monthly meetings, and participate in local networking events.

鈥淎fter our students graduate from the Young Sk氓l program, they automatically become active members of Sk氓l鈥檚 vast global network,鈥� said Dr. Iskat. 鈥淭his is an exceptional program to be associated with, and I鈥檓 excited to see how our students benefit from it.鈥�

UCF鈥檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management is the only academic institution in the region involved in the Young Sk氓l program. Presently there are only 339 Young Sk氓l members worldwide, including just 36 in the U.S.

For more information about Sk氓l International or Young Sk氓l, please visit .

I say resume, as opposed to start, because long before Bruckner stepped foot on campus, he was already thriving in his field. Growing up in West Islip, Bruckner worked at one of the busiest McDonald鈥檚 restaurants on Long Island, where he was promoted yearly from age 14 to 18, when he left his award-winning assistant manager position to attend UCF.

鈥淒uring my time at McDonald鈥檚, I saw the potential for me to be successful in the hospitality industry, but I knew I needed the education to support it,鈥� said Bruckner. 鈥淎n industry professional gave me a list of the top 10 hospitality schools, and I chose UCF because of its resources, location and opportunities.鈥�

Bruckner enrolled at UCF in August 2009, and despite the heavy course load necessary to complete a bachelor鈥檚 degree in three years, he excelled in his academics. The five-time Dean鈥檚 List honoree earned First Year Academic Scholar honors, recognition from two collegiate honor societies (Golden Key International Honor Society and Eta Sigma Delta), and has maintained an overall GPA of 3.7.

In addition to his academics, Bruckner has been heavily involved in the local and campus community, participating in multiple outreach programs, events and committees.聽 Bruckner has also chaired multiple student organizations and served as the project manager/creator for All Knight Study 鈥� UCF鈥檚 first 24-hour study space.

Now in his final year at UCF鈥檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management, Bruckner has already secured a job with the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resort, as a room service supervisor.

Bruckner has also been chosen, as the only Rosen College student this semester, to participate in a 10-day externship with Starwood Hotels & Resorts鈥� management training program in New York City this March.

鈥淭he opportunities that I have been given stem from a series of events that led to my successes,鈥� said Bruckner. 鈥淢y job at McDonalds got me interested in hospitality management, which led to me to UCF鈥檚 Rosen College, where learned and networked to achieve my goals.鈥�

While Bruckner has worked hard towards his goals, he admits that he鈥檚 had help along the way, crediting Student Services and Dr. Wilfried Iskat with pointing him in the right direction.

鈥淚 remember knocking on Dr. Iskat鈥檚 door and saying 鈥榟i, my name is Gary and I need your help taking the next step in my life,鈥欌�� said Bruckner. 鈥淗e helped me and suggested that I attend the Rosen College Career Fair, where I started networking with employers, and ultimately that helped me obtain my job.鈥�

Bruckner will graduate this fall with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management.