We are excited to introduce our new series, RISE-ing Up, which showcases the career milestones of our RISE alumni. RISE (Resort Industry Student Experience) is our companies college internship program, that introduces the hospitality industry to aspiring new professionals.
LeAnn Meyer has been with Orange Lake Resort, and Holiday Inn Club Vacations for over three years in a variety of capacities, from Learning Design Intern with the RISE program, to Human Resources, Training Coordinator, and Training Specialist with Resort Operations. LeAnn is also a member of the Diversity Council for Holiday Inn Club Vacations as well as the 2022 Expansions Class.
Why did you decide to do RISE?
While finishing my Masters degree program, I was seeking to transition into a training role. Kellie Rhoads, who I’d worked with previously, was a Training Manager with the Academy of Learning and Development and told me about the RISE Internship opportunity on their Learning Design team. While leaving my full-time job for an internship was certainly a risk, it’s one that I’m glad I took!
What was your RISE experience like?
My RISE experience exposed me to the processes and challenges of a full-fledged training team, and I got to be involved with projects that still impact the company today. I’m grateful to have had two separate RISE internships that both allowed me to further develop my problem-solving skills, exercise my strengths, and apply my education to my workflow.
How has RISE helped in your career development?
By allowing me to work with and interact with our company’s leaders, my foundations in the RISE program have helped me continue to grow and seek opportunities with my network. After my time as an intern, I grew into a full-time training role as a coordinator before moving into a specialist role that supported all of Orange Lake Resort. Now, I’ve been promoted to Training Manager at OLR, and both the experiences and relationships from my internship are still contributing to my success within the company.
Stay tuned each month as we feature more RISE alumni and share their RISE-ing up stories!
