Miles Smith has been with Holiday Inn Club Vacations for almost 5 years. He initially started as a Resort Operations Intern with our inaugural class in 2018, learning from many of the departments Orange Lake had to offer. After completion of the RISE program and graduating from UCF, Miles worked as a Front Desk Specialist at Orange Lake before accepting a position as Assistant Manager of Guest Services at our Villages Resort in Flint, Texas.
Why did you decide to do RISE?
I had recently changed majors from engineering to business and did not know in what direction I wanted to steer my career towards. My counselor at UCF told me to apply and so I did and never looked back!
What was your RISE experience like?
Starting out as a Resort Operations Intern, I went through nearly every department available at Orange Lake. It really helped me obtain the working knowledge and scope I needed for understanding how running a resort really works. I worked line level and shadowed managers and trainers along the way as well. During our RISE sessions on Fridays, I got to know my fellow RISERs working in different areas. We also worked on a group project that we presented in front of over 40 leaders. I was hired back for a furthering RISE experience where I continued deeper learning of departments and working on a few other projects as well.
What is your favorite memory from your RISE internship?
It’s difficult to pin down one moment, but I would have to say working on the first heat map and live updating dashboard for property with some other interns was one of the top memories for me. Being able to pioneer an idea and working with other students to achieve it really made me feel like I was making an impact on the company, and have the opportunity to do so was amazing.
What’s your favorite quote?
“The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine.” — Nikola Tesla
Stay tuned each month as we feature more RISE alumni and share their RISE-ing up stories!
