The Baxter Student Ambassador Program (BSAP) is a one-of-a-kind post-secondary student mentoring program committed to identifying and supporting the Canadian travel industry’s top incoming talent. For a decade now, BSAP has upheld its mission to encourage young people to get involved in the travel industry, foster networking opportunities for graduating students, mentor the next generation of travel professionals, and cultivate engagement in the travel industry.
One Baxter Student Ambassador is selected from each participating college or university across the country to represent the next generation of talented travel professionals. The winning Ambassador is selected through a competitive process that includes a written application and a skill-testing virtual presentation on an assigned industry-related topic in front of a panel of judges. This process is intended to both challenge and inspire applicants while introducing them to aspects of the industry they may not have previously encountered. Learning and networking opportunities await each year’s group of Ambassadors, as well as bursary funding, prize draws and more.
The special BSAP issue of Travel Courier magazine features a profile of each Ambassador, introducing them to our readership of over 37,000 travel professionals and encouraging industry connections as they launch their careers.
This month, Travel Courier caught up with Prerna Prakash, a BSAP Ambassador from 2023, who says, “BSAP is an experience not to be missed. It helps you gain self confidence and understand where you can improve your skills. In addition, I got a chance to build my network, which was very important for me as a newcomer to the Canadian tourism industry.” Readers can learn more about Prerna’s career path in the Where Are They Now article.
Another opportunity earned by Ambassadors is being matched with an industry mentor. These mentors are hand-picked according to each Ambassador’s aspirations, in order to guide them on their career path and forge professional networks. As noted by Christel Kuiper, Professor and Program Coordinator, Tourism – Travel Services Management at Humber College, “BSAP is such a fantastic opportunity for students. A great big thank you to everyone involved at Baxter for organizing yet another successful 10th BSAP.”
Andrea Dixon, a professor at the School of Business & Hospitality at Algonquin College, says, “Algonquin College is honoured to be part of BSAP; I know our students value the opportunity and we hope to continue to participate in the future. We truly appreciate the time and effort that Baxter gives the next generation of tourism professionals.” Along with Christel, Andrea, and all of the BSAP partners, Baxter Media looks forward to seeing the bright futures of this year’s winners unfold.
Congratulations to each of the 2024 Baxter Student Ambassadors:
- Eric Rodrigue, Algonquin College
- Hanyi Jiang, British Columbia Institute of Technology
- Sebastien Laroye, Capilano University
- Mann Singh Luthra, Centennial College
- Isabelle Fazio, Conestoga College
- Sydney Auger, Fanshawe College
- Cristiano Guedes dos Santos, George Brown College
- Daphnee Astrom, Georgian College
- Deidra Rodney, Holland College
- Kulveer Kaur, Humber College
- Renalyn Santianez, Niagara College
- Christine Balaong, Toronto Metropolitan University
BSAP wouldn’t be possible without the support of our generous industry partners and sponsors, including Ensemble, the Jamaica Tourist Board, Manulife, Skal Canada, Tourism HR Canada, Trees4Travel, the Tourism Industry Association Of Canada, the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, and TTC Tour Brands.
