Rex Resort's Kellyana Popo is another Success Story of the Apprenticeship Programme

A smile that’s catches the eye from a distance, and a calm and gentle spirit that soothes is a few of the qualities that defines this young lady.

Meet Kellyana Popo, a resident of Anse La Raye Saint Lucia. Kellyana was born and raised in the beautiful community of Anse La Raye and also attended both the Infant and Primary Schools there. After seating her common entrance examination, her satisfactory results gave her the opportunity to attend the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School and then Sir Arthur Lewis Community College where she studied Food and Beverage Operations. But before attending SALCC, Kellyana did a jumpstart programme at Monroe College in the field of Hospitality Management.

Kellyana admits that she always had a passion for the Hospitality Industry. While at SALCC, she worked part-time as a waitress for a catering company. Kellyana found out about the Apprenticeship Programme through her best friend who saw a post on Facebook while they were job hunting after completing their studies at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. After signing up for the program, they received a call three weeks later for an opportunity to do the apprenticeship with Rex Resorts. After months of searching for employment, Kellyana was so elated when she got that call from SLHTA.

Kellyana got the opportunity to be interviewed by the General Manager of the Royal by Rex Resorts, Mr. Richard Michelin and after a few weeks she received a call from the hotel informing her of her start date which was Monday 2nd March 2015. Although she had applied for a Waitressing position, she expressed to the Human Resource Manger Valery St Remy that she always wanted to try out Front Office although she had no experience in the area. She was granted the apprenticeship at the Front Desk. Despite her challenges during the first week, she held on and by the end of the second week she was very comfortable and impressed management with how much she was able to learn in the short space of time. Half way through her apprenticeship, Kellyana was already being left alone at the front office, including working night shifts.

Over the next 5 years Kellyana plans to further her studies in Hospitality and Tourism Management and hopefully move up the ranks into a supervisory or managerial position. Her true passion is in Events Management and hopes to pursue that passion as well.

Kellyana loves working at the Royal because of the family like setting of the Resort. Kellyana admits that “The guests always enjoy coming back to the resort because the staff are so friendly and welcoming, that why we have so many repeat guests”.

“Where there is a will, there is a way” and “this too shall pass” are the motto’s Kellyana lives by, especially through difficult times. She also relies on the power of prayer and an understanding that every tribulation does not last forever.

When speaking of what she has learnt because of the Apprenticeship program, she expounds that, “Do not wait for an employer to call you; it’s your duty to follow up for what you want. I also want to encourage every young person out there to spend some time and listen to Les Brown who is a great motivational speaker.”