UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Gina Bakey has always enjoyed visiting new places. She loves seeing how excited people get when they travel to somewhere new or return to a beloved place. One of her favorite places to go is Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
When Bakey found an online bachelor’s degree program at Penn State that combined her interests, she knew she was in the right place.
“I want to interact with guests and help them with their experiences,” Bakey said. “Interacting with guests gives me the opportunity to engage with people from all over the world.”
Bakey will graduate in May 2025 with the Penn State degree she earned online through Penn State World Campus. After she crosses the stage at commencement, Bakey will return to Disney World — this time as an employee, fulfilling a dream and years of work.
She said her course work, projects and real-world experiences from her degree in recreation, park, and tourism management have prepared her for a career in the tourism and travel industry.
Creating her Penn State experience
Bakey grew up a Penn State fan, and the love for her Nittany Lions grew when her brother enrolled at Penn State University Park. She wanted to be able to get her own Penn State education, which wasn't possible at the time.
“I loved visiting him. Toward the end of his journey at Penn State, I realized I wanted that same journey,” she said. “But because I was working full-time, there was no way I could drop everything and go up to the main campus.”
Bakey found Penn State World Campus and, in spring 2020, set out on her own Penn State journey. At the time, she was working in a retirement community and wanted to pursue social work. After her first year of course work, she decided it was not for her.
She began looking at other majors and picked recreation, park, and tourism management. It combined her passions, and she knew it was the perfect fit.
“I love to travel, interact with people and have fun,” she said. “It had my name written all over it.”
Building her knowledge and skillset
The bachelor of science in recreation, park, and tourism management, a 120-credit program offered online in partnership with the Penn State College of Health and Human Development, aims to show learners how to support and develop opportunities for recreation, and tourism management that benefit the economy, environment and well-being of people and communities. Students learn and apply social and behavioral theories while developing managerial and technical skills.
Bakey said the curriculum shows the depth of what it takes to be successful working in the tourism industry.
“As someone who travels, you don’t realize the behind-the-scenes, so it was very interesting to learn,” she said.
Bakey said a highlight of her academic experience came from a project in the "Recreation Facilities Planning and Management" course. Students learned about travel trends and challenges that come with the tourism industry, including safety, guest experience, and sustainability.
Another assignment she highlighted was one that teaches students to prepare to overcome potential challenges in the tourism industry while maintaining positive experiences for guests. The project prompted students to find an attraction or area that was struggling or shut down. Bakey selected a closed portion of Disney World known as “Discovery Island.”
Bakey researched the former attraction and the current state of the land, and she created plans to revamp the area into a new place for visitors to gather.
“I made it into a ‘Peter Pan Adventure’ where guests could do a scavenger hunt, take photos and other activities,” Bakey said. “That project and the course overall really got me excited for the major and to potentially work in Disney World.”
Bakey took her knowledge this semester to an oceanside resort in South Carolina, where she has been working as an intern and earning credits toward her degree. She plans and facilitates programs at a recreation center at Fripp Island Resort. Bakey has found ways to engage visitors, including overcoming challenges that come with the off-season.
“It’s a really fun place to work and learn at the same time,” she said.
Through her internship, Bakey gained experience working in the industry and spent time on a special project — she revamped the island’s staff housing, and it was graded by her agency supervisor.