PATA PH Enderun Colleges Student Chapter: It’s Just the Beginning
According to the PATA Youth website, “The PATA Student Chapters started as a motivational tool to empower the youth with “knowledge, connections, and a voice across the tourism industry.” Since then, PATA Youth has created different events, internships, and programs to further achieve this goal. As PATA Youth stretches all across the globe, everyone in it has the power to gain connections and mentorship sessions with professionals and youths across all borders. As PATA Youth not only trains and dreams for the youth to stand out, they also make sure that the youth is able to stand up and lead.
In December 2021, the PATA Philippines Enderun Colleges Student Chapter was elected to be part of the PATA Board 2022. This meant that there would be a new set of leaders seated at the table and someone from our very own school would be part of that table. Part of being a board member does not only come with the esteemed title, but big responsibilities as well. The PATA Board has forty members with at least eleven Destination Category members, three Destination or Country Chapter representatives, one PATA Young Tourism professional, and one Student Representative. Being that one student representative means a voice for the youth. This can create a big impact and open up a lot of opportunities for the future of the youth.
PATA continues to bring the international tourism community together. While they continue to pursue their initiative to do so, it allows students, who have the same career goals, to come together and make an impact in each of their own communities. This is why PATA Philippines Enderun Colleges Student Chapter aims to create a team of student leaders that is ready to face the challenges the world throws at them.
This has also allowed the students of Enderun Colleges to be challenged and learn from professionals in the same industry. Having a student representative within the PATA Board enables the youth to have a little more courage to speak up and create a future for themselves.
In May 2022, the final list of the PATA Board elections were released. This announcement was celebrated as it was officially announced that one honored someone from Enderun had the chance to sit in the PATA Board. It was then in June of 2022, the position of chairperson of Enderun Colleges’ Student Chapter was handed over from Eunkyu “Nick” Chun to Keona Liuson.
As the previous chairperson of the Enderun Colleges student chapter, Eunkyu “Nick” Chun says this:
“Over the course of the pandemic, PATA Philippines Enderun Colleges Student Chapter was rebooted and has been growing through big and small challenges. In the process, the officers, including myself, learned and grew with the Student Chapter. The biggest achievement of the previous officers would be to be elected as the Student Representative on the PATA Executive Board. By landing a seat on the PATA Executive Board, our Student Chapter is now not only representing Enderun Colleges but also the Philippines in general in an international setting. I firmly believe that Keona Liuson, with best of her abilities, will serve the Student Chapter to keep up its reputation and for its further development.”
As Keona Liuson prepares for her incoming chairperson role, here’s what she has to say about it:
“More than a title, being the next chairperson and PATA Board Student Chapter representative opens up opportunities for me to better serve the IHM community. It is with great and humble appreciation that I thank those around me for the trust that they have bestowed upon me. To my parents who have always believed in me, the friends who have been with me, the mentors who have guided me, to one of my greatest friends and supporter Nick Chun, and to our adviser Ms. Bel Castro, I only hope to give back what I’ve learned and encourage others one step at a time. Though it may seem like a difficult road ahead, I vow to use the responsibility given to me wisely and to the best of my abilities.”
As our very own student chapter moves up to be part of the PATA Board, we hope that we are able to use this responsibility to impact PATA, the Philippines, and all youth across the globe. We hope to create a change and prove that the Youth should be heard and act as a catalyst for better change. Watch out, world, because here we come.
