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Danielle Caputi |
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After one year in a creative advertising program at another
college, and then one stint as an administrative assistant,
Caputi decided to find her true vocation.
"I quickly tired of the monotonous
9-to-5 office job and
realized that I had to get back into school and find
something I’d
truly enjoy," says the 23-year-old from North York. While
perusing through post-secondary program calendars, she came across
George Brown
College’s Special Events Planning for Destination Tourism program.
It caught her attention immediately because it was unique
and presented a career path that she had never thought
to consider.
"It piqued my interest because I often organized parties
and weekends away with friends, which I really enjoyed
doing," Caputi recalls.
After completing the two-year
program in 2004, what she discovered was her real interest
and true passion was
supporting charitable causes in the non-profit sector,
where she currently works as an event
co-ordinator for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
(CCFF).
Losing her father to heart disease when she was 15 not
only forced her to grow up quickly and realize the importance
of living life to the fullest but it also seemed to push
her towards a career
in fundraising in support of health care and medical
research.
Her job with CCFF involves assisting with the planning
and execution of such events as the 65 Roses Gala, the
Drive for the Cure golf tournament and the Great Strides™ walk
at the Toronto Zoo.
The Special Events Planning program
effectively prepared her for the work and her teachers
motivated her to succeed
in this dynamic field.
"The best thing about George Brown were the teachers.
I have never come across such dedicated and helpful individuals.
For the entire duration of the program, I always felt
like they really wanted
us to succeed," Caputi says. “In particular, the program
co-ordinator at the time, Gary Hallam, was an incredible
mentor and although he may not realize, he had a lot
to do with my accomplishments thus far."
In the two short years since
she graduated, Caputi has
accomplished a lot.
She started her career with an independent planning company
then decided to get into the non-profit sector. She started
volunteering with the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
(CCFF), which led to a
four-month contract. After that, she worked for Ronald
McDonald House and was then offered another position
with CCFF as the event co-ordinator.
"I think George Brown was an excellent foundation for
me and my career goals," Caputi says. “Since this is all
still very new to me, the sky is the limit. All I know
is that I found my calling, and I want to continue developing my career
in special events
in the non-profit sector."
We encourage you to visit the Alumni Association.
Or, contact information the Hospitality & Tourism Alumni association
at:
Hospitality & Tourism Alumni
300 Adelaide St. E.
Toronto, ON M5A 1N1
To learn more, visit the George
Brown College Alumni page.
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