Ever since she was a little girl, Samantha Markovic has been traveling across the country visiting national parks. She’s been to over a dozen. In fact, growing up, her dad used to pack up the car and take her and her four siblings on road trips together every year.

“My dad lives in Nevada,” she said, “so we’d visit him every summer and drive to the national parks.”

Those trips across America left an indelible impression on Markovic and a serious case of wanderlust.

That’s why it was so special for the 19-year-old Tourism & Hospitality Management major, from Ambler, when she got accepted into the internship program of a lifetime last summer. Markovic, a 2018 Hatboro-Horsham High School graduate, interned at Yellowstone National Park.

For three-and-a-half-months, she lived at the world-famous landmark, which is located mostly in Wyoming and parts of Montana and Idaho, and is home to stunning natural vistas, including the Old Faithful geyser. Her tasks included housekeeping, grounds keeping and assisting in the business office in locations across the park.

“It was one the coolest things I’ve ever done,” she said. “I’ve never lived anywhere outside my house before. I learned so much about the tourism industry and about myself.”

Markovic’s experience began during the spring semester of 2019 when Shawn Andre Murray, Tourism & Hospitality Management assistant professor, first mentioned several internship opportunities for his students, including positions at Cambria Hotel Philadelphia; in Orlando, Fla., through the Disney College Internship Program; and the program at Yellowstone. For Markovic, the choice was obvious.

“I’ve had an interest in national parks for a while,” she said, “and thought it would be awesome to work in one.”

Last summer, she took the flight out west and arrived just as the busy season was underway.

“When I first got there, the people were so friendly,” she said. “I stayed in dormitories and the first day was crazy. Depending on when you arrive, in the early season it can be crazy trying to set up hotels for guests coming to arrive.”

As she got into a natural rhythm, she started applying many of the lessons she’d learned from Murray’s classroom. “I’d have difficulties with guests and focused on just listening to them,” she said. “Working on communication, teamwork and making sure everything works. I got a hands-on experience that was really good.”

Markovic recalled one time when she was working as a housekeeper and, due to a scheduling mix up, guests complained that their room hadn’t been cleaned in time when they checked in.  

“They came to me and were very angry,” she said. “I just listened and said ‘I’ll take care of this.’ That’s when I saw their anger shift to reassurance.”

Hearing his student was utilizing the skills he’d taught made Murray proud, but not necessarily surprised.

“The new Tourism & Hospitality Management program at the College is designed to not only provide an excellent academic experience for students but also career connections with top firms locally, regionally, and nationally,” said Murray. “Samantha is an amazing emerging leader in the business of tourism, and it makes me extremely proud to not only mentor her but also to guide her professional journey, which resulted in a life-changing experience to learn and demonstrate the hotel management skills she learned in the classroom at Yellowstone National Park.”

Markovic, who has one more semester to finish at MCCC before she transfers to a four-year college or university, already has plans scheduled to continue working out West; this time at Olympic National Park in Washington State.

“The park has a diversity of ecosystems,” she said on what attracted her to the opportunity. “It has a beach, mountains and rain forests. And I’ve never been there before.”

The internship opportunity would allow her to experience tourism from a different perspective by working at the front desk. The program was originally slated to begin May 15, but the COVID-19 virus has put that in jeopardy.

Markovic said even if it falls through, she wants to continue working in a place surrounded by natural beauty, like a national park.

“I love the nature aspect of tourism,” she said. “I think I’d like anything that has to do with working in the tourism industry that has a nature aspect. I’d love to move out west. That would be awesome.”