November 2022 Spotlight: Roberto Barattolo
Roberto Barattolo, ISPA Class of 2016, Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Graduated in February 2021
Degree: Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management
Career Goals: My career goal is to become a Global Director of operations for a hospitality company. Hospitality has always been my passion and I would like to continue pursuing this career path until the passion is alive. My ultimate goal is to become an entrepreneur in the restaurant and hotel business by owning and managing various assets within Europe and the United States.
What has been the biggest surprise about the college experience? My college experience was full of surprises. If I had to choose from all of them, the biggest surprise would surely regard my personal growth. Although I have acquired many academical takeaways, the most beneficial one was personal growth. The main reason why I chose to go to Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne was that this university not only has a strong academia but also focuses on teaching its students the art of the Savoir Faire, indisputable professionality and the mastery of the industry, all with a winner’s mentality. Looking back at my first day of college, my character has changed for the better, and my confidence within the hospitality sector has greatly risen.
Most challenging coursework in college? The most challenging coursework was the Student Business Project, which served as the Bachelor thesis. The thesis comprised a team of 6 students serving as real-life consultants working on a defined project requested by a company or governmental entity. Ours was to create an innovative hub, involving universities, startups, and hoteliers, to support the Swiss hospitality sector accounting for the Covid aftermath.
Accomplishment most proud of? I am very proud of my journey, both in a professional and personal way. With hard work and dedication, I have managed to quickly acquire countless work experiences across the globe, Italy, Monte-Carlo, Thailand, Greece, and the UAE, to name a few. These experiences, combined with hard work and dedication, helped me to acquire my current corporate managerial role for the renowned international hospitality company, Nikki Beach. But what I am most proud of, is that I have managed to achieve all of this while having fun and enjoyable life.
Can you provide any advice for current ISPA students? Some advice I can provide to the current ISPA students is the cookie-cutter, yet true one. To dream big and, most importantly, to get out of your comfort zone by challenging ourselves every day. My proudest accomplishments all came with lots of hard work and pressure, especially in times of indecisiveness. Failure and mistakes will eventually happen, just take them as invaluable learning opportunities, and move forward.
Another piece of advice that has greatly impacted my academic and professional career is to gain as much work experience as possible during your early years, this helps to find out what your true passion is and to become more adept in the future professional life.
Can you tell us how ISPA prepared you for success in college and in life?
ISPA was the first steppingstone of my professional career. What I have valued the most is how the program allowed students to have part-time employment during their senior year. This allowed me to start working at a fine dining restaurant in Brickell, called Toscana Divino, as a busser. Although it was quite challenging to find the right balance between academia and work experience, it turned out to be the best choice and experience I have ever made. This opportunity entirely shaped my life into becoming who I now am. Starting as a busser and to become a corporate manager. My brother, also from ISPA, started there as a mechanic and is now a yacht designer. It is with these work experiences which ISPA allowed us to discover our passions and to successfully commence our professional journey. But not all success lies in the preparation which ISPA has given me. ISPA also has prepared me for the equally important aspect of life, the social side. Possibly the greatest strength of this High School lies within the different international sections, Italian, French, and Spanish. ISPA was a melting pot of countless nationalities and cultures. Since freshmen year, the school became my ground for social interaction, and cultural learning and the place where I have made lifelong friendships, which I still cherish across the world. I have re-encountered alumni in Italy, Spain, France, and the US.
I paid for college with… I was lucky to have my parents providing a little less then half of the tuition. Having a Swiss nationality, the majority was covered by the Swiss canton.
Fondest memory from High School? All the events and interactions with high-school friends. From prom, and Halloween parties to the not-so-liked and feared by our teachers, senior pranks. Being a small charter school, IPSA allowed us to become a family and create lifelong memories.