While the world was dramatically changing in March due to COVID-19, NC student Celeste Anderson was facing her own personal battle which made graduation seem uncertain.
She was in her final term and had just completed her co-op placement at Blue Mountain Resort when the Tourism Management – Business Development (Co-op) student was diagnosed with cervical cancer.
“In just a day, my entire lifestyle completely altered,” she recalled.
After moving back in with her parents and going through surgery, Anderson was able to complete her term and graduate with flying colours. Today, the 31-year-old recent graduate has much to celebrate with a Dean’s Award in recognition of achieving a 97.62% average in her program.
“It feels rewarding because you remember all those long nights and how much hard work you put in. I set a goal in mind and decided to go after it, so to see it come to fruition, made me feel proud,” she said. “If it weren’t for the support of my family, friends and especially my professors and associate dean to help me finish my semester and graduate, I wouldn’t have been able to overcome the challenges and succeed the way I wanted to.”
Anderson is no stranger to success. A professional gamer since the age of 15, she became a television personality on the first season of the reality TV show, King of the Nerds in 2013 where she competed for a $100,000 prize – and won. That experience catapulted her into the media spotlight., including an interview with Conan O’Brien.
So how did an award-winning pro gamer, also known for being able to solve a Rubik’s cube in 20 seconds, end up pursuing tourism at NC?
Travelling across North America for video game competitions for more than 10 years during her teens and early twenties first ignited Anderson’s passion for the industry – or, more specifically, for being a tourist. It wasn’t until after a backpacking trip through Europe in 2018 that Anderson began to consider tourism as a possible career.
“There are a lot of emotional and memorable ties I have to all of my travel experiences and those alone, made me realize that I wanted to bring that same kind of joy and significance to people who travel to new destinations and indulge in experiences that they want to stay with them forever,” she said. “I think that is why I loved travelling so much, and why I would love to share that excitement and enjoyment with people that go out there to see the world.”
With a goal of becoming an entrepreneur in the industry, she enrolled in NC’s Tourism Management – Business Development program as her passport to making her dream come true. Being able to study in Niagara, a Canadian hallmark tourism destination, she viewed NC her best option.
“I knew there could be a lot to learn in just the area in itself, and Niagara College was going to give us a lot of experience and knowledge about Niagara Falls’ impact in the Canadian tourism industry,” she said.
A natural competitor, Anderson has always had the drive to challenge herself. Still, she attributes the support she received from NC faculty as key to her academic success.
“I saw how much they always wanted to see their students succeed and learn, and throughout my entire time at Niagara College, they were always wanting to provide the best support they could to all their students and push them to try harder,” she said. “Seeing how much effort they put into their teaching, made me want to return and do the same in every one of their classes.”
At NC, Anderson was involved in campus life as a peer mentor and as a class representative for the NC Student Administrative Council. She also continued participating in video game tournaments on campus.
Her Entrepreneurship class led her to discover a new goal when she was tasked with creating a new business concept. That idea has now turned into a lifelong goal she plans to pursue in the future.
She values the experience she gained through her co-op placement as an adventure guide at Blue Mountain. Part of the resort’s outdoor attraction operations – including treetop trekking, ziplining, bag jumping and more – she earned rescue certifications and became a course inspector, rescuer and attractions operator. With confidence in her new skills, she discovered her interest in pursuing outdoor adventure tourism, which led to a job as Blue Mountain’s adventure ropes supervisor immediately after graduating in June.
While COVID has affected the industry, Anderson plans to work on launching her business plan for the concept she designed in her Entrepreneurship class. In December, she will also begin a new venture that combines her passion for travel, tourism and video games as project manager for e-sports production leader, Northern Arena.
For Anderson, graduating from NC means more than words can explain.
“I had gone through my adulthood being afraid of school, but only dreamt of graduating. And so, finally being able to graduate feels overwhelming and simply, amazing,” she said. “I came in with goals in mind, and I ended up leaving with having met such incredible people, a sense of accomplishment, and a clearer understanding of the career path I am on.”
She looks back on her time at NC with a sense of gratitude.
“Every experience at NC will be something I cherish for the rest of my life.”
