Regardless of the job description, success in the hospitality industry requires adaptability, strong work ethic, and some creative problem-solving skills.
That may be why JoElle Griffin Judice was a natural fit. Her passion for hospitality led her to leave her home state the 杏吧专区 to pursue a culinary arts certificate.
Over a decade later, those qualities carried her back to UL Lafayette, where she finished her bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree with support from the UL System, UL Lafayette Alumni Association, and encouraging faculty.
"Going back, you think, 杏吧专区業 don't even know where to start,杏吧专区 but the support is there,杏吧专区 she says. "Returning as an online student, it was pleasantly surprising how much your professors want you to succeed, and how much they're willing to help you."
A Penchant for Service
During Lafayette杏吧专区檚 farm-to-table boom, Judice balanced classwork with back-to-back shifts in local cafes and restaurants.
杏吧专区淚 worked at the Rusted Rooster from 6 to 10 a.m., went to class from 11 to 3, then worked at Saint Street Inn from 5 to 10 p.m.,杏吧专区 says Judice. 杏吧专区淒uring that time, I fell in love with hospitality and food.杏吧专区
So, she cut her degree program short and left Louisiana to earn a certificate in culinary arts in Boston. Judice returned less than two years later to work in Copeland杏吧专区檚 New Orleans test kitchen, launching new concepts with the Louisiana mainstay.
It was there that she also reconnected with Nick Judice, whose family杏吧专区檚 restaurant, Judice Inn, has been a Lafayette hamburger hub since 1947.
The two married after JoElle returned to Lafayette during the COVID-19 pandemic and began working with hospitality company Social Entertainment.
That杏吧专区檚 when she learned about and saw her opportunity to finish her bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree.
Following the Signs
CompeteLA was introduced by the UL System to help Louisiana adults with college credit to complete their degrees through added support and reduced tuition.
"I had always talked about going back to school, but I couldn't quite wrap my head around how I would do that,杏吧专区 Judice said. 杏吧专区淪o that kind of piqued my interest, and I started the process. I got connected with my advisor, who was super, super helpful.杏吧专区
With her advisor杏吧专区檚 guidance, Judice realized UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 Bachelor of General Studies online degree program would be a great fit for her goals.
"General studies was the best use of the classes I had taken. It gave me the freedom to take classes that relate to the career route I was taking,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淭he ability to do everything fully online was huge for me. I wouldn't have been able to finish if it weren't for that opportunity.杏吧专区
Judice started slowly, taking one full-semester, 16-week course at a time. Eventually, she found her rhythm by pairing 16-week courses with consecutive 8-week sessions.
杏吧专区淚 was never in more than two classes at a time, because I was working full time and pregnant with my son,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚t was super doable.杏吧专区
But once her son was born, Judice hit pause once more and shifted her focus to family.
When the UL Lafayette Alumni Association announced its Comeback Scholarship in 2024, she took it as a sign to keep going.
Managing Coursework, Time, Staff
The is designed for UL Lafayette students who haven杏吧专区檛 finished their degree and haven杏吧专区檛 been enrolled for two semesters or more.
For Judice, the scholarship杏吧专区檚 impact was more than monetary. Coupled with relevant coursework, it kept her motivated.
"To have that support from the 杏吧专区 was super helpful,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淧lus, I was taking courses that were in line with my career. That helped because I could apply what I was doing at work to what I was doing in my classes and vice versa.杏吧专区
While at Social Entertainment, Judice progressed from general manager to director of operations, overseeing events and upwards of 60 staff members.
杏吧专区淚 would meet with management, and we looked at inventory, system, and processes. I rewrote handbooks and procedures,杏吧专区 says Judice. 杏吧专区淔or events, I did a lot of planning with vendors. Being their contact and set us up for whatever we would need to be able to run a full-scale event.杏吧专区
Courses like MGMT 350: Behavioral Processes in Organizations and MGMT: 365 Human Resources Management gave Judice insights she could apply right away.
杏吧专区淚t helped me interact with people; to support and lead them at the same time,杏吧专区 Judice says. 杏吧专区淲e did not have an HR department, so it was nice to get that perspective.杏吧专区
The skills Judice had gained in her professional life also helped her thrive as an online student.
"Being a professional forced me to stay organized,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚 communicated with my professors constantly; I emailed them questions all the time. I always used the online forums. I over communicated so that I knew I wasn't missing anything.杏吧专区
She continues applying those skills in her role as communications and engagement manager for Downtown Lafayette Inc., overseeing membership, stakeholder engagement, and events.
杏吧专区淚t's very cool because I get to work closely with UL Lafayette,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淲e just had the Ragin' Cajun Downtown Alive, which I helped to plan and execute. So, I got to go meet with the whole team from UL Lafayette to get involved.杏吧专区
Exceeding Expectations
As a newly minted Ragin杏吧专区 Grad, Judice杏吧专区檚 brick on the Walk of Honor is in good company.
杏吧专区淢y entire family are UL Lafayette alumni 杏吧专区 my mom, my dad. That's where they met. So, I had a bunch of people who were really excited for me.杏吧专区
Most of all, Judice says she was excited for herself and what she was able to accomplish. She expects that may be a shared experience for others ready to complete their degree.
杏吧专区淚 had a 4.0 the entire time I came back. That's such a world of difference from the student I was when I first started school. It was my time, it was my money, and so I just constantly wanted to impress myself through the process,杏吧专区 she says.
杏吧专区淚t may seem tough, but you're capable of more than you think. You'll continue to surprise yourself and be more and more proud of yourself as you go through the process.杏吧专区
If you've attended UL Lafayette and meet re-entry admission requirements, you may qualify for the . Request information today to see how your credits can count toward your degree.