Staying on course: Grad earns executive degree and forges her path at Sandals Resorts International

Last year, the catastrophic Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 storm, caused devastating impacts on Jamaica. Panther Okema Walters-Brown was living in her home country and earning a graduate degree online from FIU. She didn't let the storm stop her from fulfilling her dreams.

Despite severe damage to her home - not to mention a major island-wide power outage after the storm - Walters-Brown persevered and stayed on track with her online studies to earn her degree.

Now, the 43-year-old is an FIU alumna with an executive master’s degree in hospitality management. She walked across the stage summa cum laude with a 3.96 GPA from the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at FIU.

“It’s been an amazing journey and everyone has been so kind and accommodating. It has been a wonderful experience, this master’s program. I enjoyed the program tremendously,” said Walters-Brown.

For years before her journey as a fully online graduate student studying hospitality management, Walters-Brown served as one of the principal liaisons between FIU and her world-renowned employer, Sandals Resorts International, a collection of all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean.

As administrator of Sandals Corporate University (SCU), she guides a professional education program jointly offered by FIU and SCU, which has seen nearly 200 graduates since its start. She additionally plays a critical role coordinating study abroad and externship opportunities between Sandals and the Chaplin School. All of this is on top of her internal responsibilities for the learning and development of over 20,000 Sandals team members across ten Caribbean islands.

Walters-Brown (right) receiving her diploma from FIU President Jeanette M. Nunez.

Last year, she faced one of her greatest challenges when Hurricane Melissa battered the entire island of Jamaica. The record-breaking storm tore the roof off her home and bore significant damage to her community in Negril, but it did not interfere with her commitment to finish her degree. In order to turn in her assignments, Walters-Brown drove to a local car wash 15 minutes away and camped out there all day to log into class and complete her online coursework. For months, she made the drive, while also helping her neighbors and Sandals team recover from the storm.

“I am very happy and thankful to have completed my studies despite the impact from Hurricane Melissa and the damages it caused to my home, and I am immensely grateful to Sandals and Beaches Resorts who supported me with care packages, which was not only for me, but for all team members across Jamaica,” she said.

Walters-Brown thanks the Sandals Foundation for awarding her with the Gordon Butch Stewart Tourism, Hospitality and Service Scholarship, which included full tuition to attend FIU and complete her studies, following in the footsteps of the company's Executive Chairman Adam Stewart, who is also a graduate of FIU's top-ranked hospitality program. She hopes this degree will allow her to transition to the Sandals Foundation team, her dream career path.

She also expresses gratitude for her direct supervisor Luz Longworth, senior corporate director of SCU and Marc Federick, SCU corporate manager, for encouraging her studies during the island’s hurricane recovery. She says she could not have passed her classes without their support allowing her to focus on school during the major power outage.

As for what’s on the horizon?

“What’s next is to use everything that I have learned to elevate hospitality in the Caribbean. I am passionate about life-long learning, and I want to develop teams and talent, and I am very ready to step into my next chapter,” Walters-Brown said.