Yuliya Masangkay '03

Employment Manager,

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
(Maiden name: Yuliya Gavrilovich)

q: What do you do?

a: I've worked at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Florida for six and a half years. Currently I manage employment, which includes recruiting, hiring, and compensation for all the positions at the hotel.  

q: What's your favorite part of the job?

a: Gaylord Palms is a unique company because we have a very “grey” environment. We customize decisions and actions based on the situation. It’s fun to have the freedom to make decisions and to have an ability to think outside of the box to truly make a difference for a guest, a STAR, or a fellow Leader.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: While my department operates very smoothly, there's never enough time in the day. It took some time for me to realize that sometimes it’s O.K. to finish something that’s non-urgent the next day.

q: Do you stay in touch with any other UCF hospitality alums?

a: In addition to the many Rosen College alumni who work here, I also stay in touch with Jessica O'Boyle '03 and Oriana Guevara '04.

q: Outside work...you're most likely to be seen?

a: With my family. We are always out and about.

q: Your biggest accomplishment since graduating, outside your career?

a: Being a Mom....the most rewarding job I have ever had.

q: How did UCF prepare you for what you do?

a: I would have never been able to secure a position that I got after graduation without my Rosen degree. Relationships with Career Services and my professors have also helped me be successful in my current role.

q: Your favorite class?

a: Hospitality Law with Rosemary Krebs. She was a fantastic instructor and I was sad to see her leave UCF.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: The classes could be even more difficult, with more hands-on experience in food and beverage, rooms, etc. I have seen higher focus on practicum while recruiting at other schools and I would love to see that at UCF.

q: A UCF memory?

a: Long days! I worked and took extra classes to graduate early. Now that I look back, I have no idea how I did it and was able to have a life.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: Sushi at Amura. It might be something different tomorrow – we love trying new restaurants.

q: On your iPod?

a: Running music with a good beat for my running pace!

q: Little known fact about you?

a: I make everything from scratch including homemade bread and ice cream. We care a lot about what we eat and spend a lot of time reading up on latest research and creating an even healthier lifestyle for our family.

Mark Eppers '93

Director of Operations, ESP Productions &
Partner, Circle Two Productions

q: What do you do?

a: At ESP, we produce pre-game and half-time shows for major college football games including the Capital One Bowl, Orange Bowl and some Superbowls. My own company, Circle Two Productions, focuses on audio-visual, consulting and logistics management for the meetings and special event industry.

q: What's your favorite part of the job?

a: Creating smiles on the faces of my clients, and knowing that my company played a big part in the success of their events.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: I travel constantly throughout the U.S. and internationally, planning multiple shows at the same time. I need to keep up with regional labor and union laws, hiring local vendors, shipping and renting equipment, venue insurance requirements and special requests. It's a challenge just packing clothes and being away for weeks at a time, while still maintaining a home and sense of being an Orlando resident.

q: Do you stay in touch with any other UCF hospitality alums?

a: Scott Kaylor '93 to this day remains a great friend of mine.

q: Outside work...you're most likely to be seen?

a: Walking around Lake Eola and Downtown Orlando, with the occasional stop at an Irish Pub.

q: Your biggest accomplishment since graduating, outside your career?

a: Working with local children's charities and building homes for those in need. I try to give back as much as I can. What goes around comes around.

q: How did UCF prepare you for what you do?

a: Classes geared toward the business and financial side of the hospitality industry proved to be helpful, as well as learning industry terminology. College in itself is a place to learn about life and how to deal with people, politics, finances and relationships.

q: Your favorite class?

a: The cooking class (Quantity Food Production). We constructed a menu and then prepared it for our fellow students.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: The program had basically just started and I feel lucky to be a part of it. I had some great professors like Bill Quain and Bob Ashley. It's important to bring in guest speakers from a variety of hospitality fields for the students to interact with. There are so many ways to make a living in this industry. It's eye-opening to talk to real-live working professionals.

q: A UCF memory?

a: The first moment I stepped on the UCF campus. Right then I knew it was the school I wanted to attend.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: I love to cook and I'm rarely at home, so my favorite meal comes out of my kitchen. Here it is: seared ahi tuna with a warm spinach salad and a glass of red wine, on my balcony overlooking Downtown Orlando.

q: On your iPod?

a: All over the board including AC/DC, Jimmy Buffett, Kings of Leon, Sister Hazel and Zac Brown. Music is a great way for me to relax; it clears my head of everything. About 50% of the music on my iPod is for work though.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: I used to be a pyrotech, building and shooting off fireworks. I also spent a summer traveling, promoting and producing concerts at state and county fairs around the country. I slept in the back of a semi-tractor trailer and my boss was literally a clown.