John Walker '06

Lifestyle and Digital Marketing Coordinator,

Busch Entertainment Corporation

q: What do you do?

a: Deliver our brands into the everyday lives of consumers through emerging media including Facebook, Twitter, web development and blogs. Conversations are happening about us regardless, so I enjoy seeking them out and having day-to-day interaction with brand advocates who speak highly of us.

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

a: I get to go on Facebook and Twitter while I'm at work! In all seriousness, it makes me happy seeing how the digital community responds to what we do...whether through a blog post, tweet, or even fan mail. Some little girls hand colored a card that said "Shamu, you're our favorite whale" and mailed it to us. This is all because their Mom won a Shamu plush, t-shirt and hat through a Twitter contest. It's funny how the smallest gift of appreciation created an incredibly rewarding day.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: Staying current with what's hot. The digital landscape is ever-changing.

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

a: My girlfriend Kelly Garrett '07, who I met in Dr. Iskat's class, and also my boss Anne Fischer '04, Omaira Dostie '06, Kate Hovey Witherspoon '05 and Angela Krull '05.

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

a: Hanging out with my girlfriend, surfing at the beach or playing music. The best weekends are when I do absolutely nothing.

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

a: Going back to school. I only have one semester left to finish my master's degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management at Rosen College. Also I'm proud of working at the same company for so long. I started working at Sea World in 2005.

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

a: It gave me the interpersonal and life skills needed to form relationships, and a service-minded personality.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: It should have fewer group projects. If I took 4-5 classes at a time, it meant 4-5 group projects going on similtaneously.

q: A UCF memory?

a: Football games. In particular, storming the field at the Citrus Bowl when we finally won after a 0-17 game losing streak.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: Whatever I am cooking for dinner of course. If I'm not cooking, I like Seasons 52 or the pulled pork at Wildside BBQ.

q: On your iPod?

a: Mostly the Dave Matthews Band and the Allman Brothers, with a little John Mayer.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: I'm adopted. Also I'm color blind. The two have nothing to do with each other.

Anne Fischer '04

Senior Manager,

Lifestyle and Digital Marketing,
Busch Entertainment Corporation

(Maiden name: Anne Cecil)

q: What do you do?

a: Help integrate Busch Entertainment's brands into your daily life. Using social media, we're able to interact with you even when you're not physically visiting one of our parks. You can follow Shamu's adventures throughout the day on Twitter or use a Facebook application to play Sea World's Photo Adventure game -- all allowing us to stay top of mind. My office sets the strategies for all 10 theme parks.

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

a: I can dive in and learn something new all the time, and do things that have never been done before. Because the Manta ride opened a month earlier than planned, we literally announced it to the world within 24 hours using Twitter. It's all so enjoyable that I have difficulty telling where my professional life ends and personal life begins; it's all intertwined.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: You can never be fast enough to keep up with social media. Our reaction time needs to be very quick. If a consumer requests something, like a photo of an otter, we may have to scramble to locate one. The positive side of this is that we're in control of messages going right to our customer without any delay time; in the past, we were at the mercy of journalists who would decide whether or not they wanted to publish a story. If they did, it could take a long time to get published and from a certain angle to meet the writer's objectives. We have the power of proxy now.

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

a: Dave Buckalew '05, Erica (Acquavita) Buckalew '04, and Michael Fisch '04.

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

a: At the Dr. Phillips dog park with my silky terrier Nate.

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

a: Getting married, and also running the Disney Marathon. While at Rosen College, I ran the Gold Coast Marathon along the ocean in Australia. I was studying abroad at Griffith University, one of Rosen's sister schools.

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

a: It introduced me to the tourism industry. Most importantly, it gave me the confidence and tools to continue learning. Tourism is continually evolving and so is marketing. I'm able to evolve with them.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: The new campus opened up my last semester. The students now have it so good. I would have loved to have been here all four years.

q: A UCF memory?

a: Football games, tailgating parties and all the fanfare that goes along with rooting for your team.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: Yellow Dog's 'Famous' Pulled Pork sandwich at Yellow Dog Eats in Gotha.

q: On your iPod?

a: The Zac Brown Band (I went to the concert in Jacksonville) and being from Kentucky, lots of country music.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: Although the Manta flying roller coaster has only been open three weeks, I've been on it 19 times.