I am 26 years old, and I have just started my Junior year at UCF as a transfer student. I grew up in the Miami area (Palmetto Bay specifically) and moved to the Port Saint Lucie/Treasure Coast area (about 2 hours south of Orlando) shortly after high school with my family. Before coming to UCF, I was a full-time worker and a struggling student. I first went to Indian River State College (IRSC) in Ft. Pierce in 2016 when I first graduated high school, and unfortunately, I failed miserably. I began working many different part-time jobs while being placed on academic probation, and eventually, I found solid roles and opportunities in the Vape and Smoke Shop industry, focusing on retail sales, learning shop management on a broad scale, and even being sent to select trade shows as a representative attendee. During my time in this industry, I developed a huge interest in Cannabis, and I began to set goals to break into the new legal Cannabis industry. I worked in the Vape and Smoke shop industry from 2017-2022, starting in 2020 I began to get my coursework together and was able to start making substantial academic progress at IRSC.At the end of 2022, after many applications, I was able to secure my first job in the legal cannabis industry. I was hired by Cresco Labs to work on their Medical Cannabis farm and production facility in Indiantown, FL. I worked on that farm from September '22 until coming to UCF Rosen for school! It was such an incredible experience, while there I worked in various departments such as Trimming, Processing, Harvesting, and Packaging. In December of 2023, I graduated from IRSC with my AA focusing on Business Administration, and I was able to begin considering my next steps for my education.While being on a Business track was extremely helpful for me about the work I have done in Vape and Smoke shops, I realized that my career goals align much more with Hospitality than Business. I would love to be involved in operating a Safe Consumption Lounge where patrons can learn about cannabis, learn how to use it in a way that suits them best, and most importantly have a safe space to be able to enjoy cannabis. As cannabis prohibition has been in decline over the years, I am heavily optimistic about the potential for Cannabis Hospitality to not only be popular but truly well received!