“You educate a man, you educate an individual. You educate a woman, you educate a nation” -Dorcas Macauley
Dorcas is an outgoing, engaging woman, and her passion for her work and her ambition are apparent to all who meet her. An asylee from Liberia, Dorcas has been in the United States since 2013.
When Dorcas first arrived, she did not know how to begin her new life. She wanted to find work, but was not sure how to find a good job. Then, a friend told her to go to the International Institute. After learning about the Institute’s programs, Dorcas decided to enroll in the Hotel Housekeeping Training. She had a background in hospitality and an Associate degree from her country, so working in customer service and business appealed to her. During training, Dorcas was enthusiastic, persistent and hard-working. She would often volunteer to assist the instructor in class, and she had a talent for helping others in her class learn the material.
Dorcas began working as a housekeeper almost immediately after completing her training. In six months she moved into a supervisory position. Dorcas is not only committed to building a successful, long-term career for herself in the hospitality industry, but also to assisting other women to do the same. She helped employ four other graduates of the Hotel Housekeeping Training at her hotel and enjoys serving as a mentor and role model for all of the housekeepers she supervises.
In addition to working, Dorcas is currently pursuing her Hotel Operations Certificate at Normandale Community College. She has earned 8 tuition-free college credits through the Normandale Institute partnership and she recently completed her hospitality management internship at Doubletree by Hilton Bloomington. She hopes to move into an Assistant Executive Housekeeper role with the help of the Institute and Normandale and new professional connections.
In between her work, studies, and raising her two daughters Dorcas still finds time to give back to the community. She shares her story and accomplishments with graduates and hundreds of people at events hosted by the Women United, the Institute and other program partners.