“The teachers all have real-life experiences, and they share their experiences with students.”
“When Sarah DeWitt moved from Florida to join her sister in New Hampshire a few years ago, she enrolled at Great Bay Community College and quickly earned a certificate in Leadership and Management in 2019 – the first of four certificates she earned at Great Bay in the next two years.
DeWitt, Event Coordinator at Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee, picked up additional certificates in Sales and Digital Marketing and Hotel and Restaurant Management in 2020 and Event and Meeting Planning in spring 2021. She works with clients to plan their events at Flag Hill, including weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, fundraisers and all manner of celebrations.
The job involves its fair share of office and computer time, but DeWitt is on her feet during events, working to ensure things go exactly as planned.
This will be an exceptionally busy year, with 65 weddings already on the books. “That’s a lot, but it’s good,” said DeWitt, 21, who lives in Wolfeboro.
“It’s such a rewarding career. The biggest reason I am in the event-management field is because I love making people happy, and this career is all about making people happy. Last year was overwhelming with everything going on in the world because of Covid. This year, things are coming back, and people are ready to start gathering again.”
In addition to hosting events, Flag Hill operates a tasting room associated with its distillery and winery.
It’s a perfect career for the outgoing DeWitt, who likes interacting with clients and working to make their hope and vision for a perfect event come true. She attributes her success to her education at Great Bay. Instead of enrolling in a degree program, she explored her career interests through a variety of certificates, leading to a career in hospitality.
“The teachers all have real-life experiences, and they share their experiences with students,” DeWitt said. “And the smaller classes definitely make a difference, too. It’s a great environment, and the teachers are committed to helping students succeed.”