Applied business graduate sails the high seas

April 19, 2019

University Relations

Caitlynne Valencia is a 2016 graduate of the applied business program with a concentration in tourism. Shortly after graduation she attended Bluewater yacht crew training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She has since worked on luxury yachts as a stewardess and a deckhand, and has visited port cities in Cuba, Italy, France, Greece, Portugal, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the United States and Monaco.

Traveling the world on a yacht has been a longtime dream that Valencia began exploring while working on her A.A.S. degree at the Community and Technical College. She said the ABUS program’s applied approach to business enhanced her employability after she finished her crew training. She has advanced into positions of more responsibility, working on the bridge alongside yacht captains and officers.She has also learned new skills, such as seamanship and navigation, and plans to continue to gain more expertise and experience.

For more information about the applied business and applied accounting programs, please contact Mark Young, assistant professor and program chair, at mdyoung2@alaska.edu.