This year’s winning Baxter Ambassadors are a diverse mix of students of different ages, backgrounds, and ambitions, but the one thing this group of graduates has in common is optimism. Something we all need a little more of right now.

The only program of its kind in Canada, the Baxter Student Ambassador Program (BSAP) identifies the very best emerging talent from travel, tourism, and hospitality programs across the country. Based on a combination of academic success, leadership skills, community involvement, and a mock interview, one student from each of this year’s 15 participating colleges and universities is selected as the winning Baxter Student Ambassador to represent their school.

Half-way through their education, a global pandemic stopped the tourism industry in its tracks, but this group of students remain undeterred. Many of our Ambassadors even see this downtime as an opportunity to make important changes to the things about travel that aren’t working, like travel’s impact on the environment.

Rachel Cohen, Baxter Ambassador from George Brown College asks, “The pandemic has subjected the entire umbrella of travel and tourism to pause, reset, and consider, what kind of future do we want to have and how do we want to rebuild?”

Jessica Crompton, Baxter Ambassador from Conestoga College, finds another silver lining to the pandemic. “Hopefully, consumers will be motivated to book through an agent next time. I imagine many people had to spend hours on hold trying to determine the status of their flight or their voucher or their refund, and I hope people have seen the value of travel agents,” she explains. “People often question if a travel agent is obsolete because of the Internet, but the pandemic proves our experience and knowledge are valuable.”

With the help of our sponsors, Jamaica Tourist Board and Manulife, and our loyal partners, ACTA, Skal Toronto, and TIAO, the Baxter Student Ambassador Program helps to bring these elite graduates closer to their dream careers with a bursary, plus networking, professional development, and internship opportunities.

A graduating class filled with optimists, adventurers, storytellers, and eco-warriors, Baxter Media is excited to introduce 2021’s winning Ambassadors: