Florida International University - School of Hospitality and Tourism Management - Bachelor and Master Degree Programs on Campus and via Distance Learning

Deborah L. Natansohn Memorial Scholarship

The Deborah L. Natansohn Memorial Scholarship is intended to recognize an outstanding female student in the field of travel and tourism management. Before her untimely death in October 2006, Ms. Deborah L. Natansohn was a groundbreaker for executive women in the travel industry, having been named as the first female President of a cruise line, Orient Lines, in the US in 1998.

At the time of her death, she was President of Seabourn Cruise Line and had guided the luxury line through one of the most successful periods in its history. Previously, as senior vice president for sales and marketing at Cunard Lines, she was instrumental in overseeing the highly acclaimed launch of the Queen Mary 2. A widely recognized leader for women in business, she was named in 2004 as Travel Executive of the Year by Travel Trade Magazine, and in 2006 was honored with a Glass Ceiling Award by the Jewish Museum of Florida and named one of Florida 's top 50 women business leaders by The Center for Leadership at Florida International University . In 2007 she was posthumously inducted into the Cruise Lines International Association's Hall of Fame.

A strong believer in giving back to the community, she was the president of The Commonwealth Institute, South Florida, a peer counseling group for executive women; a member of the International Women's Forum; and a participant in the Miami-Dade School District's Executive PASS program, which matches local chief executives with school principals to further the success of their schools.

The $2,000.00 scholarship will be awarded to a female student who best exemplifies Ms. Natansohn's leadership spirit.

Qualifications:

Must be a full-time, female degree-seeking major in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management with junior or senior standing; or degree-seeking graduate students.
Demonstrated financial need.
U.S. Citizen or permanent resident of the United States .
Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0=A scale).
- Applicants will be evaluated according to the following categories:
Personal attributes, including career goals.
Civic mindedness.
Responses to the required essay question.

In addition to the standard application form, the applicant package should include:

A 250- to 500-word essay explaining your career goals and why this scholarship would be helpful in achieving them. Include in your narrative an example of how you have demonstrated personal leadership in your life through your academic, professional, or community-related activities.
Letter of recommendation from a present or former FIU faculty member.
Current resume and transcript.