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For more information call 905-338-4250 w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER Th ur sd ay , D ec em be r 9 , 2 01 0 8 By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF An Oakville woman is crediting her abili- ty to talk to and engage people as the secret to her success in netting a dream job with Transat Holidays. On Friday, Kate McKenna, 24, was named the winner of a nation-wide Transat Holidays contest, which saw around 2,000 people apply to be the companys professional vacationer. As the winner, McKenna, who attended St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School, will get to travel, all expenses paid, to 12 holiday destinations over the course of one year where she will produce videos, arti- cles and photos to advertise her experiences. As if this is not enough, she also receives an annual salary of $40,000 to do this. Its pretty incredible, said McKenna. People refer to dream jobs all the time be it because they have great benefits or because they have exceptional hours, but I cant think of a job thats more of a dream job than the one Im about to embark on. To get to this point, McKenna participat- ed in a contest, which required her to enter a video about a local tourist spot. McKenna, who worked in Hamilton as a Ticats TV host, chose the Hamilton restau- rant Hutchs, a place she described as a com- munity centre that serves really good food. Her approach of not only talking about the holiday spot, but also interviewing people about it, first moved her into the contests top 10 finalists and then beyond. McKennas reaction to her win was actual- ly captured for all to see on the Transat Holidays website (www.transatholidays.com). I was told that I was to come in to Transat Holidays this past Friday for another inter- view. I walk in and there are two people there and they are filming. So I start to think, Hmmmthis is an interesting interview, said McKenna. I spoke to Denise Heffron (vice president of national sales and commercial, Transat Holidays) and she asked all these questions about how I felt being in the final 10 and then she proceeded to say, Do you have your suit- case packed? To be honest I dont even remember what happened next. I definitely muttered yes and gave her a hug, but I was pretty overjoyed and immediately proceeded to call my family and let them in on the secret. McKenna was told her ability to converse with people to get their take on the place she was visiting really set her video apart from those of the other contestants. For McKenna, getting other peoples input on Hutchs just made sense. I was a reporter for the Hamilton Ticats, so I am used to talking to people and when youre telling a story, obviously people are the most instrumental part, said McKenna. So my thinking was no matter how beau- tiful or amazing a destination is, the people are ultimately what make it. For her first assignment in early January, McKenna has been tasked with visiting Mexicos west coast from Manzanillo to Riviera Nayarit, Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. Greece, Spain, Cuba and Jamaica have also been listed as McKennas future work environments. While McKenna would one day like to pur- sue a career in either broadcast or print jour- nalism, she said her coming overseas assign- ment, at the moment, is all she can see. Right now I am focused on this. Im excit- ed about this and the fact that I get to travel the world and tell stories about the people I meet and the experiences I have, thats all Im thinking about right now, she said. McKennas experiences at her 12 holiday destinations can be followed at www.vaca- tioner.transitholidays.com. Oakville woman wins dream travel job Kate McKenna TIM MCKENNA / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER