For recent Penn State World Campus alumna Julia Skrabacz, earning her degree was sometimes a juggling act. Managing a family and a military career and working on her degree full-time via Penn State World Campus meant busy schedules and multi-tasking. In a testament to the concept that hard work and grit pay off, Julia was recently offered her “dream job” directly from her spring 2025 internship. In her role with Discover Downstate Illinois Tourism Bureau, Julia is able to bring together her love of tourism and writing.
Discover Downstate Illinois Tourism Bureau covers the largest geographic region in the state of Illinois, with 23 counties from one end of the state to the other under its jurisdiction. Their mission is to share the events, activities, history, and destinations within the area.
“I graduated from high school in 2007 and did what everyone else did,” said Julia. “I went to college because that was what I was supposed to do. I had no vision. I had no plan.”
Julia decided to enlist in the Coast Guard. Originally from Houston, Texas, Julia has spent 15 years with the Coast Guard, the last six years as a reservist.
“Even though I’m a reservist, I volunteer more than I am required to. In the last two years, we were activated four times to offer hurricane assistance,” she said.
In her role within the Coast Guard, Julia started to refine what she wanted to do long-term. She knew that she liked helping people and helping link them to their passions. She considered hospitality but knew she didn’t want to go in the direction of hotels or restaurants. She hoped to find a degree program that would allow her to continue with the Coast Guard and take courses online.
“I was so excited to find Penn State and RPTM on World Campus,” she said. “It included tourism. Tourism means 1,000 different things to different people, but through my course work, I was able to refine what I wanted to do.”
Julia enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management offered online through Penn State World Campus.
Julia credits the career report assignment in RPTM 101 for helping guide her in her career path. The career report assignment asks students to interview a professional in a potential field of interest.
“Preparing for my internship started there,” she said. “It was really a two-year process that started with my career report. I interviewed a professional at Discover Downstate and asked them how I can get there and what I would need to be professionally ready.”
That interview led to an eventual offer for Communication Intern and now a permanent role with the agency.
Support from Penn State
Julia credits her World Campus adviser, John Carter, as being a proactive adviser who offered support and directions on which courses to take, but who also helped her manage her role as a full-time student and working mother. She also credits RPTM faculty who understand the challenges for non-traditional students and work-life-course work balance.
“I think that was what was missing in my first attempt at a degree,” said Julia. “That support doesn’t always happen. Things come up, and RPTM faculty say, ‘We’ll figure it out.’ That makes a difference.”
Julia felt an immediate connection with the mission and focus of Discover Downstate Illinois.
“I knew I wasn’t interested in high-profile tourism like an arena or sports team,” she said. Discover Downstate Illinois is a small, family-run business that tries to bring people to the area. “The area we cover is rural, and we don’t have the budget or team to compete with the major metropolitan marketing efforts. Through the development of the website and social media, we are able to highlight exciting things in our communities. It is so fun to discover and then share what is available for visitors here. My internship helped me figure out that I wanted to do this as a job.”
Shortly after she completed her internship, the agency posted a position opening. Julia interviewed for the position and was excited about the prospect of continuing her work. She ultimately learned that another candidate was selected.
“That position involved more travel, so it probably worked out for the best,” she said.
A week or so after learning that she didn’t get the position, the agency called to offer her the position of Executive Assistant and Officer Manager, supporting both tourism operations and managerial responsibilities in providing administrative support for the Discover Downstate Illinois Tourism Board.
“I was initially hesitant because it was similar to what I was already doing with the Coast Guard,” she said.
Her classification with the Coast Guard was officially Yeoman First Class; her duties were administration and human resources. However, in conversations with Discover Downstate, they offered her the flexibility to write up a job description that would cover the administrative reports but allow her to prioritize the tasks she loves.
“My priority is to write,” she said. “I visit rural areas and promote the activities in the smaller communities.”
Julia’s efforts have already shown up in several Discover Downstate Illinois brochures and event guides.
Julia and her husband met in California while both were active duty. They currently live outside of St. Louis, Missouri, with their two children and “our chunky dog,” said Julia.
“I can't express how excited I am for this opportunity,” said Julia. “My course work at Penn State helped me refine what direction and type of impact I wanted to have within the field of tourism, and here I am about to go into the world in a new career that aligns my personal passions and professional interests.”
Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management offered online through Penn State World Campus.
