Every little detail elevates the event experience.  

Maria Paula Barrantes Castillo has learned this as a hospitality management and tourism (HMT) major in the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. 

Originally from Costa Rica, Castillo is graduating in December 2025 with an HMT degree from Martin-Gatton CAFE and a marketing degree from the Gatton College of Business and Economics.  

As a high school student, Castillo thought she would be a STEM major, but she found that she didn’t like the lab but did love planning events. By the time she chose UK, after being encouraged by some friends from home who were already UK students, she knew “right away” which major to choose.  

“I’ve never doubted that I'm in the right major,” she said.  

Also a Lewis Honors College student, Castillo started an honors project in HMT 320: Hospitality and Tourism Marketing with the guidance of instructor Yeonjung Kang, assistant professor in the UK Department of Retailing and Tourism Management.  

Kang recommended that Castillo do research—something that Castillo previously thought was reserved for STEM students.  

“It has definitely allowed me to see that there’s research in events, too,” Castillo said. “Before doing this project, I never really saw it. It’s allowed me to see a whole new side of research.”  

For her project, “Elevating Distillery Institutes Through Branding,” Castillo partnered with the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits to study branding and marketing in distillery institutes.  

Using the annual Beam Institute Industry Conference as a case study, Castillo’s research offered data-driven strategies to “strengthen community outreach” and “set a standard for branding excellence” among educating distilleries.  

“Through this experience, she applied fundamental concepts in hospitality and tourism marketing to real-world challenges, gaining industry insights and critical problem-solving skills,” Kang said.  

Supported by a Martin-Gatton CAFE Undergraduate Research Grant, Castillo attended the West Federation CHRIE (Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education) Regional Conference at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, where she presented her research. 

“I didn’t only get knowledge from research and the industry itself, but I was also able to meet a lot of people and network,” Castillo said.  

Castillo was one of three students at the conference to receive a competitive scholarship in recognition of her research and application.  

“A lot of these people were already graduates, so being at the same level as an undergraduate was a truly rewarding experience,” Castillo said.  

Kang said Castillo’s success is a testament to hands-on learning, mentorship relationships and cross-disciplinary engagement.  

“Supporting her in achieving these milestones has been incredibly rewarding, highlighting not only her dedication but also the impact of interdisciplinary opportunities in shaping future hospitality leaders,” Kang said.  

Castillo said her education at UK has prepared her for future opportunities and has expanded her understanding of what’s possible in her career and in the industry.  

“There are so many different things, and that’s what I love about it,” Castillo said. “Every day I get a little bit of everything.”   

To learn more about the Department of Retailing and Tourism Management at Martin-Gatton CAFE, visit https://rtm.ca.uky.edu/.  

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Writer: Bailey Vandiver, bailey.vandiver@uky.edu 

The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services to individuals and institutions that provide equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.