Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosie McCamery.
Hi Rosie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story, and ultimately the story of S.O.A.R., began when I was a teenager enrolled in my high school’s Travel and Tourism Magnet Program. At just 16 years old, I had the opportunity to travel to Barbados, where my classmates and I interned at the Golden Sands Hotel, followed by a two-week internship at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Those experiences completely changed the way I viewed myself and the world around me. Being exposed to new cultures, professional environments, and opportunities beyond my immediate community planted a seed. For the first time, I truly believed I could accomplish anything I was willing to work toward. Years later, that seed became S.O.A.R. Hospitality & Travel YLC, Inc. I founded S.O.A.R. in 2013 with a simple but powerful goal: to “pay it forward” by creating similar life-changing opportunities for young people who may not otherwise have access to them. Today, S.O.A.R. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Roselle, New Jersey, focused on empowering underserved and underrepresented youth through business, entrepreneurship, hospitality, travel, leadership development, mentorship, and real-world experiences.
My professional journey has always centered on education, training, leadership, and service. I have more than two decades of experience in training, curriculum development, mentoring, and community engagement. From 2015 to 2023, I served as a lead Education Training Specialist within Rutgers University’s Office for Research. After 8½ years, I made the intentional decision to step away from my position and devote myself more fully to expanding S.O.A.R.
I also proudly serve as a senior enlisted member of the United States Air Force with more than 20 years of military service and currently work as a Unit Training Manager supporting the intelligence mission. In June 2026, I completed the Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. In January 2025, I also made history as Roselle, New Jersey’s first Afro-Latina Councilwoman, allowing me to extend my commitment to service and advocacy even further. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus on Nonprofit Organizations and Governance. At the heart of everything I do is the belief that exposure can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. Sometimes one trip, one mentor, one opportunity, or one person saying, “You belong here,” is enough to help a young person see themselves differently. That is what happened for me, and that is what I hope S.O.A.R. continues to do for generations of young people, encourage them to think beyond the “box,” recognize that their current circumstances do not define their future, and become the greatest version of themselves. Above all, I credit God for every blessing and opportunity along this journey. I am also a proud wife, mother of two, youth and community advocate, and someone who believes deeply in creating pathways for others to succeed.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a completely smooth road. Like many nonprofit founders, one of the greatest challenges has been building and sustaining an organization with limited resources while continuing to meet the growing needs of the young people and communities we serve. Funding has consistently been one of the biggest obstacles. Creating meaningful programs, travel opportunities, internships, and hands-on experiences can be costly, and there have been times when we had to be extremely creative, resourceful, and persistent to make sure our scholars still had access to opportunities they deserved. Building the right partnerships, securing sponsors, and earning the trust of funders has taken time and consistency. Another challenge has been balancing S.O.A.R. with the many other roles and responsibilities in my life. For years, I was simultaneously working full-time, serving in the military, raising a family, pursuing my education, and then becoming a public facing elected official, all while building the organization. There have been many long days and sacrifices along the way. When I made the decision to leave my career at Rutgers, I did so with the intent to dedicate more of my time and energy to growing S.O.A.R. There have also been the natural growing pains that come with expanding an organization, learning how to build the right team, strengthen systems, create sustainable programs, and move from simply having a passion for the work to building an infrastructure that can support long-term impact. Through every challenge, I have learned to remain flexible, trust the process, and stay focused on the mission. Some of our greatest breakthroughs have come directly from moments when we were forced to rethink, adjust, or find another way forward.
The road has not always been easy, but seeing our scholars gain confidence, travel beyond their communities, develop leadership skills, and realize possibilities they may not have previously imagined makes every challenge worthwhile. Those moments continue to remind me why S.O.A.R. was created and why the work must continue.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about SOAR HOSPITALITY & TRAVEL YLC INC?
S.O.A.R. Hospitality & Travel YLC, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underserved and underrepresented high school students through education, leadership development, mentorship, business, entrepreneurship, hospitality, travel, and real-world career exposure. What sets S.O.A.R. apart is our commitment to moving learning beyond the classroom. We do not simply teach young people about careers and entrepreneurship, we create opportunities for them to experience them firsthand. Through our business and hospitality bootcamps, leadership development, mentoring, college and career exposure, community service, and domestic and international internship experiences, our scholars are challenged to apply what they learn in real-world settings. One of the programs we are especially proud of is our International Internship Program. Through these experiences, scholars have had opportunities to travel abroad, engage with businesses and hospitality professionals, participate in service projects, develop leadership skills, and work alongside organizations and communities in other countries. For many of our students, it is their first time traveling internationally or seeing themselves in a professional environment outside of their immediate community. Our approach is also highly personal. We believe exposure, access, and relationships matter. Many young people have tremendous potential but simply have not been given the opportunity to see what is possible. S.O.A.R. exists to help bridge that gap by connecting scholars with professionals, mentors, businesses, universities, community leaders, and experiences that expand their perspectives and build confidence. Brand-wise, I am most proud that S.O.A.R. has become synonymous with opportunity, exposure, leadership, and possibility. We have built an organization that encourages young people to think beyond their current circumstances and see themselves as future business owners, executives, hospitality professionals, community leaders, innovators, and global citizens. What I want readers to know most is that S.O.A.R. is more than a youth program. We are building pathways. Our goal is to give young people practical skills, meaningful experiences, and the confidence to walk into spaces they may have never imagined themselves in, and know that they belong there. Over the past four years, we have been fortunate to travel abroad with our scholars to Jamaica, Barbados, Costa Rica, and most recently, the Dominican Republic. Each international experience is intentionally designed to expose our students to new cultures, industries, communities, and ways of thinking while giving them opportunities to apply the skills they have developed through S.O.A.R.’s programming. Our scholars have participated in hands-on hospitality and business experiences, community service, leadership development, cultural immersion, mentorship, and peer-to-peer learning. For many of them, these trips represent their first time traveling internationally, navigating a new culture, or seeing themselves in a professional setting outside of the United States. These experiences go far beyond travel. They are about helping young people build confidence, independence, adaptability, cultural awareness, and a broader understanding of what is possible for their futures. Watching our scholars return home with a stronger sense of purpose, greater confidence, and a more global perspective has been one of the most rewarding parts of our work.
What are your plans for the future?
The future for S.O.A.R. is centered on growth, sustainability, and expanding access to even more young people. One of our biggest priorities is continuing to strengthen and scale our signature programs, particularly our Business & Entrepreneurship, Hospitality & Travel, leadership development, and International Internship programs. We want to create more opportunities for scholars to gain hands-on experience, build professional networks, travel, and engage with businesses and organizations both nationally and internationally. We are also focused on expanding partnerships with schools, corporations, colleges, community organizations, and sponsors while continuing to strengthen S.O.A.R.’s infrastructure so we can continue to grow. Long term, one of my biggest goals is to open a mission-driven high school built around S.O.A.R.’s curriculum and experiential learning model, one that integrates business, entrepreneurship, hospitality, travel, leadership, career readiness, and global exposure into the student experience. Ultimately, I would love to see S.O.A.R. expand beyond New Jersey and become a recognized model for experiential youth development. We are proud of how far we have come, but I truly believe we are only getting started.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.letssoarnj.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letssoarnj/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SOARHT/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/s-o-a-r-hospitality-travel-ylc/
- Twitter: https://x.com/letssoarnj
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs6THdS2tAeh4VnZoPp5dkw
