After 15 years coordinating higher-education events in Southern California, most recently at the University of California, San Diego, Eliza Wiggins has brought her expertise to Las Vegas.

As community programs manager for UNLV’s International Gaming Institute (IGI), she leads pre-college and executive development programs and handles logistics for the institute’s advisory board and triennial conference.

It was the lull of the COVID-19 pandemic that encouraged Wiggins to take a gamble on something different, and after her interview for the community programs manager position, Wiggins recalls calling her mother just to share how excited she was about the prospect of working at UNLV.

“It allowed me to combine my event experience and my desire to help young people figure out what they want to do for a living,” says Wiggins, who started at IGI in January 2022.

One of her main and most fulfilling responsibilities is managing the Young Executive Scholars (YES) in Tourism and Hospitality Program, which provides career development programming for high school students.

Here, she shares more about her role, IGI’s impactful programming, and how much she enjoys spending quality time with her family.

What is the most interesting part of your job at the International Gaming Institute?

The YES program is the most fulfilling, but the most interesting part of my job is helping to execute our Executive Development Program that we host in Lake Tahoe every November. This is a week-long professional development program for casino industry executives from around the world.

EDP is a project and team-based learning experience and is one of the most recognized programs in the industry. It is so interesting to learn about the attendees' backgrounds as well as the differences in the industry from country to country and even state to state. 

The impact of the program itself is also incredibly unique; I have yet to witness any other professional development program with such intense and long-lasting attendee engagement. There are years' worth of EDP alumni who have said the program was transformative and would likely attend again and again if we let them!   

Tell us about the YES program. Why is it such an important initiative?

The Young Executive Scholars in Tourism and Hospitality Program was actually inspired by EDP and a desire to create a similar experience for high school students. YES is a career development program for under-resourced high school students.

This is a four-week project-based learning experience we host here at UNLV. The students are challenged with working in teams to create a design for an integrated resort of the future. We bring in speakers and take them on field trips to help inform their projects. Past field trips have included Area 15, Wynn, Resorts World, and the Venetian. 

At the end of the program, they present their designs to a panel of judges who are industry executives and the winners receive scholarships. This program is completely donor funded, and we rely on generous donations from our industry partner to execute the program and fund the scholarships.    

Where does your passion for helping under-resourced students come from?

I grew up in Washington, D.C., which had one of the worst public school systems in the country at the time. Most of my friends lived at or below the poverty line and had little support when it came to school or choosing a career path. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an archeologist (part of me still wants to be one today). I don’t remember many discussions or assistance with thinking about career options even as a college student in the early 2000s. 

I graduated from college and ended up in a career that I was good at, but not one that I was passionate about. I am now lucky enough to get to help kids like me discover career paths and get on the right track to pursue those careers at an early age. 

What's something that would surprise your colleagues to learn about you?

I don’t have a driver's license; I never have had one. I grew up in a city where it wasn’t required, and then Uber came around. I keep saying I’m going to get it every year, but driving in Vegas is scary, so it may never happen.  

What’s an achievement you’re most proud of from your time at UNLV?

Enrolling to get my master’s in education, which I should finish in December of this year! 

What do you like to do for fun?

Movie nights with my kids, trying new restaurants, going to national parks.

What restaurants would you recommend to a friend visiting the city for the first time?

Tekka Bar in Cosmopolitan for the made-to-order hand rolls. They have decent pricing for a restaurant on the Strip. For off the Strip, Raku on Spring Mountain or Lotus of Siam.

How do you celebrate the holidays? 

We are a big food family, and my husband is Italian. I most look forward to our seven fishes dinner we have on Christmas Eve. We like to spend most of the holiday break together as a family, watching movies and cooking and eating good food. 

How about a favorite holiday treat or activity?

Hot apple cider. I spent a lot of my childhood on an apple orchard. For a holiday activity, I like going somewhere with snow, getting hot chocolate, and walking around with my family.  

If you could go back to when you first started in higher education, what advice would you give your past self?

Three things I would tell my past self:

• Take advantage of the tuition discounts earlier on. While I am proud to be almost finished with my master’s degree, it hasn’t been the easiest road with two kids and a full-time job. 
• Don’t be afraid to try new things or new roles. Higher education is a great place to be able to move around to other departments to gain different experiences. 
• No one is looking out for you, but you. So learn to say no, set boundaries, advocate for yourself, and take chances.