The Resort at Isla Palenque Announces the Top Twelve Finalists in Their Island Intern Contest.

CHICAGO, April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After an energetic two-week voting period, The Resort at Isla Palenque announces the top twelve finalists in their Island Intern Contest. As eco-developer Amble Resorts sets out to redefine luxury in offbeat destinations such as the jungle-filled Panamanian island of Isla Palenque, they seek an ambitious on-site blogger and adventurer for the summer of 2011. In an effort to embrace the impact of social media on eco-consciousness and travel, Amble decided to go about fulfilling this competitive job opportunity the "Millennial" way.

Those born between 1982 and 2000 are known as "Millennials" and they have been followed into the workforce with a surge of analysis, mostly critical. The technology-obsessed Millennial has been called a self-entitled "piece of work" by Forbes and a "trophy kid" with outlandish expectations by The Wall Street Journal. The team behind the Island Intern contest views this controversial generation differently, however. Amble President Benjamin Loomis, explains, "You have a vocal generation which is idealistic and ambitious. Ask them how they want to make their own mark on the world while working for you, and you've got an employee who will make every possible effort."

It helps that Amble Resorts is offering a job that any travel lover or adventurer would not hesitate to call the opportunity of a lifetime. The Island Intern will live on Isla Palenque for 4-6 weeks while writing, photographing and filming for the company blog. Compensation includes a $2,500 stipend, transportation, activities and room and board. The 95 contestants created inspiring video applications and used their social media networks to reach out to thousands during the voting period. The applications paint a positive Millennial image and support the findings provided by the Pew Research Center: that Millennials are "confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat and receptive to new ideas and ways of living."

Yesterday, Amble Resorts announced the twelve finalists or finalist teams who will move into the next round: Benjamin Brown, Sandy Florez & Deborah Nunez, Luke Hansen, Amanda Throckmorton, Danielle Vander Leun & Sarah Shiner, Anica Wu, Jimmye Ahn & Jonathan Thompson, Brianna Salinas & Rebecca Holland, Casey Siemasko & Daniel Moore, Courtney Prato & Jeff Cleator, Teri Wilkus & Roxanne Kesserlis, Timo Yates & Timothy Clayton. In order to win the position, the finalists will participate in a second round of competition in which they craft their Island Intern thesis and participate in a Skype interview with the Amble team.
In an open letter to the contestants on the Isla Palenque blog, Loomis expressed how impressed he was with the contest turnout. "I've been amazed by the quality of many of the videos, and the ambition and skill displayed. I'm sorry that we'll have only one contest winner, because I've already seen a dozen or so contestants that seem like they could do great things on the island."
As The Resort at Isla Palenque welcomes its first hotel visitors to their Villa Inn later this year, Loomis feels confident about choosing a Millennial to lead the company's largest public relations and social media effort. "This is a first. It's an opportunity where you make up your own rules -- and we need to find someone who is unafraid to do that. Essentially, we're asking the intern to craft a story -- their story, and our story. We want the Island Intern to feel entitled to pull out all the stops in order to capture a story that could change the way people travel."