Name: Celestine Rowland
Occupation: Managing Director, Galway Business School
Location: Galway City
Favourite thing about Galway: The people and the buzz
Worst thing about Galway: I wish the weather was a little more predictable!

Originally from Co. Mayo, Celestine Rowland moved to Galway in 1977 to attend college at NUI Galway. It was a move that would change her life.

After completing an Arts Degree and a Masters in Spanish, Celestine Rowland took on a number of part-time jobs in Galway before landing a teaching post in Drogheda.

She continued teaching for the next ten years, at schools in Oughterard and Oranmore, describing teaching as a "passion", and only decided to step back from the education sector after having her second child.

The Galway Cultural Institute arose from summer classes that Celestine was running in the city. Working from home, she ran four to six week language classes for 12 to 18 years olds during the summer months, but, as demand grew, it became clear that there was a need for a more permanent service.

The language school was set up in 1994 and has gone from strength to strength ever since. While the school attracts students from Spain, France, Italy and Czech Republic, it is the Swiss market that provides the staple business for the company.

According to Celestine, this area of the market is both constant and profitable and has greatly contributed to the success of the school.

Over the years, Celestine had heard from her clients that there was a shortage of evening classes in various disciplines available to adult learners. In 1999, the Galway Business School was established and offers an alternative route for adults seeking to return to education.

"We are separate from the CAO and have different entry requirements, so it opens up education to people who may not be able to go the traditional route. It is a different environment as well. It's really supportive, with smaller classes, so people get the help they need to get the most out of the course."

While the economic downturn is negatively affecting business all over the city, the rise in people returning to education has meant business is booming for Galway Business School.

"While I don't think the full effects of the downturn have been seen yet, language is very international, so the Cultural Institute hasn't been affected too much. It is other factors, such as the cost of sterling, that would have an effect on us. The interest in re-training, of course, has been great from our point of view. Before there was no problems getting a job but now people are trying to add qualifications to their portfolio to give them an advantage. While we are a private college, the fees aren't extraordinary and there are plans in place to help people who may have lost their jobs and have trouble paying."

While she is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the business sector, Celestine attributes her fantastic success to the ongoing support of her husband David, who takes care of the financial side of the company.

The couple have four children and enjoy travelling, as well as being heavily involved in the local arts scene.

"I don't think you can live in Galway and not be involved in the arts! I have been a member of the board of Macnas for the last two years and it is such a fantastic thing to be involved in. The team are just great and you can't have a better ad for a company than Artistic Director Noeline Kavanagh! Artists by nature prefer to deal with the creative, so it is great to be able to help out with the business end of things. Galway is just such a wonderful place, there is a festival every month and David and I love to attend as many of the events as we can."

However, Celestine's social life is set to go on the back burner for the next few months as preparations get underway for the International Association of Language Centres' Conference, which takes place in Galway in April of next year. With a number of local hotels involved, 320 people are expected to travel to the city for the event from 100 language schools across the world.

Celestine's enthusiasm for her work is clearly evident and her hope for the future is to keep encouraging international students to visit Galway and experience that great welcome that awaits them.

"It's just so amazing to see how they get on over here; they really get involved in the local community and are welcomed with open arms. We get such a great mix of people through the doors, it's such fun, they just make you crack up! We have a great team here at the college and, while it can be challenging for the students coming to a place they don't know, Galway is great spot. They get to experience something that is not available anywhere else. It's such an amazing area to be working in and I just love it."

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