SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation announced the two recipients of its annual scholarship awards for students majoring in hospitality sales and marketing. Each winning student receives $2,000 towards his/her tuition. Furthermore, recipients are invited as HSMAI's guest to attend the International Travel Awards Competition Dinner in New York in January 2003.
A panel of academics evaluated essay submissions from applicants across the country and chose Charles Kahn from Johnson and Wales in Providence, RI and Melissa Houston-Roman from New York University in New York City, NY.
"The creation of resources to better serve our members and the industry at large is one of our greatest objectives," states Robert A. Gilbert, CHA, CHME, president and CEO of HSMAI. "And, what better resource is there than the next generation of the workforce, in whom we take great pride in nurturing and educating."
Charles Kahn, who is from Forest Hills, NY and will graduate in 2003, completed an internship at the Johnson and Wales Inn in Seekonik, MA as well as participated in a hotel internship at Alexander the Great Beach Resort in Halkidiki, Greece. Kahn says, "I am so excited to be part of an industry that values the satisfaction of the guest just as much as the bottom line."
Melissa Houston-Roman, who hails from New York, NY, became interested in hospitality from an early age. With a father as a pilot, her family often stayed in hotels on weekends as their home away from home. It was being in that environment and interacting with the staff that would make her consider the hotel business as a serious career path.
Houston-Roman, who is a resident of New York and will also graduate in May of 2003, completed an assistant restaurant management internship at the Paramount Hotel in New York, NY.
Applications were widely distributed to all students and faculty members. Eligibility required that students complete a minimum of two years of college education in a hospitality curriculum with a sales and marketing orientation and be working toward a bachelor's degree. Other deciding factors were a strong GPA and industry-related work experience. Details on the 2003 scholarship program will be released in late 2002.
Furthermore, HSMAI is a tremendous resource for students seeking employment in the hospitality and travel industry. Among the assistances offered are members' only access to job postings on the HSMAI website; access to chapter presidents and board members in the U.S. and abroad; and discounts on top industry publications.
HSMAI is an organization of sales and marketing professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry while operating as a leading voice for both hospitality and sales and marketing management disciplines. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprised of over 7,000 members from 35 countries and 60 chapters worldwide.
For more information on HSMAI, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, 8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300, McLean, VA 22102, phone (703) 610-9024; fax (703) 610-9005.
