Where do you work or where did you complete your hospitality internship at? I work at Hilton Garden Inn as a Guest Services Representative. I have not done my internship yet but hope to either do it with HGI or some hotel in Kansas City this upcoming summer.
What honors have you received? I won the Future Leader Award from IACC this past March and have been on the Dean’s List.
Why are you an HRA major? I am an HRA major because I love everything about the hospitality industry. I love that it is so diverse, fast paced and that it never sleeps. Each day is a completely new experience, whether it is a new connection you make with a client/guest or solving an issue you have never encountered. I believe to be the best at what you do and never stop learning, and that is exactly what you can expect from the hospitality world.
What is your favorite part about being an HRA major? I love how close our whole department is; I can sit down in any of my classes and see at least 15 people that I know. It is so cool being surrounded by people that have the same passion about something as you do. I also love that our major has so much to offer. You not only have six different tracks to choose from, but you also have a whole team of professors that do everything they can to help you land your dream job upon graduating (i.e. Recruiter’s Fair, guest speakers, etc.)
What hospitality organizations are you involved in? Hospitality Leaders of Tomorrow and Eta Sigma Delta (Events/PR Chair)
What other organizations are you involved in? I am active on the Outreach/Green Committee at Hilton Garden Inn (Secretary/Treasurer). Through this committee, I volunteer with such things as highway cleanups, Ozarks Food Harvest and St. Jude’s fundraising. I also have been on the Dean’s List and previously was part of the Pride Band at MSU.
Where do you work or where did you complete your hospitality internship at? I currently work at Olive Garden Springfield. However, I have also worked for Olive Garden in Lee’s Summit, MO and Stillwater, OK. I started as a busser for them, but I have moved through serving, hosting, dishwashing, and now I am a cook. I also have participated in the Disney College Program.
What honors have you received? I am the recipient of the Carl D. Riegel Memorial Scholarship and the Dean’s List.
What hospitality organizations are you involved in? Eta Sigma Delta
Why are you an HRA major? I have always been interested in food and beverage management. I enjoy foods from all over the world and the cultures that create them. Food is an essential part of society, and it is a great way to make an impact on the lives of others. Through hospitality management I am given the opportunity to positively impact not just people but real world events. I can lead a business that recognizes and creatively addresses global issues like food waste and food insecurity while being successful. In addition, the hospitality industry has a large labor force, and I believe Unites States business has failed to promote a worker friendly environment where people don’t feel replaceable or alienated in their job. I want to prove that promoting a great work environment with tremendous reward not just financially, but also physically and mentally, really leads to a more successful business and leads to a better society. Therefore, HRA is a complex major that allows me to positively impact both my community and the world.
What is your favorite part about being an HRA major? I love the HRA major because the hospitality industry is a constantly changing industry that makes for entertaining classes.
What other organizations are you involved in? I am a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society, ESD and Phi Theta Kappa Honor society.
Where do you work or where did you complete your hospitality internship at? I work at Holday Inn and Suites as a guest service representative. This summer I did my internship at Sheraton in Overland Park, Kansas.
What honors have you received? I have been initiated into Eta Sigma Delta, International Hospitality Honor Society. I was also on the Dean’s list for Fall 2014.
Why are you an HRA major? I am very passionate about this industry. I knew after my first semester here at Missouri State that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I love being around people, and being around people that are just as enthusiastic and excited about this industry as I am.
What is your favorite part about being an HRA major? The people in this major are what I like the most. From the staff to the students, everyone was very welcoming, and with our similarities in the industry we can connect on the hospitality level.
What other organizations are you involved in? I am involved in Hospitality Leaders of Tomorrow, Eta Sigma Delta, Entertainment Management Association, and Sigma Sigma Sigma social sorority.
What advice would you give a prospective student? Going to college is a very intimidating experience. I came to MSU with a slight interest in HRA, and I went for it. From the very beginning the major professors and students are welcoming. The HRA program at MSU is only growing. Everyone in HRA is here because they love and have a passion for hospitality. This program has made me feel at home and I would not want to have it any other way at MSU.
Where do you work or where did you complete your hospitality internship at? I work at Houlihans connected to the DoubleTree. I started as a server and recently received a promotion to bartender. Other jobs involved in this include banquet serving and room service. This summer I completed my internship in Yellowstone National Park.
What honors have you received? Culinary Honors in high school and National Honors Society in college
Why are you an HRA major? Hospitality and Restaurant has been a passion of mine since I started high school. I was involved in advanced culinary classes in high school and planned on attending a Culinary Arts Institute. When I decided to change directions, Hospitality and Restaurant Administration seemed like the perfect alternative. Something I have always known I love is helping people- it is the most rewarding feeling. I find pleasure in assisting others and giving them great customer service. I shine in a fast paced, always changing environment- something this industry offers. I love working with people all day. I am outgoing and energetic and can hold a conversation with pretty much anyone.
What is your favorite part about being an HRA major? My favorite thing about the HRA major at MSU is the staff and relationships they take the time to build with students and others in the community. For example, when I was applying for a job at Houlihans, I told them in my interview that I was an HRA major. The manager I was interviewing with is a good friend with some of the HRA teachers and that helped me land the job. A lot of my co-workers are HRA majors as well. This makes it clear that the staff in the HRA department creates close ties in the community.
The staff in the HRA department is friendly and helpful. They provide office hours and are wiling to help if I have any questions regarding class or the industry as a whole. All of my teachers are well educated and full of information that will help me in the long run. A perk of having smaller classes is that the staff is familiar with us students and able to help us whenever we may need it.
What other organizations are you involved in? For a year and a half, I was a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority. I attended HLOT meetings last semester and I intend on getting more involved with HLOT this year. Also, I am a member of the National Honors Society.
What advice would you give a prospective student? I would advise a prospective student to get familiar with the hospitality industry by working throughout college. I say this because that is what made me fall in love with hospitality. If a student is just taking classes, they don’t get as fully emerged into the industry as they would if they were working in it as well. I would advise them to get involved in extracurricular activities that enhance their knowledge and opportunity to network. MSU has a great HRA program that provides students plenty of ways to get involved and meet other students. Which brings to me to my next point, take the time to meet the other students in your classes. This is so important because throughout the courses, we are required to work on group projects together. Taking the time to get to know the people you are working in a group with helps because eventually you learn who is good and what and can assign tasks accordingly
Where do you work or where did you complete your hospitality internship at? I work for bellhops, which is a moving company that employs college students. I also plan to do my internship this summer.
Why are you an HRA major? I am an HRA major because with this major I get the chance to make guests happy. I get to do what anyone would enjoy, which is putting a smile on people’s faces and so far the major has been great! I also was recommended by other HRA students to join this field because of the extensive career opportunities.
What is your favorite part about being an HRA major? My favorite aspect of the HRA major/department is the staff and faculty. They are knowledgeable, experienced, friendly and most importantly they want the students to succeed. They are so helpful and are our biggest supporters in and out of the classroom!
What other organizations are you involved in? I am in Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.
What advice would you give a prospective student? I would advise students to start building their network. Social networking is beneficial to any program, but it really helps in HRA.
Where do you work or where did you complete your hospitality internship at? I work for Campus Recreation here at Missouri State University. As part of the campus recreation department I work specifically for the Outdoor Adventure Program where I preform many different tasks. As part of Outdoor Adventures I work as a resource desk attendant which means I rent out gear as well as give general information about outdoor activities in the area. I also work as a rock wall attendant. Finally I am a trip guide for Outdoor Adventures, in this role I am responsible for planning and leading day, weekend, and even weeklong outdoor trips for students. I have led trips to destinations across the United States including Arkansas, Utah, Georgia, and Tennessee. This summer I worked with Big Cedar Lodge.
What honors have you received? I have been on the Dean’s List every semester so far.
Why are you an HRA major? I chose HRA as a major for many different reasons, one main reason is because I love to be around people and I love to make other people happy which I feel is a key part of the hospitality industry. Secondly I chose to major in HRA because I love food and traveling. I like to cook and prepare food for others because I feel that when you feed someone a good meal it can make their day ten times better. I have also always been fascinated by traveling, I just remember when I was a kid and I would go somewhere with my parents it would always make me so happy to go to a hotel and be greeted by so many nice people as soon as you walk in the door and I wanted to share that experience with others.
What is your favorite part about being an HRA major? Personally my favorite part of the HRA major so far has been the classes that include a lab such as HRA 321 and HRA 330. I love to cook and I feel like both of those classes have really helped me develop new skills in the kitchen and taught me a lot about food safety. I also really enjoy the Recruiters Fair which I feel opens a lot of doors to the professional world that students in other programs may not get.
What other organizations are you involved in? I am heavily involved in the Outdoor Adventure program at Missouri State University, I am also a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity International, and a new member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars here on campus.
What would you tell a prospective student about the program? The most important thing to point out, is that this program has professors who are experienced, who care about their students, and who do everything possible to prepare us for the industry and help us secure jobs after graduation
Where do you work or where did you complete your hospitality internship at? I work for a staffing company that sends me to different hotels in the area to work banquets. I also had an internship this summer at Tan –Tar-A resort.
What honors have you received? I have the provost scholarship and another scholarship from my hometown that both require me to maintain a 3.5 GPA. I am on the Dean’s list. Two of the organizations I am involved with both have very high GPA requirements. I also hold several positions in my fraternity.
Why are you an HRA major? I have been very interested in restaurants and tourism since I was much younger, and upon discovering that there was a field of study based on this, I knew that was what I wanted to do. The classes I have taken have reinforced those thoughts and added to my desire to become a hospitality professional.
What is your favorite part about being an HRA major? I feel like HRA is different from other majors in that it provides students with real experience for what they want to do in their life. The HRA department does a great service in job searching for students, and the teachers really do seem like they care about students on a personal level.
What other organizations are you involved in? I am in Phi Gamma Delta social fraternity, Phi Eta Sigma honors group, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Phi Sigma Upsilon leadership fraternity, and the Dean’s list.
What would you tell a prospective student about the program? I would talk about how helpful the teachers are and how close knit the entire group is. I would also share the many job opportunities that I have already received even though I am early on my collegiate path. I am a very outgoing person and love talking to people so communication comes very easy to me.