Coursework

The Payne School has put together many different events through the school year which I was able to attend. The first one that I went to was a welcome back lunch and I was surprised to see how many different hotels and brands were tabling, and how many opportunities there were for students to network. I was fortunate enough to talk to a lady who worked with the Hilton and she guided me through what an internship could potentially look like. I learned that there are many open positions within the hospitality industry. I told her I don't have much experience in the industry because I've been a lifeguard and that's mainly the only place I've worked but she said that some hotels need lifeguards and not to turn a blind eye. She also explained to me how Linkden works and how that is where a lot of connections are made. I also stopped by the MESA table and talked to the people about which specific emphasis to go into. They told me that as a freshman it's ok to be undeclared as long as you're experiencing the different options you have and that a good way is to join MESA because older students have probably gone through a similar experience and so they can help guide you through your decisions. My big takeaways are that networking is everything and the more connections you make the better. I also learned that there are so many different internship opportunities that I need to take advantage of.