Thursday, July 8, 2010
PRINCESS ANNE, MD- June 30, 2010-Two students at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore will learn valuable skills related to their fields of study, Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM), during summer internships funded by Choice Hotels International (www.ChoiceHotels.com), one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world with over 6,000 hotels in the U.S. and more than 35 other countries and territories.
Choice Hotels recently presented Dr. Ernest Boger, chair of the Department of Hotel and Restaurant Management at UMES, with a check for $10,000 for the summer internships, $1,000 of which will cover the cost of the interns attending the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) annual Summit and Trade Show in mid-July in Miami, Fla.
“At Choice Hotels, we are committed to promoting the hospitality industry as a career path to a diverse population of students,” said Patrick Cimerola, senior vice president, Human Resources and Administration for Choice Hotels. “Being able to launch this program really allows us to strengthen our relationship with UMES and will provide valuable work and life experience to these students.”
Stephanie Begin, a senior with a minor in culinary arts and restaurant management from Piscataway, N.J., will complete an internship at the Comfort Inn Manhattan in New York City, while Ellis Gardner, a junior from Silver Spring, Md., will intern at the Comfort Inn in Washington, D.C. The two HRM majors were finalists among six possible candidates. Each will receive three credit hours for the 10-week internships. They were selected based on their GPA, demonstrated leadership abilities and professional demeanor.
“This program presents an opportunity for the students to acquire real-life, hands-on experience in a major destination hotel environment,” said Boger. “It is the first collegiate hospitality program that Choice has been involved in and we expect it to expand and become a model for other HRM programs at fellow Historically Black Colleges and Universities.”
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Gail Stephens, assistant director, UMES Office of Public Relations, 410-651-7580, gcstephens@umes.edu.
Heather Soule, manager, Corporate Communications for Choice Hotels, 301-628-4361, heather_soule@choicehotels.com.
