The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF), the not-for-profit affiliate of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), recently awarded scholarships to 18 minority college students via the Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students Program.
The program provides financial aid to minority students pursuing a degree in hotel management. Each undergraduate received a $2,000 scholarship and commemorative plaque for the 2006-2007 academic year.
"Hyatt is committed to assisting minority students pursue careers in the lodging industry," said Joseph A. McInerney, CHA, AH&LA president/CEO. 'This minority scholarship program addresses the industry's dedication to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex industry serving an increasingly diverse customer base, which in turn, allows us to attract, empower, and retain the best.'
The Hyatt national scholarship competition is open to schools with four-year hospitality management programs that are members of the Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education. Each school is invited to nominate its best candidate, who is selected based on their academic performance, hospitality work experience, extracurricular involvement, and financial need.
"The Hyatt family is proud to honor these students and their families for their excellence in academics and in the field of hospitality. I wish them the best of luck and hope to see them as our associates in the near future,' said Chuck Floyd, chief operating officer and executive vice president of Hyatt Hotels Corp.
Founded in 1988 with a $250,000 contribution by Hyatt Hotels Corporation, the fund balance exceeds $825,000, attributable to the company's subsequent contributions. Since its inception, the endowment has awarded a total of $396,000 to 198 minority hospitality management students.
This years winners are Michelle Strong, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis; Zong Lau, New York University; Sheng Yang, California State University, Long Beach; Diana Beltran, Florida International University; Emily Wong, Pennsylvania State University; Rhonda Jones, James Madison University; Rachel Anderson, Ferris State University; Timothy Law, The Culinary Institute of America; Patricia Smith, University of San Francisco; Daniel Loera, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Ramesh Elam, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Tiffany Nelson, Niagara University; Nga Nguyen, Johnson &Wales University, Providence; Sabrina Battle, University of Maryland Eastern Shore; Venus Bravo, University of Hawaii; Brian Gillison, Howard University; Jazmine Santos, Washington State University; and Miguel Vega, University of Denver.
For more information about the Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students Program, contact Michelle Poinelli, vice president of foundation programs, at (202) 289-3181 or mpoinelli@ahlef.org or visit www.ahlef.org.
AH&LEF is the charitable fund-raising and endowed fund-management subsidiary of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Founded in 1953, AH&LEF is the premier organization for scholarships, professional certification, and instructional material as well as funding for hospitality industry research.
Serving the hospitality industry for nearly a century, AH&LA is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services to provide bottom line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. Partner state associations provide local representation and additional cost-saving benefits to members.
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