On May 4, 2015, the Bay Region Retail, Hospitality and Tourism (RHT) Initiative housed at Skyline College participated in Experience Hospitality: Sacramento 2015, a California outreach event for students studying hospitality and culinary arts in high school. Experience Hospitality was held at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento and ended with a lunch reception at the Wedgewood at the Sterling Hotel. This event invited approximately 200 Northern California high school ProStart students to a unique one-day experience in efforts to increase their knowledge of educational pathways in college while highlighting the diversity of careers in the hospitality industry.
In addition, students were provided with resources to continue their hospitality and culinary education and careers beyond high school. The event included an education fair that showcased the community college system and the various California State Universities (CSU) with programs in Hospitality Management. CSUs present included CSU East Bay, San Jose State, Chico State, and Sacramento State. Andrea Vizenor, Bay Region Deputy Sector Navigator for RHT, was in attendance representing Skyline College and California Community Colleges. The event also featured a CSU Hospitality Management student panel, a behind the scenes walking tour of various local hospitality venues in Sacramento, a tourism presentation from Visit California and a networking lunch. During the networking lunch, Vizenor gave a presentation on newly developed Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at Skyline College, the many degree options in the California Community College system, and the opportunity of Associate Transfer Degrees into CSU institutions.
This event was hosted by the California Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (CRAEF) and the California State University’s Hospitality Management Educational Initiative (CSU HMEI) with sponsorship from The California Community Colleges and Visit California. CRAEF and CSU HMEI hosts a Northern and Southern California events in order to reach high school students pursuing this educational pathway throughout the state of California.
For more information, please contact Andrea Vizenor at vizenora@smccd.edu.
Article and Photo by Elizabeth Tablan
