Hospitality Management Students are Gaining Real-World Experience via Rotations at the Inn at Ole Miss
Hospitality Management Students are Gaining Real-World Experience via Rotations at the Inn at Ole Miss
OXFORD, Miss. – Students in the Hospitality Management program have the incredible opportunity to participate in shift rotations at the Inn at Ole Miss. The rotations include working with the front desk, with housekeeping, with sales and marketing, and with events. This experiential learning opportunity is embedded in NHM 491 Hotel Management & Analytics and NHM 662 Advanced Hotel Operations, allowing both undergraduate and graduate students to gain unique experience.
Their tasks during rotations include anything from shadowing the hotel’s maids and assisting them with bedding changes and bathroom cleaning, to helping run the hotel’s front desk, and even assisting in the coordination and set up for important hotel events.
Delaney McCarthy, an MS student in NHM 662 Advanced Hotel Operations, states, “It is so helpful to get hands-on experience because it makes you feel so much more confident going into job interviews, and shadowing allows you to see which department is the best fit for each individual.”
McCarthy says her favorite part of working at the Inn thus far has been working in events because she loves doing the set up and then seeing the final product come together and be a success. She has already completed her rotations in housekeeping, events, and front desk, and she is eager to do her rotations with sales and marketing where she will continue her greatly valued learning experience.
Another fellow undergraduate student, Riley Merrell, in NHM 491 Hotel Management & Analytics, said, “This program has prepared me for my future by allowing me to work in the real-world. You can only learn so much from sitting in a classroom. I love having firsthand experiences with the hospitality industry as it will aide me so much in my future career endeavors.”
Merrell’s favorite part of her experience thus far has been the connections she has been able to make with the staff. She said, “I love being able to hear their unique personal stories and get valuable pieces of advice from them.”
An aspect that has stood out to both students has been the outstanding opportunity to get to truly visualize what a real day-in-the-life in the hospitality industry looks like.
By: Laura Leigh Petteway
