Two Genesee Community College students in the Tourism & Hospitality Management program have been awarded scholarships. Dana Landers received a $500 scholarship from the New York State Business Travel Alliance (NYSBTA) and Nicholas Bennett received a $1500 award from Destinations of New York State.
Dana Landers, of Alden, NY, is a second year student at Genesee and is an active member of Travel Club. Her interest in Tourism & Hospitality Management began at a previous job, when she traveled to several trade shows and helped oversee the sites. With the encouragement of her instructors at Genesee, Dana decided to pursue a degree in the field and may transfer to a four-year institution once she has completed her studies at Genesee.
The NYSBTA, which awarded Dana the scholarship, was formed in 1990. It is an organization focused on perfecting the science of business travel management and is committed to enhancing the travel profession by sponsoring educational and informational programs for its members. The NYSBTA scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance and learning to local area students in the field of Travel & Hospitality. Dana was awarded the scholarship based on grade point average (applicants must maintain 3.5 GPA or higher), an essay regarding her future goals, and a letter of recommendation from the Genesee’s Tourism & Hospitality Management program director.
Nicholas Bennett is the son of Christopher and Deborah Bennett of Buffalo, NY. Nick received his AAS degree in Tourism & Hospitality Management at Genesee Community College in May 2008 and will begin studying for his Bachelor’s degree at Niagara University in Lewiston, NY in the fall. He hopes to manage a hotel and possibly open his own hotel one day. Nick was actively involved on campus at Genesee, particularly in the Travel Club. He won the college’s Most Respected Student award and served as a Resident Assistant at College Village.
Destinations of New York State awards several thousands of dollars for scholarships to students participating in the Travel and Tourism field in colleges with travel programs throughout New York State.
The hospitality and tourism industry is the largest and fastest growing industry in the world. It is estimated that in 2007, more than 100 million people world-wide were employed in this sector and there are more than 62,000 establishments in the United States alone that provide overnight accommodations to suit every interest and budget.
In addition to the Associate in Applied Science degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, Genesee Community College also offers a Hospitality Management certificate program for anyone interested in an accelerated one-year introduction to the world’s fastest-growing industry. For further information contact Amy Bowles, Hospitality Management instructor at 585-343-0055 x 6332.