MEGAN STEVENS

Hello! I am a senior at Grand Valley State University in the HTM program with an emphasis in Lodging and a minor in Business.  I was originally in the Accounting program at Grand Valley when I decided that working at hotels and resorts was what I wanted to do.  I have completed two internships: one at Mai Tiki Resort in Oscoda and the other at Sophia’s House in Grand Rapids.  I am currently doing my last internship at Sophia’s House as well.

I am very thankful for the Lois Searles Scholarship.  This scholarship has helped me pay for my internship and summer tuition.  This internship has reinforced that the hospitality field is the field that I want to work in.  Sophia’s House has given me a great opportunity to learn so much.  In addition, because everyone who stays there has to be a patient, be related to a patient, or be friends visiting a patient, this experience is unlike most.  The Lois Searles Scholarship has made it so that I do not have to worry about how I will get the money to pay for classes this summer and has let me put my focus on my internship to learn as much as possible.

 After I graduate, I hope to get a job that grants me the opportunity to travel around the country and world.  I believe that there would be no better way to see the world than getting to live and work in different areas and meet the people who live and visit there.

LOREN CREGO

It is with great honor that I receive and accept the Benjamin Mutnick “Mettle” Award.  For my recent past being one of trials and tribulations, there have been endless amounts of support as I continue to finish my education.  I am a new graduate of GVSU and completing my final course credits this summer.  As a Hospitality and Tourism Management Major, with an emphasis in Event Management, I am honored to have been chosen for this opportunity.  My future is one with bright hopes of getting my foot in the corporate events door for long-term success.  Earning this award has only brought me steps closer to achieving this and encourages me to help others by giving back to the community.  To encompass the ability to remain motivated through critical challenges of life is what I fully hope to obtain one day.  Through meeting Professor Mutnick’s family and receiving this award in his tribute is a privilege I will always hold dear.

ALISHA CLELAND (pictured on left)

Hi!  I’m Alisha Cleland and I am a recent graduate of Grand Valley’s HTM Department with an emphasis in event management. I have completed two internships at Hawk Hollow and Eagle Eye Golf Courses and Banquet Facilities in East Lansing where I have worked my way up to becoming first a manager of events, and then a banquet sales associate.  I am in the process of completing my final internship at this property and hopefully will be full-time with this company come fall.

During this past school year, I was the Vice President of the HTM Club and was able to participate and coordinate many activities and gatherings.  By taking part in all of the opportunities that were presented to the students in the HTM Department, and even more, who were involved in Club, I was able to learn more about the industry than just what I was hearing in my classes.  I was also Vice President of the Professional Convention Management Association Grand Valley Chapter and took part in their annual conference in Orlando in January.

Through my in-depth involvement with the Hospitality and Tourism Management Club, I learned about the HTM Club Scholarship.  I am grateful to have received this award because it is really the Club and experiences that have helped me.  It is extremely flattering to be recognized for all of the work and dedication that I have put into the Club this last year. The HTM Club Scholarship will help me in paying my student loans that will soon be coming after graduation.

I am extremely thankful for the Hospitality Department as a whole, the friends I’ve made during my time at Grand Valley, and this scholarship is just the icing on the cake to an incredible experience.

 

EMMA JACK (pictured on right)

To be awarded the HTM Club Scholarship was such an honor, and I am extremely grateful for this recognition.  Grand Valley State University's Hospitality and Tourism Management Department was like a family to me.  I held the position of HTM Club President and made friends, peers, and wonderful connections with faculty, students, and professionals in the industry.  Although I have recently graduated, I know that I will remain in contact with so many of the people that have assisted me in bettering my career and life while at Grand Valley.  I have made so many memories, and I know that my GV education will lead me to success as I travel the country working different music festivals from Bonnaroo in Tennessee to Electric Forest in Michigan.