Lecturer Keisha Davis Barnes and students of the HLSCC Hospitality programme who were inducted into the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality on February 22, 2013. See www.nsmh.org for more info.

diversity and multiculturalism, as well as the career development of student members. Currently there are 56 chapters based in the U.S and HLSCC became the only chapter in the Caribbean when the students were initiated at the annual conference which was held at Walt Disney World, Orlando in February, 2013.

NSMH provides events and programmes that bring together college-level students with company sponsors, industry representatives, other hospitality organizations, advisors and mentors, and hospitality high school students. NSMH is a resource for the industry to find dynamic talent as well as for students to find qualified answers to relevant questions and have a window to the industry that awaits them.

Mrs. Keisha Davis Barnes, Lecturer in the Business & Computer Studies Department at HLSCC accompanied the students to the conference and she explained that the students attended numerous workshops that covered topics such as: “The World is in Your Hands, Time and Academic Career Management, Women in Hospitality and the Diversity Roller Coaster. They also attended a career fair which included 150 companies in the industry, companies such as Hilton, Marriott, Darden Restaurants and Johnson & Wales University. “For me the highlight of the conference from an educator’s point of view was when one of our alumni’s, Mr. Kesheem Hodge, a Hotel Management student, who is now the President of the NSMH Southeast region, received an award for outstanding service in the industry and also for president of the year”.

At the conference Mr. Hodge was interviewed with Hilton Corporate and he earned one of the 20 spots of their Hilton’s Management Training Program. Upon his graduation from the program he will automatically be placed in a management position in any Hilton Hotel worldwide which speaks to the foundation that he received from HLSCC.
HLSCC Hospitality Club Vice-President, Mr. Jonathan Cruz in his report stated that the environment at the conference made it easy for the students to venture out and meet new people. “We figured out that the more you put yourself out there the more confidence you gain conversationally. Meeting individuals in our age group from all across America who shared the same dreams and goals that we have, made us understand the reason The National Society of Minorities in Hospitality, (NSMH) was established; to bring out an appetite in all of us and deliver self-assurance that we did choose the right career path”.