Not only is this an amazing educational opportunity to immerse yourself into your major, but these trips allow personal growth, experience in a different environment and culture, connections in the business world and an experience that will help with finding a career.
Taylor Pruitt, a Hospitality Innovation and Agricultural Business undergraduate student, spent 12 days studying abroad in Italy this May. Students on the Cultural Considerations in Design, Artistry and Layout of Hospitality Facilities in Italy program were tasked with analyzing the hospitality facilities they toured and document what they saw through pictures for their portfolios. Taylor shared how her experience in Italy has benefited her academic and professional development.
As a child I loved the idea of running a hotel or resort. After studying internationally, that passion extended across borders. Not only do I wish to serve those here in the United States, I also want to serve those who travel around the world. An experience like this creates the opportunity for better careers in the future. Knowledge of international hospitality will be useful to have in mind while learning about hospitality in the United States and preparing for a career. This comparison will allow other students like myself to make hospitality operations in the United States more successful. Any experience brought to a career is valuable, but in the hospitality industry any experience abroad will set you, as a future employee, apart because you will have a fundamental understanding of what it is like to vacation or study in a country you are not native to.
