NSMH conference
UD hospitality students attend workshops, network with leading companies
8:41 a.m., March 10, 2015--The National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) chapter at the University of Delaware attended the 26th annual NSMH national conference in Pittsburgh last month.
The conference is designed to provide hotel, restaurant and institutional management (HRIM) students with opportunities to network with professionals, interview for permanent jobs and internships, make new friends and learn about NSMH as a national organization.
Campus Stories
From graduates, faculty
Doctoral hooding
The conference also gives students the opportunity to interact with various hospitality companies including Marriott, Darden and Sodexho, and allows all NSMH chapters to elect a new national board.
On Thursday, Feb. 12, the NSMH chapters at UD and Delaware State University traveled to Pittsburgh and spent the evening attending rallies with other southeast regional chapters. The conference was superhero-themed this year, and many students dressed up as their own chapter superheroes. The evening allowed students to see how other chapters handle community service, recruitment and events.
Friday began with a leadership breakfast, during which the NSMH national board announced chapter awards. Then students attended a variety of workshops ranging from “Controlling your Inner Hulk,” an anger management seminar, to a “ Trends in the Restaurant Industry” discussion. Each workshop featured a panel of professionals from a diverse array of companies, many of whom were recent college graduates.
“The conference gave me a candid look into many different companies in quick succession,” senior Rob Mitchell said. The panels also answered questions from students, providing an opportunity to learn exactly what recruiters look for in internship and job applicants.
Friday night concluded with candidate speeches. NSMH chapter president Dan McCreary and NSMH member Elliott Jones served as delegates and voted on the 2015-16 national NSMH board.
On Saturday students attended the NSMH Career Fair. Students spoke with companies like Starwood, Marriott and Hyatt, as well as others that do not recruit directly from the UD campus such as Hilton Worldwide, OTG Management and Kimpton Hotels. A number of students earned interviews during the career fair.
“This year's NSMH conference was an all-around great experience and I already can't wait for next year,” McCreary said. “I landed interviews with both Hilton and Disney, so I already have multiple internship prospects and our career fair hasn't even happened yet.”
McCreary said that he greatly benefited from the career fair and also attended various networking suites in the evening.
In their spare time, students explored Pittsburgh, visiting various eateries and even a museum.
“Between eating french fry-stacked sandwiches at Pittsburgh's staple Primanti Brother's restaurant and visiting the Andy Warhol Museum, this trip was exactly how any HRIM major would want to start out their spring semester," Mitchell said, adding that the students greatly benefited from the conference experience and enjoyed learning what it truly means to be a member of NSMH.
About the NSMH
The NSMH is the largest all-student run organization in the hospitality industry, providing numerous opportunities for students to become leaders in the national organization and beyond.
Although the goal of NSMH is to promote career opportunities in the industry for underserved students in the hospitality field, membership in the organization is not exclusive to minorities. Students in colleges and universities from all ethnic groups are welcome to join NSMH, as is reflected in the diverse current leadership and membership.
Article by Sean Freeman