Through WCCUSD’s Ivy League Connection program, Hercules High School Students Justine Betschart, Stacy Chan, Ramiah Davis-Shephard, Louisa Man, Julia Maniquiz, and Yueming Wang will be attending Cornell University to either study Freedom and Justice or Hotel Operations Management during the summer of 2009.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Quicker than a New York minute

I must say time has fled considerably fast.

Despite the fact that the trip seems like it has snuck up on me, I am excited to go to New York, or particularly, to Ithaca--home to the lush campus of Cornell University.

Unlike the students who will attend the Freedom and Justice course, students, like me, who will study Hotel Operations Management have not been assigned to any readings yet. Rather than viewing this situation as half empty, I'll see it as half full. The only pre-assignment I have been assigned is to study the leading hotel companies, including Marriott International, Hilton Hotels Corporation, and Four Seasons. Within these few remaining days before I depart from San Francisco, I will delve into all the trivial details on my own, such as information in regards to the business model and the strategic direction each company fosters.

This opportunity is the perfect chance for me to work closely with educated and canny figures who have experience in the business realm, or to be more specific, the dynamic hotel management industry. I am certainly more than ready to be enlightened by Professor Reneta and Mark McCarthy.

I have always set my heart on pursuing business (one of the two majors I plan to get a degree in) in college, but I strongly believe that exploring this field will help me see if this is right for me...if this is a perfect fit for me.

The other major I plan to pursue is journalism. Since Syracuse University is well-known for its paramount journalism/communications program, I could not pass up the amazing opportunity to take a live campus tour.

What I am looking forward to most is connecting with local students as well as students from neighboring countries and from afar. Listening to others' background and exchanging personal stories will only make me culturally-enriched. Most importantly, I am ready to share them my story and what my community has to offer, including, but not limited to, the ILC program.

As soon as I arrive in Ithaca, I will start posting up snapshots of the city, products of Cornell and Syracuse university, dinner outing, and so much more.

Until next time,
Stacy

3 comments:

  1. Stacy,

    Great job setting up this blog. I am looking forward to following your journey this summer -- both the physical journey and the intellectual one you have already embarked on.

    As I understand it, the largest single industry sector -- worldwide -- is the Hospitality Industry. So, you are well positioned here as you will be attending an international leader in the field.

    Keep googling and the companies and their founders -- "wiki" them too. The more background you develop, the more context you will have, etc., etc.

    Keep it up.

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  2. This is great work. I do hope that you will investigate my comments about Illegal Immigration and how the Hotel Industry has a long history of violations. Also the historical information on the Holiday Inn Chain and how it regained market share.

    Take care and keep up the good work.

    Charles T. Ramsey

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  3. Stacy,

    You have the right attitude going into this.

    Something that a lot of cruise takers never understand is that with these large cruise lines there are two different and independent staffs. One operates the ship while the other operates the big floating hotel. I know the two heads talk to each other but the ship’s captain really doesn’t have anything to do with how the hotel part is run and vice versa.

    Some of these cruise ships host as many as 5,000 passengers which makes them just as big as the huge hotels in Las Vegas.

    Not only do they have to worry about the regular sleeping accommodations but there’s dining, recreation and entertainment. There’s even the need to staff a small hospital for those pesky emergencies that every hotel experiences (except that the floating hotels won’t find a local clinic or hospital they can send their clients to).

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