Collegiate Times

Representatives from Hilton Hotels visited campus last night to speak to Hospitality and Tourism.

Virginia Tech's Hospitality and Tourism Management students had a chance to learn from some of the best yesterday as they were visited by 10 executives from the Hilton Hotels Corporation.

The visit, which was dubbed "Hilton Day" by students and faculty of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department, gave students a chance to learn from some of the top names in the hotel industry.

"Hilton is here to provide information regarding future careers for the students," said Beth Weaver, assistant to the head of the hospitality and tourism management department. "During the course of the day, Hilton representatives attended classes and were served lunch by our students."

Hilton Senior Vice President Patrick Terwilliger headlined the list of executives, which included two area vice presidents, a senior sales manager, a recruiter, and directors of several programs. The business leaders participated in several relevant classes and gave lectures throughout the day on different issues in the hospitality industry. The executives also joined students and faculty for an evening reception, during which students were able to informally interact with Hilton leaders.

"A vice president of Hilton came and spoke to our Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism Management class about his background," said freshman Hospitality and Tourism Management major Abbie Curfman. "We had a chance to ask him questions about the hotel industry."

Curfman said that her experience with "Hilton Day" made her think positively about Hilton as a potential employer.

"[The executive in our class] was very helpful and definitely kept our attention. It made me want to work for Hilton," she said.

Virginia Tech's relationship with Hilton Hotels Corporation is a strong one. Many Hilton executives are Virginia Tech alumni, and Hilton manages the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. Dr. Richard Sorensen, Dean of the Pamplin College of Business, attended the evening event and expressed his positive thoughts about the HTM department.

"I am very pleased that the HTM program is part of the Pamplin College of Business," he said to the group. "We continue to grow the size of the program. We now have 369 HTM majors." Dean Sorensen also spoke of the importance of events like "Hilton Day" in helping undergraduates network and find internships and work experience.

Students of the HTM department's Hospitality Management Association coordinated the event, including catering the reception. Students and faculty alike took advantage of the opportunity to learn from the top executives in their field.