Community / April 3, 2017

Andrew Forrest ’19 Discusses the Hospitality Business Fellows Program

Andrew Forrest ’19 Discusses the Hospitality Business Fellows Program

Victor Mullins, Associate Dean of the Undergraduate Program at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, recently interviewed Andrew Forrest ’19 to discuss his involvement with Hospitality Business Fellows Program and how it is part of his SMITH JOURNEY.  Successful navigation of the Smith journey requires involvement with colleagues, professors, professionals, clubs and organizations here at the Smith School, across campus and in the outside “real” world of business. Here is what students are challenged to do in each of their four years at Smith:

Freshmen: “Build Your Brand” through the SmithStart program.

Sophomores: “Pioneer Your Path” to success by focusing on an overall academic and career strategy.

Juniors: ”Command Your Career” to ensure that you are well positioned for your professional journey.

Seniors: “Embrace Your Experience” with an arsenal of tools, knowledge and networks, so that you are able to embrace your experience and celebrate your success.

Dean MullinsTell us about your involvement with Hospitality  Business Fellows.  Why did you apply for it and what are you learning? 

Andrew: I applied for Hospitality Business Fellows (HBF) because hospitality has always been of great interest to me – my parents met while working together for Marriott. Like a lot of kids, I was interested in what parents did for a living and always looked forward to visiting my dad’s office and staying at hotels, especially large convention or resort properties. I’ve always been fascinated with all the moving parts that make up a hotel and all the work that happens behind the scenes. I chose UMD and Smith for factors such as proximity to home, in-state tuition and my desire to seek a broader business education than what a hospitality degree could offer. I always planned on leveraging the resources at Smith to pursue opportunities in the hospitality world. Needless to say, when the Smith School announced the HBF program I was ecstatic. The program has been awesome so far due to our awesome professors: Janet Wagner and P.K. Kannan. Their classes have exposed me to opportunities on the corporate side of the industry such as brand management, revenue management and third-party management companies that I would not have considered if I decided to pursue a traditional hospitality education. It’s been a great experience, the best way possible to gear my Smith education towards the hospitality industry.

Dean MullinsTell us how your participation in Hospitality Business Fellows is helping and/or has helped you navigate the Smith journey.

Andrew: Moving into my sophomore year at Smith, I knew that I had to expand my network while continuing to refine my personal brand. Fortunately, HBF has been a fantastic networking tool and has given me the starting point to build my career in the industry. Through the program, I’ve had the fortune to meet the CEOs of Marriott and Choice Hotels, most of the executive board of Choice Hotels, and a number of other executives from hospitality firms across the D.C.-metro area. Later on this semester, we will even have the opportunity to go on a hard-hat tour of The Hotel at the University of Maryland just prior to its grand opening! Having such a wide range of contacts through the program and learning directly from them what skills they look for in new hires and what’s next for the industry has given me a leg up on others starting from outside the hospitality world.

Dean MullinsReflect on your other involvements and activities here at Smith that have been a part of the Smith journey.

Andrew: Outside of the classroom, the CEO@Smith Speaker Series has been a great asset to my professional development. Having the opportunity to listen to the CEOs of both SAP and Marriott has not only given me insight into the software and hospitality industries, but has given me an image to aspire to in my personal professionalism. Specifically, the small “fireside” chat I was invited to participate in with Arne Sorenson, the CEO of Marriott, was the catalyst for much of my critical thought about the industry. Additionally, the SmithStart program in my freshman year did a lot to help me build my personal brand and introduce me to successful resume and interviewing practices I continue to use when applying to jobs and internships.

Dean Mullins: What advice would you give to your fellow Smith peers and community?

Andrew: Seek opportunity wherever you find it. I currently intern at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), the main senatorial campaign strategy and finance arm of the Democratic Party, to which I applied after learning about the internship program there from one of my coworkers at the Epply Rec Center, where I lifeguard. The past three months later have been an awesome experience because I’ve expanded my network and skillset in ways I wouldn’t encounter at Smith. If I had restrained myself to only pursuing opportunities through the Smith School, I would have missed out on a great experience. I’ve even discovered a whole other world of hospitality in campaign and political event management that I wasn’t aware of. While I am still passionate about hospitality, this experience taught me to think outside of the box when it comes to the job search and career planning at large. Other students at Smith should be as flexible and exploratory as possible when it comes to charting their careers; you may surprise yourself with where you end up.

Dean Mullins: What is your dream?

Andrew: My dream is to make the world a better place. I like to believe I’m doing that now at the DSCC, but in a much broader sense, I want my career to be a series of positive impacts on the organizations and people I serve. Hospitality resonates with me because you get to make the world a better place on a person to person basis; it’s all about making the guest happy and providing them with a home away from home. More specifically however, I hope to work towards those goals by ultimately becoming the general manager of a large resort or conference property. I love the day-to-day interactions of the hotel – it’s where my initial attraction to the hospitality industry formed. It’s where as a hospitality professional you have the most opportunity to make a difference in the guest’s experience, which is what I’m really passionate about doing in hospitality.

Dean Mullins: Why are you passionate about the Smith School?

Andrew:  I’m passionate about the incredible community of students and faculty that make the Smith School the great institution it is. Prior to starting my freshman year, I always imagined higher education to be very linear, with everything emanating from the professors and the classroom. While the amazing professors I’ve had are the core of my experience, I’ve learned almost as much from my classmates and participating in the diverse range of talks, presentations and other events put on by the school. When I run into other Smith Terps in my other classes and across campus, I immediately feel a connection with them. As I move into my junior and senior years, I want to focus on giving back to this community and helping freshmen and sophomores find their way through the first half of the Smith journey. Overall, I want to give back to the students and faculty to continue to grow the Smith School.

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Students in one of the Smith School’s many one-year Fellows programs join a cohort of like-minded peers to engage in an intense study of a specific area of business, ranging from major-specific topics such as finance and supply chain to general interests such as sport management or global consulting.

Out-of-the-classroom and reality-based learning experiences are at the forefront of the Fellows programs. Whether through special speakers, workshops, site visits, case competitions, or networking events with corporate partners and Smith alumni, students gain practical insights into the business community. 

Small class sizes in reserved Fellows sections of business courses are a hallmark of all Fellows programs, facilitating strong working relationships among Fellows students and the faculty who advise and teach in the programs. Students engage, explore, and experience the Smith Community through Fellows!

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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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