On Tuesday, April 8, students majoring in hospitality, recreation, and tourism management (HRTM) at East Stroudsburg University visited Aramark’s world headquarters in Philadelphia for a firsthand look at the company’s operations and career opportunities.
The students on the trip are currently taking a Foundations of Food and Beverage Management course with Chuck Meitner, Ph.D., assistant professor of HRTM.
Accompanied by Duane Gornicki, General Manager of Aramark Dining Operations at ESU, students met with senior leaders including Paul Mack, Executive Director of Collegiate Hospitality; Alicia Gaul, Regional Marketing Manager; Jennifer Scott, Human Resources Director for Collegiate Hospitality; Rebecca Standridge, District Human Resources Manager; Jerry Bogdan, Senior District Chef; and Tim Zintz, Executive Chef.
The visit introduced students to Aramark’s wide range of services, including collegiate dining, contract foodservice, entertainment and venue services, and facilities management.
Students learned about the company’s structure and culture and explored internship and leadership development opportunities, including the Step Up to Leadership (S2L) and Accelerate to Leadership (A2L) programs. The group also toured Aramark’s innovation and research kitchen, visited the employee wellness center, and had lunch at the company’s employee dining venue, Simple Spoon Marketplace.
“Opportunities like this allow students to connect classroom learning with real-world practice, and to better understand the wide range of careers available in their field of study,” said Stanley Chiang, Ed, D., professor and chair of HRTM. “We’re grateful to our partners at Aramark for making this possible.”
To learn more about ESU’s hospitality, recreation, and tourism management program visit esu.edu/hospitality.