Jennifer Black, a 22-year-old senior at UCF\u2019s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, is likely the only graduate this spring that won\u2019t be pursuing a traditional position in the lodging, food & beverage, event or tourism industries. In fact, Black is taking a unique approach to hospitality by looking to service students rather than catering to guests. That\u2019s why Black will be enrolling at the University of South Carolina this fall to pursue a Master\u2019s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs, where she will ultimately look to combine her interest in hospitality with her passion for student life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am looking to pair my hospitality management degree with my collegiate experience,\u201d said Black. \u201cI want to work in an academic institution, where I can cater to students and help them advance.\u201d<\/p>\n
At a young age, Black realized that she wanted to work in the hospitality industry in some capacity, and in 2008, she enrolled at the University of Central Florida to study that very subject. Black immediately began testing the waters of the hospitality industry by working at Universal Studios and the Marriott Grande Vista hotel during her first two years at UCF.<\/p>\n
But it wasn\u2019t until her junior year that Black discovered her passion for campus involvement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been a member of the LEAD Scholars program since I was a freshman, but other than that, I really didn\u2019t get involved until my junior year,\u201d said Black. \u201cUCF is such a big community that it\u2019s difficult to not eventually get involved on some level, and once I did, I really enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Currently, Black serves her fellow students in a variety of facets around campus, including as a resident assistant at the Rosen College campus apartments, as an orientation team leader, and as an elections commissioner for the Student Government Association. She also serves on the President\u2019s Leadership Council and participates in the Alternative Spring Break program.<\/p>\n
Black also led the LEAD Scholars program in most volunteered hours completed in 2009 and 2010.<\/p>\n
In addition to her campus involvement duties, Black has also set an example for students academically. The lifetime member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society and the Golden Key International Honor Society has won several scholarly awards, including the Harris Rosen Scholarship, the Rosen College Founders’ Day Award, and the prestigious Order of Pegasus award \u2013 UCF\u2019s highest honor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best advice that I can offer other students is to take advantage of every opportunity and volunteer for everything,\u201d said Black.<\/p>\n
At the end of this semester, Jennifer Black will graduate from UCF with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management, a minor in Dance and a Certificate in Leadership Studies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jennifer Black, a 22-year-old senior at UCF\u2019s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, is likely the only graduate this spring that won\u2019t be pursuing a traditional position in the lodging, food & beverage, event or tourism industries. In fact, Black is taking a unique approach to hospitality by looking to service students rather than catering to guests. That\u2019s why Black will…","protected":false},"author":155,"featured_media":34295,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-twocol.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[2211,6484,2782,3538,3786,4068],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-34294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-life","tag-hospitality","tag-jennifer-black","tag-lead-scholars","tag-order-of-pegasus","tag-presidents-leadership-council","tag-rosen-college-of-hospitality-management"],"yoast_head":"\n