In October, nearly 50 NIU students were hosted by Hyatt Hotels Corporation for an overnight Hyatt Career Summit in Chicago. These students were recruited based on their participation in key programs and/or cultural resource centers on campus, including many students from the hospitality and tourism management (HTM) program within the College of Business.
Two NIU alumna, Hyatt CFO Joan Bottarini and Hyatt Global Head of Asset Management Devin Griffith, showed students the vast array of career paths offered at Hyatt. Students toured Hyatt’s corporate office and several world-class hotels. They participated in career information sessions and learned from and networked with Hyatt team members from diverse backgrounds.
This unique experience supplemented students’ academic and professional development while opening the doors for future internships or employment with Hyatt.
Alex Orloff is a senior in the HTM program who attended the Hyatt Career Summit.
“Attending the Hyatt Summit was a great opportunity. As a hospitality major, I found the hotel tours to be particularly informative. It is always great to see classroom experiences come to life in a real-world setting,” Orloff said. “I think that corporate partnerships with companies like Hyatt really allow for us as students to see our classroom experiences take shape in the real world.”
Another HTM student, Katie Cotto, said the experience helped her to better understand the job opportunities available to her after graduation.
“There are many departments in a hotel, and students may not be aware that their degrees could be relevant to working for a company like Hyatt,” she said. “We also learned that working for Hyatt can be an important career move because of the endless development and growth opportunities. Our Hyatt tour guides did a great job informing students about how they develop their employees. They highlighted their own career stories and gave impactful advice to students on what to expect after NIU. I think these experiences are motivating to students because they get to see where their degree could lead them.”
Hyatt generously covered students’ transportation, lodging and food costs for this once-in-a-lifetime experiential learning opportunity, ensuring financial means did not stand in the way of opportunity.
Erin Smith, senior director of corporate and foundation relations for the NIU Foundation, was invaluable in coordinating the event and making connections between Hyatt and NIU leadership.
“Industry partnerships are vital to NIU’s success as an engine of social mobility for our students,” Smith said. “We are proud to partner with Hyatt Hotels Corporation to offer our students this immersive experiential learning opportunity. Hyatt’s generosity of time and resources highlights the company’s commitment to advancing education and job readiness for people from diverse backgrounds — an essential element of the company’s ‘World of Care’ environmental, social and governance global strategy. Thank you to Huskies at Hyatt — Joan Bottarini and Devin Griffith — for their tremendous advocacy on behalf of our students.”
“The College of Business network is vast and far-reaching, offering students first-class opportunities!” said Interim Dean Denise Schoenbachler. “I am proud that we are able to offer our students quality, on-site experiences like this before they graduate. Because of opportunities like this summit, our Huskies are not only ready to enter the workforce when they graduate, but they are also positioned to lead in their fields.”
