HFIM Highlights
The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economic's nationally-ranked Hospitality and Food Industry Management program provides a world-class education to students both in and out of the classroom. Along with multiple study abroad programs such as one addressing food insecurity in Cuba and another about viticulture in the Mediterranean, HFIM also has strong partnerships on campus and across the state of Georgia. This helps to ensure that students have multiple opportunities to participate in transormative experiential learning opportunities. Read below to learn about student's experiences in their internships.
Noelle Delli-Gatti: Georgia Center for Continuing Education and Hotel
Noelle Delli-Gatti, a fourth year in the program is currently participating in an internship wih the Georgia Center for Coninuing Education and Hotel and has been in the postion since January. She explains that her rationale for choosing this internship was its ability to expand her knowledge of restaurant mnagement and operations. She stated that HFIM has prepared her for the future endeavors that she may participate in post-graduation. She further explained that throughout her time in the program, she has learned how to handle real-life situations and scenarios with the resources that have been given to her. She pointed out that the HFIM program has also prepared her on how to handle various operational practices within a business. She closed with, "As my internship comes to an end, I just want to say how thankful I am for this experience and how much I have enjoyed the entire internship. Also, as I close in on graduation, I can reflect on all the hospitable practices I have learned over the years and utilize them in my post-graduation occupation."
Ethan Romanick: Talona Ridge Luxury RV Resort
Ethan Romanick is graduating this year from the HFIM program with his final credits coming from his internship within Talona Ridge Luxury RV Resort. When asked about how exactly he got into the internship, he explained that when Talona Ridge first opened in 2021, no one in Ellijay knew what to expect, much less himself. He explains that the concept of a luxury RV resort was new to him, but after driving past one day, he decided to stop in to see what it was and ask a couple of questions. They were welcoming of him and the Director of Operations (a fellow University of Georgia graduate) explained that they had been discussing starting an internship program with UGA and that from there everything fell into place. When asked about how the HFIM Program prepared him for his time within the internship, he first went to the hard skills, such as the logistics of Talona Ridge like occupancy and dynamc pricing. However, he said that the soft-skills her acquired were the most critical in his success. He claims that adaptability and understanding the nature of a customer base are critical. While in the internship, he has continued to learn and grow with the management team constantly helping to push him. Finally, when discussing how the internship has helped him grow, he claims that staying prepared and anticipating future customer concerns are two skills he has had to learn through the internship. He explains that having a highly trained grounds team and close relationship with local mechanics has helped with his internship a great deal.
Network with the Rising Stars
On February 6th, 2025, the HFIM program hosted their annual Network with the Rising Stars event where fourteen industry leaders joined us on campus in the Magnolia Ballroom of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education and Hotel. These leaders ranged from individual hotels such as The Rits-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee to major entities such as IHG Hotels and Resorts. We are appreciative of everyone who joined us. during the event HFIM also inducted its newest Eta Sigma Delta members, the honor society for Hospitality and Food Industry Managment.