(Lancaster, Pa.) The Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau recently named seven local students as recipients of its 2009 Hospitality Scholarships. Initiated in 1989, the program is open to students pursuing a career in the tourism and hospitality industry. Winners were selected based on academic achievement and enthusiasm for the industry.
The 2009 scholarship recipients (award amounts in parentheses) are:
Joshua Bergman ($1000) of Lititz and Manheim Township H.S. is entering his senior year at the University of Pittsburgh, studying Finance and Business Administration and serving as a resident assistant. He aspires to own a restaurant and to work in the field of Hospitality and Finance Management.
Beverly Mellinger ($1000) of Ephrata and Ephrata Sr. H.S. is currently enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at the Mount Joy Career and Technology Center, and will be pursuing a further degree in this field at Johnson and Wales University. She plans to open a restaurant in the future.
Tara Miller ($2000) of Lititz and Warwick H.S. is entering her senior year in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Temple University. She is focusing her career goals on destination branding and economic development, and is currently interning at the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Emily Pickel ($750) of Elizabethtown and Elizabethtown Area H.S. is entering her junior year at West Chester University, with a major in Accounting. Her interest in the industry stems from five years of employment with Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, where she is currently working as a Corporate Internal Audit Intern.
Mindy Rehm ($1000) of Conestoga and Penn Manor H.S. is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Travel & Tourism at Harrisburg Area Community College and has worked at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott for over ten years.
Melquis Reyes ($1000) of Lancaster and J.P. McCaskey H.S. plans to pursue a degree in Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales University in the fall. He has a passion to open a restaurant in the area, and is a former volunteer at an inner city organization for teens called Teen Haven.
Sandy Salada ($1,250) of Lancaster and Oxford Area H.S. is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Travel & Tourism at Harrisburg Area Community College and is an industry veteran as a full-time member of the sales team at American Music Theatre.
Lancaster County is a wonderful blend of urban style and rural splendor, and the PA Dutch CVB is dedicated to promoting its many rich cultures, from the Amish to the arts. Travelers can take in our vibrant downtown city life – featuring galleries, great dining, specialty shops, and live music – or explore some of the surrounding towns and villages to get a sampling of the heritage, food, craftsmanship, and hands-on activities for which Lancaster is famous. Visit us at www.discoverlancasterpa.com. Lancaster is also part of Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country Roads region, a true vacation destination where country meets city and the past lives side-by-side with the present.
