Trenay Hayes, a junior majoring in foodservice and restaurant management/hospitality at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Department of Human Sciences, has been selected to participate in a leadership institute by the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH). She is one of 15 students from six historically Black colleges and universities selected for the program. In February, she will represent UAPB at the organization’s regional conference in Orlando, Florida.
Made possible by the NSMH Legacy Fund and Hilton Hotels and Resorts, the training program will provide leadership experience, internship opportunities, and professional mentorship. Sharonda Bishop, NSMH consortium member and founder/owner of Bishop Consulting, a human resource, and training company, is facilitating the program.
For six months, participants will hone their public speaking and interviewing skills, network with other hospitality students and industry professionals in virtual workshops, and develop their resumes and profiles on social networks for professionals. They will also be prepared to assume leadership roles at chapter, regional and national levels of NSMH.
“I applaud Trenay for being a courageous and confident student and leader,” Dr. Suzzette Goldmon, assistant professor of hospitality and tourism and advisor for the UAPB chapter of NSMH, said. “She will represent UAPB well in all of the activities with great enthusiasm, energy, and intellect.”
She said Hayes’ tenacity and willingness to seize opportunities are helping develop UAPB’s hospitality and tourism management program, which was created in 2019.
“Although we are a new program in a pool of large institutions and well-established programs, Trenay is not afraid to enter the competition with other students from across the United States,” Dr. Goldmon said.
