Inaugural scholarship event honours DC hospitality students

Four local hospitality foundations have united to recognise and support Washington DC’s future industry leaders. The American Experience Foundation (AEF), the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s Educated Eats (RAMW), the Hotel Association of Washington, D.C.’s Washington Hospitality Foundation (HAWDC) and the Washington Area Concierge Association (WACA) joined forces for an inaugural event at the Westin Washington, DC City Center to honour students and career professionals with foundation scholarships. The scholarships provide more than $70,000 in financial support and complement hands-on learning programmes, assisting students and professionals in their educational and career journeys. The programme marks the first collaboration between these hospitality organisations to distribute 25 foundation awards scholarships, fostering industry-wide cohesion and celebrating the next generation of hospitality professionals. “Working with students is one of the most important things to me, and as we look at our industry, our goal is to attract top talent from all backgrounds and show students that there is a lucrative career in hospitality and tourism,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, Destination DC’s president and CEO. “As we pool resources and demonstrate our commitment to the scholars in our high school career academies, our hope is to expand the options for students as they think about their future.” The scholarship recipients comprise DC high school students and alumni from the District’s career Academies of Hospitality & Tourism, Culinary Arts, and Mass Media, college students and young professionals. “We recognise that travel and tourism are vital economic engines for our city, and we deeply appreciate our visitors,” said Claire Carlin, AEF’s executive director. “Our industry flourishes when talented, trained young colleagues join our teams.” “The hospitality industry is a major source of revenue for the District’s economy. As such, HAWDC and WHF are dedicated to furthering the education of District youth interested in working in our industry.  These scholarships are just one way to show our commitment to fostering the next generation of hospitality leaders, by recognising students who have displayed a clear interest in our industry through their achievements while in the DCPS National Academy Foundation (NAF) Academies and choosing to study hospitality on a collegiate level,” said Lisa Abrams, executive director, Washington Hospitality Foundation.