Morgan State University Teams with Baltimore City Public Schools and Visit Baltimore to Host Hospitality Career Showcase for High School Students

More than 135 Baltimore City School Seniors Participated in a One-Day Event to Learn About the University’s Hospitality Management Program and Potential Career Pathways

As part of a concerted effort to expose local high school seniors to career pathways in the hospitality industry and the academic degree programs to prepare them, Visit Baltimore’s Education and Training Foundation, Baltimore City Public Schools, and Morgan State University (MSU) collaborated to host a one-day, showcase event for more than 135 high school seniors. Held on MSU’s campus at the Morgan Business Center, the engaging and informative event aimed to introduce students, participating in the “Consumer Services, Hospitality, & Tourism” career pathway program at Edmonson-Westside, to college life and the hospitality sector. The students, hailing from Carver Vocational-Technical High School, Forest Park High School, Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, and National Academy Foundation, were also introduced to Morgan as viable destination to pursue the college education before entering the hospitality field. Morgan’s accredited Hospitality Management program is among the top in the state in the Maryland, ranking first in awarding master’s degrees to African Americans, and second nationwide in awarding bachelor’s degrees to African Americans.

Students that attended the event had the opportunity to hear from a panel of experts and industry leaders including Al Hutchinson, president and CEO of Visit Baltimore; Juan Webster, general manager for Sagamore Pendry Hotel Baltimore and corporate director of Social Impact at Montage International; Leticia Proctor, executive vice president of Sales, Marketing and Revenue Management for Donohoe Hospitality Services; and Lisa Byrd, director of Events and Business Development for the Greater Baltimore Committee, among others. They also were able to engage in a Q&A discussion with MSU alumnae, faculty and students.

“Connecting local youth to career paths in their own backyard is essential to strengthening Baltimore’s workforce and the prosperity of our tourism and residential community alike,” said Mia Blom, executive director for Visit Baltimore’s Education and Training Foundation. “We are grateful for Morgan State University and Baltimore City Public School’s partnership and hope that this hospitality summit will both educate and inspire.”

Admissions and financial officials were also on hand to speak with prospective college students about dual-track options that allow students to earn college credits while on their chosen career path in high school. The attendees also had an opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art Morgan Business Center, receiving a first-hand view of its many amenities. Included during the tour, students visited the demonstration kitchen and a block of 10 functional hotel rooms, as well as the facility’s real-time stock trading Capital Markets Lab.

The independent nonprofit Visit Baltimore Education and Training Foundation is dedicated to developing Baltimore’s workforce and strengthening its tourism community. The Foundation works to directly support programs that connect Baltimore City youth and jobseekers to pathways, and career opportunities in their own backyard.

Housed with the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management’s Department of Business Administration, MSU’s Hospitality Management program offers a four-year Bachelor of Science and a two-year Master of Science degree. Both programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) — the most globally recognized form of specialized accreditation that an institution and its business programs can earn. The program equips students will managerial leadership and a strong business acumen to become visionaries and creative hospitality business leaders.