Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Volunteer and Mentorship Center

Home

Sycuan Institute

Student Center for Professional Development Volunteer & Mentorship Center

Faculty Profiles For Students Scholarships Admissions Alumni News Contact Professional Studies & Fine Arts

The Mentorship Center’s aim is to provide "at-risk" students in the local area with mentoring programs and other activities to help guide them into various school and career roles. The high schools the Mentorship Center targets each have a focus on hospitality, tourism, culinary or event planning curricula. This ties in nicely with SDSU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Some of the various activities of the Volunteer and Mentorship Center Include:

High School Hospitality Conference

The High School Hospitality Conference started 10 years ago to attend a half day conference with a few schools getting together to see what the hospitality offers in terms of careers in the hospitality industry. Today this conference has grown to over 400 participants and is generously sponsored by local organizations such as the California Restaurant Association (San Diego Chapter) and the California Hotel & Lodging Association. In 2008 it was also sponsored by Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino. For 2009 the conference was held on the USS Midway. Additional support along with CRA & CH&LA this year are Johnson & Wales, The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the Hospitality Sales & Marketing associations International, San Diego Chapter, HSMAI.

The conference includes a breakfast and a special job fair with employers who actively recruit high school students for summer positions. Local junior colleges will also be on hand to explain the options of going to junior college There will be an opening address by Lorin Stewart, Executive Director of the newly formed San Diego Tourism Market District . Then the students will visit a wide variety of hospitality businesses to experience firsthand the facilities that make up this great industry. They will get to ask questions and talk about career opportunities. This year the students will get to chose from tours of:

Manchester Grand Hyatt, Marriott Marina, San Diego Convention Center, Hard Rock Hotel, Anthony’s Fish Grotto & Star of the Sea Events Center, The Fish Market, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Holiday Inn on the Bay, Hornblower Cruises, Seaforth Boat Rentals, Old Town Trolley Tours and the USS Midway.

read more >>
see event photos >>

SDSU’s Mentorship Center activities are coordinated by Candy Flynn, cflynn@mail.sdsu.edu under the direction of Carl Winston, cwinston@mail.sdsu.edu and Brian P. Blake, bblake@projects.sdsu.edu. Any of these individuals may be reached by calling SDSU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at 619-594-4964.

If you would like to become more involved with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Volunteer and Mentorship Center, please contact Heather Haltaufderheide at (619) 594-1479 or hhaltauf@mail.sdsu.edu.

School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
San Diego State University

Phone: (619) 594-4964