BETHESDA, Md.—Students from the Wilson High School and Columbia Heights High School’s Academies of Hospitality and Tourism recently visited Marriott International headquarters, where they toured the Innovation Lab and met President and CEO Arne Sorenson. Sorenson spoke to the group of 25 students about the advantages of a career in the hospitality industry and how important it is for students to leverage the educational opportunities available to them.
Ray Bennett, a senior vice president for the Americas at Marriott, also presented at the event, inspiring students with a personal story about his journey to a successful career. Washington, D.C., school district Chancellor Kaya Henderson reiterated the value of using the educational experience in the academy to better prepare for both college and careers.
The academies are part of the National Academy Foundation (NAF), a network of career-themed academies that open doors for underserved high school students to viable careers. For more than 30 years, NAF has provided young people access to industry-specific curricula, work-based learning experiences, and relationships with business professionals. NAF academies focus on one of five career themes: finance, hospitality and tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences. More than 5,000 business professionals volunteer in classrooms, act as mentors, engage NAF students in paid internships, and serve on local advisory boards. During the 2014-15 school year, nearly 82,000 students attended 667 NAF academies across 38 states, including D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 2014, NAF academies reported 97 percent of seniors graduated.
