MCLEAN, VA (Sept 1, 2010) � The Foundation of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) recently awarded scholarships to four students pursuing careers in the hospitality industry. Three of the students were awarded HSMAI�s merit scholarships, sponsored by American Express, and one student received the second annual HSMAI Foundation Mike Dimond Scholarship for graduate students in the field of Hospitality.
 
�Each of this year�s scholarship recipients exemplify the work ethic and professionalism to excel in the hospitality industry, said Susan Thronson, senior vice president of global marketing at Marriott International, Inc., and HSMAI Foundation Chair. �The HSMAI Foundation is proud to help contribute to these students� future successes and looks forward to working with them to continue to escalate the hospitality field to greater heights.�

The 2010 recipients of the merit scholarships are Sooyon Park, Daniel Gerber and Geraldine Golbert. 

Sooyon Park, attending New York University, will graduate in December with a bachelor�s degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management. Park has worked as an intern in marketing and public relations at The Alex Hotel, in sales and marketing at the Hotel Indigo-NYC Chelsea, and at the Hotel Roger Williams, Sports Travel Plus, and the Millennium Hilton, all in New York City. She is the chair-elect for the NYU Student Chapter of HSMAI and a National Honors Society awardee. 

Geraldine Golbert will graduate in summer of 2012 with a Master�s Degree in Hospitality Tourism Management from the University of Central Florida. She holds a bachelor�s degree from the University of Central Florida in Business Administration with a minor in Hospitality Management.  She has worked as a sales and marketing assistant at the Hard Rock Café, Orlando, and as an intern at Roberts Supply, Inc., at Global Spectrum UCF Arena, and as a marketing department intern at Oerther Foods, Inc.  She has also been a volunteer at New Hope for Kids, raising more than $3,500 to grant a wish to a terminally ill child.  She is a student member of HSMAI and worked on her chapter�s Chinese Auction Committee in the Fall of 2009.

Daniel Gerber, attending the University of Delaware, will graduate in May 2011 with a bachelor�s degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management.  Gerber has worked as an intern at the Ritz Carlton in New York City and the Westin New York at Times Square, the Hershey Country Club in Hershey, Pennsylvania as manager of the poolside restaurant, and completed the Hilton Honors Manager Training Program at the Hilton Long Island in Huntington, New York.  He held a variety of student leader positions at the University of Delaware, and was the first ever student-liaison to the HSMAI Hotel Director of Sales and Marketing Advisory Board.

The HSMAI Foundation Mike Dimond Scholarship for graduate students in the field of hospitality was created in memory of Mike Dimond, the hospitality industry leader who passed away in 2008 at the age of 67. Dimond had a career spanning more than four decades and was recognized as one of the top hotel marketing executives in the nation. He received several industry awards including ASAE�s Academy of Leaders award, MPI�s Supplier of the Year award and was named Sales Executive of the Year by Insurance Conference Planners. 

Anya Donmartin, the 2010 recipient of the Mike Dimond Scholarship for graduate students, is attending New York University and will graduate with a Master�s Degree in Hospitality Industry Studies in the spring of 2011. She currently holds a bachelor�s degree in business management and marketing from National-Louis University, graduating with honors � number 1 of 85 students.  Donmartin has worked in revenue management at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, with Intelligent Hotels, Inc., and as an intern at the Hilton Times Square.  She has also worked as a special event coordinator at VTS Global, and as executive manager at Natura II in Brooklyn, New York.  She is a student member of HSMAI. 

For eligibility, students must be enrolled in a hospitality management or related curriculum and pursuing a degree, have demonstrated hospitality work experience, possess an interest in a career in hospitality sales and marketing, and be in good academic standing. 

About HSMAI Foundation
Established in 1983 to serve as the research and educational arm of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, the HSMAI Foundation's mission is to expand and enhance the educational opportunities available to hospitality sales and marketing executives and to increase the amount of in-depth research conducted on behalf of the profession. Today, and in the years ahead, the HSMAI Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) organization, plans to accelerate its research and publishing activities to contribute even more to the continuing education of those engaged in this fast-paced, increasingly demanding profession. For more information on the HSMAI Foundation, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Foundation, 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, Va. 22102; (703) 506-3280; fax (703) 506-3266, or visit the website at www.hsmaifoundation.org.