From First Email to Full-Time Offer

Ella Phillips' story at Kennesaw State University began before freshman orientation, before move-in day, and even before high school graduation.

While still in high school, she discovered KSU's Hospitality Management program and did something that says a great deal about who she is: she reached out. She contacted the program director to learn more and stayed connected throughout high school — planting the seeds of a relationship that would eventually grow into one of the clearest examples of what KSU Hospitality does best: recruit talented students early, develop them with purpose, and launch them into meaningful careers.

From the moment Ella was admitted, the program invested in her. She received a Michael A. Leven Scholarship upon admission and later earned additional support from the endowment, including the Michael A. Leven & Lee Dushoff Scholarship for Compassionate Leadership. She maintained a GPA above 3.8 and earned Dean's List recognition in 2023, 2024, and 2025. But her achievement in the classroom was only part of the picture.

Through the Hospitality Leadership Club, Ella served first as vice president, then as president — helping build a stronger, more connected student community and doubling both membership and student engagement along the way. She also represented KSU at the AAHOA Hotel Turnaround Competition, where she won the People's Choice Award and demonstrated the kind of poise and practical thinking the program actively cultivates.

Perhaps the most telling part of Ella's journey is how directly the program connected her to her career. Through the Hospitality Management program's LADDER initiative, including Evening with the Executives in the fall and Corporate Days in the spring, Ella built the industry relationships that mattered most. She secured a part-time operations position with Legacy Ventures while still a student. And when graduation approached, those same connections led to a full-time offer at IHG Hotels & Resorts, where she will begin her career at the company's corporate office.

It's a trajectory that reflects the program's core promise: help students land meaningful work while they're still in school, and great career placements when they leave.

For students thinking about their future, Ella's story makes the case clearly. Hospitality management isn't just about learning how businesses run. It's about learning how to lead, how to connect, and how to turn passion into a profession. At the Leven School, that journey can begin earlier than you think, and lead farther than you imagined.