California School Wins Educational Institute's 2013 International Lodging Program Competition

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. April 22, 2013

April 22, 2013 - High school hospitality students from Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California, took home the international title in the tenth annual American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) International Lodging Management Program (LMP) Competition held April 10-12.

This was the first time that California had sent a team to the competition. Second-place winners, Okkodo High School, Dededo, Guam, have the distinction of having placed first or second in each of the past three years' competitions.

The event at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort challenged students to display their hospitality knowledge and skills through a variety of competitive events including a night audit, room inspection, banquet planning, case studies, and knowledge bowl quiz. Thirteen teams participated in this year's competition, representing schools in the Bahamas (Andros Island and New Providence), California, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and Wyoming.

Here is an overview of the winners of this year's International LMP Competition:

Overall Winners:

First place: Monta Vista High School, California. Team members: Emily Hong, Michelle Li, Sonal Patel, Isabella Zhang. Instructor: Carl Schmidt.

Second place: Okkodo High School, Guam. Team members: Flori Dela Cruz, Christian Lubas, Royelle Mae Carter, Ranalou Sison. Instructor: Evon Wong.

Third place: Forest Hill Community High School, Florida. Team members: Lisdanay Perez, Samantha Martin, Lissette Albelo, Jayme St. Hilaire. Instructor: Diana Sardina.

Knowledge Bowl: First place: Okkodo High School, Guam. Second place: Monta Vista High School. California. Third place: Kennett High School, New Hampshire.

Hotel Operations: First place: Monta Vista High School, California. Second place: Lakeland Resort Academy, Idaho. Third place: Forest Hill Community High School, Florida.

Hospitality Project: First place: Anatol Rodgers High School, Bahamas. Second place: Hospitality High School, Washington, D.C. Third place: Forest Hill Community High School, Florida.

“As a first time judge, I was very impressed with the entire process as this truly was a competition the students took very seriously. I was honored to be involved as these young people competed for scholarships. I saw so much bright promise in those that I met. The student competitors came to Orlando prepared and presented themselves very professionally. Their teachers and parents should be proud,” said Marian R. Barbieri, vice president of human resources, New Castle Hotels & Resorts. “As a human resources professional, I found it very refreshing to meet the future of our industry and to see how much they are learning at the high school level about the hospitality business.”

Winning teams were awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships provided by leading hospitality management schools, including Johnson & Wales, Widener University, San Diego State University, Sullivan University, and Florida International University, as well as AH&LEF.

Event sponsors included AH&LEF, HCareers, Heartland Payment Systems, Best Western International, Hersha Hospitality, Pearson, the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association, and Orlando Tech.

For more information about the competition and EI's high school hospitality curriculum, contact Shelly Weir, vice president, domestic sales, at (407) 999-8166 or [email protected].

About the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute

Established in 1953 as a nonprofit educational foundation of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Educational Institute's mission is to continue being the preferred provider to the lodging industry, hospitality schools, and related hospitality industries by developing and providing quality resources to train, educate, and certify hospitality professionals worldwide.