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Hospitality Management major, Class President has the drive to find success at York College
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While many people enjoy being active, York College of Pennsylvania Hospitality Management major Jimmy Di Guglielmo has taken busy to a whole different level.
Di Guglielmo recently finished his junior year at the school that included a 17-credit course load, and a 1 credit internship this semester, in addition to his on-campus job, duties as a peer advisor, orientation coordinator, and fraternity member. He was even the secretary of the school’s Ski and Outdoor Club.
And if that wasn’t enough, he will serve as the 2017 Class President when he returns to York College in the fall.
Now that’s a hectic schedule.
“Needless to say, I like to be involved,” Di Guglielmo says. “There’s times I am running around in 100 different directions. I have class, homework, meetings, this and that and want a break. However I know I need to get things done first, I do better when I am busy.”
“When I get involved, I put 110 percent into it. If I have to pull an all-nighter, sacrifice some sleep to get it done, I do that. Thank goodness for cellphones. I use it for everything, my email, and my calendar to try to stay organized throughout the semester.”
Rethinking his plans
It’s that constant, on-the-go mentality that makes him perfect for the Hospitality Management major at York College. Although he started as a Chemistry major before an undeclared semester, Di Guglielmo says the professors, and the hands-on approach helped him rethink his plans.
“My first semester as a Hospitality student is what really got my brain running,” he says. “I learned all the opportunities you have in Hospitality. Taking that intro course gave me the start of where I wanted to be.”
Being wildly busy hasn’t hurt Di Guglielmo in the classroom. He posted a 3.04 GPA during the last fall semester and expects that his spring average was just as good – or better. He is looking forward to this fall when he will get to study in the food lab in the commercial kitchen at the former Lafayette Club in York, which was donated to the college for this program.
Gaining valuable experience
Until then, he will go back to the onsite catering business where he worked last summer near his home in New Jersey, 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia.
Last year he performed “back of the house” duties as a houseman, and ended up helping as a bartender one night which led him to acquiring his bartending license. This year, he’ll perform “front of the house” as a server, in a facility that specializes in weddings. Meanwhile, between his summer job, and York College activities, he is gaining valuable experience in event planning.
Di Guglielmo also served an internship with York College’s Dean of Enrollment, where he helped coordinate many of the special events that office hosts.
“From helping the office staff to sitting in on pre-planning meetings and helping with teardown, I found myself really getting involved with every detail of events,” he says. “I went from start to finish.”
One of his primary duties was to interact with incoming freshmen and their families, telling them things like where they needed to go on campus but also sharing personal experiences that helped pave his way to success at school.
‘Keys of the Hospitality program’
While he isn’t positive which way his career path will take him after he graduates next spring, Di Guglielmo will be ready.
Both York College and his own active, non-stop nature will help prepare him.
“The skills can be taught, but you need to have that people personality, communication skills and be able to talk to people,” he says. “That’s one of the keys of the Hospitality program. You have to put yourself out there.”
York College is proud to offer one of the best Hospitality Management schools in Pennsylvania, where our Hospitality Management major prepares students for one of the largest and most diverse career fields in the U.S. Where will a Hospitality Management degree take you?