Student Spotlight: Ryan Craig is Bringing Swiss Style to CSULB’s Hospitality Management Program
Hospitality Management student Ryan Craig has been a snowboarder, a surfer and a world traveler for as long as he can remember. The problem was, he never really knew what he wanted to pursue as a career – until he landed in CSULB’s Hospitality Management Program.
“A lot of people spend their whole professional career doing something they never wanted to do in the first place – that was never going to be me,” Craig said.
Instead of picking a random major after finishing his AA degree, Ryan, originally from Redding, California, began working a string of odd jobs in the hotel industry – from first working at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott in his hometown as a night auditor, to working various other roles, such as a desk clerk, concierge, and valet worker -- eventually having the opportunity to work for different hotel properties across Northern California. Ryan also got introduced to the luxury brand of hotels from working at the Ritz Carleton in San Franscisco. Being so close to San Francisco International Airport, Ryan would take advantage of his hotel employee discounts and continue his passion for travel – a snowboarding adventure in Japan one month, to island hopping in Thailand and Bali, Indonesia, the next.
“I fell in love with the hospitality management industry through traveling. Until I got into hotels, I didn’t know what degree to go for -- that’s when I came to Long Beach State. I have the goal of becoming the general manager of a major luxury hotel one day.”
Recently, through the Hospitality Management Program at CSULB, Ryan got to travel to Switzerland for a prestigious three-day hospitality management summit, which invites students studying in hospitality programs across the globe to network and expand their skills and knowledge. The global conference, known as the Young Hospitality Summit (YHS), is an annual event each year held in Lausanne, Switzerland, inviting 100 students from 30 countries around the world to participate. Students get to network with international delegates and leading figures in the hospitality industry, and meet other like-minded students studying in their field. The summit is organized by students of the EHL Hospitality Business School, one of the top schools for hospitality in the world.
“When I decided to go back to school, I decided to give it 100 percent,” Ryan said. “I started my first semester [at CSULB] taking a full load, but not only that, I really reached out to my professors. When class is over, I just don’t walk out the door…I hang out, and I have one-on-one conversations with my classmates and professors, and also visit my professors’ office hours.”
One such visit was with Professor Brianna Koster. Ryan explained to Prof. Koster why he was here at The Beach, pursuing a hospitality management degree. He told her about his travels, and what his goals were.
“She was the one who heard about the YHS Summit, and nominated me to attend the conference. Prof. Koster, along with all my professors in the program, have been very supportive of me.”
After being nominated for the summit in Switzerland, Ryan subsequently submitted an application video, explaining his goals in the industry. He was picked by the EHL School to attend the conference, along with other top students visiting from other programs across the globe.
“So a little bit of background on Swiss hospitality schools – If you were to Google search ‘best hospitality management schools in the world,’ 7 out of 10 are in Switzerland, and one at the top of that list has consistently been EHL. It’s a very prestigious school, and you can tell when you get there – it does not disappoint. The campus is immaculate, and they welcome you like you are staying at a 5-star hotel. Not to mention, the food is amazing! Obviously, their culinary department is great – they have a Michelin Star restaurant on campus, and the cafeteria meals are out of this world!”
In between many amazing meals – and a lot of coffee breaks with fresh baked croissants -- the summit consisted of students listening to panelists from various sectors across the hospitality industry. Speakers included representatives from Forbes Travel Guide, the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels, and more. Students even got to hear from an elite concierge group known as Le Clefs d’Or – “golden key” in French –a prestigious global society of professional hotel concierges. These professionals, distinguished by the golden crossed keys on their lapels, are local experts who have spent years getting to know their cities, and often have celebrity clients.
“That is an example of the caliber of the panelists we heard from,” Ryan said.
Another speaker that stood out to Ryan was the general manager of a 5-star hotel in Napa Valley – Patrick Nayrolles, General Manager of Meadowood Napa Valley.
“I learned a lot from him to take into my future aspirations of becoming a hotel general manager myself one day.”
Having made so many great connections at the summit, Ryan returned home with a new set of connections on his LinkedIn account – “which obviously looks great to hiring managers,” he said.
Recently, Ryan got a job working as the Food and Beverage Manager at the Montage, Laguna Beach Hotel – a job he says he became aware of during the CSULB Hospitality Management Career Fair earlier this semester. Representatives from major hotel companies, and other hospitality businesses, were present on campus to connect with students in the hospitality program.
“I came back to school because I was hitting a lot of glass ceilings in the industry, and I was no longer able to get the growth that I needed in my efforts alone. I needed help, and I decided that Long Beach State University would be the best help that I could get. The Hospitality Management Program here has given me the recommendations, the contacts, the foot in the door, and the consideration with these dream employers.”
Instead of just being lost in a stack of applications, Ryan says he got so many interviews after that career fair on campus. In addition to all the high-end connections he’s made, Ryan credits the CSULB Hospitality Management Program for its career readiness.
“Of course, academically it is fantastic. Right out of the gate, I learned a ton in Brianna Koster’s food safety class, Chef Man’s food preparation class, and Dr. Giffen’s class in hotel and lodging management – which is basically an entire class from the perspective of the general manager. That couldn’t be more spot-on to what I’m trying to learn for my career. Every assignment, every week, and everything I learn in the program, directly applies to my trade.”
