Recently, students from Nease’s Academy of Hospitality & Tourism enjoyed a unique field trip experience at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort. The students first enjoyed a free breakfast, then took a golf cart ride to visit “Bee Hill,” a micro-farm created by Sawgrass Marriott chef Matthew Sanchez. The farm, which includes a vegetable garden, bee hives, a quail enclosure (with a bonus turkey!) and a chicken coop was quite the site to see, hidden in some woods on the Marriott’s property. The students learned about sustainable micro-farming, and got to get up close and personal with the bees, chickens and quail. Following their trip to Bee Hill, the students got a “back of house” tour of the resort, which showed them the inter-workings of the hotel. After a property tour, the students were treated to lunch while learning about the history and mission of the Marriott hotels. The students had the chance to meet the General Manager, Todd Hickey, and learn about his professional background. They also got to hear from the Hilton Voyagers program participants, three college students who earned coveted year-long internships with the property. Following lunch, students were able to participate in a quiz game that tested their knowledge of the Marriott’s history and mission, as well as the trivia questions about the Sawgrass Marriott, itself. This was an awesome field trip, and we thank Academy of Hospitality & Tourism Advisory Board members, Aziza Fisher and Logan Ebert both of the Marriott’s HR department, for coordinating the event.
