Recently, students from Nease’s Academy of Hospitality & Tourism enjoyed a unique field trip experience at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort. The students were the first field trip group 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 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 were treated to lunch while learning about the different departments that manage the resort and its grounds. The students had the chance to meet the General Manager, Todd Hickey, and learn about his professional history. They also got to meet the resort’s Director of Food and Beverage, Director of Event Management, Director of Recreation, Director of Finance, and Director of Loss Prevention. After lunch, the students were presented a common scenario faced by the Sawgrass Marriott…preparation for The Players Championship. The students worked in groups to come up with as many ideas as they could to best plan and prepare to serve their guests during the event. This was an awesome field trip, and Nease thanks their Academy of Hospitality and Tourism Advisory Board member, Aziza Fisher, HR Generalist at the Marriott, for coordinating the event.
