The Hospitality Business Society is the undergraduate student club for the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. The club’s president, Sabrina Huang, talks about her experience at NYU and her objectives for the club.
What brought you to the BS in Hotel and Tourism Management?
My host mom from high school inspired me to go into the hospitality field. Her warm welcome and hospitality made me want to learn more about this industry. I decided to pursue this study at college. I chose the Tisch Center program because it provides me the top education, the applicable skills, and the best hands-on experience as it’s located in the heart of New York City.
What are the objectives of HBS, and what kind of programming will the club offer this fall?
Since it’s a special semester this year due to COVID-19, all our programs are taking place online. This can make it harder for new incoming students to interact with professionals, upperclassmen, and professors. Our goal this year is to make students, especially the new students, feel they are in a community that cares about them, listens to them, and connects with them. We have events such as virtual hotel tours, because those are our member’s favorite activities. We also have events catering to the graduating students such as the Alumni Panel and Career Workshop. HBS is collaborating with the Schack Institute for Real Estate as well as HTES (the graduate hospitality club) to generate more meaningful and large events that benefit our student groups. Again, the objective of HBS this fall is to make undergraduate student groups feel that they are still connected with the hospitality community, and someone will give them a hand when they need it.
What are your personal goals for your time as HBS President?
I appreciate the fact that I started to be involved in HBS early in my Freshman year. I have connected with so many schoolmates, alumni, and industry professionals. I love to continue doing so by organizing events and getting to know new students who joined us. Also, I was always active as a board member, but this year my role shifted towards being a leader. Although it is challenging for me to lead a club in this year's special circumstances, I think it is a great time for me to sharpen my leadership skills. I am grateful that previous HBS Presidents have taught me how to organize events and how to work with the school. I would love to do the same with my team members, to fully prepare them to be student leaders in the future.
How can students get involved in HBS?
Subscribe to our newsletter via sps.hbs.club@nyu.edu, follow us on social media (IG:@nyuhbs; LinkedIn: @NYU Hospitality Business Society), and join our bi-weekly events! Also, to make new students feel connected with the community, HBS has introduced the Peer Mentorship Program this fall, which pairs upperclassmen with new students and allows them to guide, learn, and grow together! If you are interested in the peer mentoring program, please shoot us an email and we will contact you.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
We all should grab this great opportunity offered by the Tisch Center to learn and grow. I have not seen anywhere else that allows you as many opportunities to network, develop your career goals, and learn. So don’t be shy, and join as many events as possible while you have the chance!