Arnav Gupta, a graduating student studying Hospitality and Tourism Management in the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, gives us some insight into some of his favorite parts of his NYU experience.
What has your favorite experience at NYU been?
It’s extremely hard for me to pick just one experience as my favorite so I’ll mention two! The first experience was freshman year in my Lodging Industry Structures and Strategies class, when Dean Graf took us for our first hotel site visit at New York Marriott Marquis. Though I’ve had a lot more site visits and expeditions since, that first visit was the first time that it clicked for me that I had made the right decision choosing Hospitality and Tourism Management as my major. The second experience was a lot more recent as it was my time at NYU SPS Student Council. My role in the council revolved around planning recreational activities for the SPS community, and during my tenure I was able to produce some amazing events with my co-chair as well as meet some of the most amazing people I have ever met.
How has NYU shaped you?
I feel like the biggest personal benefit that I have received from my time at NYU has been that it has helped me develop my confidence. I used to consider myself an extreme introvert prior to NYU, and though I still am decently introverted, I have become a lot more outgoing. I feel this is because of both living by myself for the first time, as well as doing so in a city as huge as NYC and a university as vast as NYU.
Looking back on your time at NYU, what are you most proud of?
Looking back, what I am most proud of is the fact that I was able to take part in as many aspects of college life as possible while at NYU. Though I always prioritized my academics, I was able to participate in a host of student clubs, both as a general member and part of the executive board. I worked for a bit on campus, interned in a bunch of different industries, became part of the undergraduate student council at NYU SPS while also picking up a minor in French! Though I wish I was able to squeeze a few more experiences in just 4 years, I’m extremely happy that I was able to experience as many different opportunities at NYU as I did.
What are your plans after graduation?
Currently, I plan to work for a year in NYC in an event management firm and/or a restaurant, to try and gain more professional work experience. Following which I plan to go to grad school to pursue a Masters in Events/Project Management.
What advice do you have to students entering into the program?
To any students entering the program I would recommend that you do so with an open mind. When I came to NYU, I had certain expectations in mind for my time in college and for my future career. I’ve learned that it’s very possible that this plan can completely change over the course of 4 years. Moreover, given the location and scale of the university, there will also be tons of new things to experience and I greatly advise you to try as many of them as you can; chances are that you might find careers and experiences that you’ll fall in love with…ones that you didn’t even know existed before!
Who is a professor that has been influential to you during your NYU experience?
My answer for this question might be a very common one, though it has to be Dr. Lynn Minnaert, the academic chair at the Tisch Center for Hospitality. I had her as my professor during both my freshman and sophomore years, and her tourism classes were my absolute favorites. She is one of the best connections I have made at NYU and she has also been an immense help to me in turns of internships and the job search.