Peyton Nardella ’27, B.S. – Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management (SEEM) grew up performing in dance recitals and competitions and attending regional sports events. A lifelong enthusiast of New England sports, Nardella shares how learning industry-relevant skills in Johnson & Wales University (JWU) Online’s SEEM program — together with experiential learning during an internship — are helping her begin a career that matches her interests in athletics.
Finding JWU And The SEEM Program
While a freshman in college, Nardella chose to major in interior architecture. “I had enjoyed art and coding classes in high school, so I thought I would like learning programming languages for architectural design. I recognized during my first class that this wasn’t for me. I love the physical process of seeing everything come together in an event space, but am less interested in plans and construction documents.”
Characterizing herself as business-driven, Nardella changed her major so she could take courses in business management, accounting and macroeconomics. However, it would be a service management class that introduced her to the foundations of guest services, culinary operations and hospitality management principles.
“I always thought that hospitality was for becoming a chef or working the front of the house,” she remarks. “The service management class, and a class in Wine Theory 101, opened my eyes to how hospitality includes wine tastings at vineyards and working at country clubs.
“I loved the class, but it was generic in how it presented hospitality management — there was no ‘nicheness’ to it. The college I was attending only offered a general hospitality management program, and their sports management program was intended for students who wanted to coach athletes or become personal fitness trainers.
“I began looking at other school programs in which I could pursue the hospitality side of sports management. When I found JWU, I fell in love with the SEEM program.”
Choosing JWU Online
Before transferring to JWU, Nardella’s college classes had been delivered in the classroom. To be able to graduate from JWU in 2027, she needed to take two classes during the summer that were only offered online.
Nardella comments, “I decided to try out online learning, knowing that I could take classes on campus if I didn’t enjoy learning online. I discovered that I really like the structure of online courses. I’m a homebody and online learning would give me more time with my younger siblings, so even though I live within commuting distance from the JWU campus, I elected to be a JWU Online student.
“My advisor, Jessica Rounds, is amazing. She listened to my goals and helped me plan my classes, advising me to balance the number of courses I’d like to take at one time, with how much I can manage while maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA. She has also been helping me explore options to earn a master’s degree or an MBA as I complete the bachelor’s degree — either online or on campus, depending on which career path I want to pursue.”
Highlighting Her SEEM Journey
“School hadn’t challenged me enough in the past,” says Nardella. “At JWU Online, I feel that I’m being challenged in a good way. I’m learning about something I’m genuinely interested in and I’m taking classes with people who have interests similar to mine.
“The SEEM program is a great choice if you want to work in hospitality, but don’t yet know which avenue you want to pursue. I was excited to learn a little bit of everything, which has made me more well-rounded — and the classes were so much fun!”
Nardella was surprised how much she enjoyed the Hospitality Law class.
“I don’t plan to become a lawyer, so I expected to feel bored. The class gave a different spin on hospitality management, which was fun for me!”
The Wedding and Events Planning class taught Nardella she can have fun while working.
“We were assigned to create an entire portfolio for a wedding. The professor gave detailed instructions for each week’s assignment. One week we created invitations and ‘save the dates’. Another week, we planned how much the venue would cost. We made decisions about whether to include musicians or extra food or desserts and then researched the cost of each. Breaking everything down showed us how costly these choices can be for a wedding!”
“Watching my cousins plan their weddings — and putting myself in the role of a wedding planner — taught me that by doing your job well, you can reduce your client’s stress. I love making celebrations less stressful for people!”
Hesitant to take the Negotiations and Agreements class, Nardella says it was amazing.
“I’m glad I decided to take the class. We were assigned to meet with a classmate on Zoom and record a negotiating session. Professor DeMeo viewed the recording and provided constructive critique. Practicing with another person in a judgement-free setting has given me the structure and confidence to have difficult conversations with members of the country club where I work.
“I appreciate that Professor DeMeo explains things so clearly. I’ve had three classes with Professor DeMeo and loved all of them.”
Building Community Both Online And On-Campus
“After recording the assignment with my negotiation partner who lives in New Jersey, we continued talking to get to know one another. Learning about each other — where we grew up, our jobs and what we were doing with our degrees — reinforced my sense of belonging to the JWU community. After the Zoom meeting, we connected on LinkedIn so we could share each other’s updates.
“Online students in the Charlotte or Providence area are welcome to attend games, join clubs and take part in activities with on-campus students. I live close to Providence so I drove to campus to pick up my books. I joined clubs and became a member of the JWU Dance Team on the Downcity campus. I built friendships with students I met during the tryouts for the team and I took dance classes with them. I also went to basketball and hockey games, just to experience the events and meet people on campus.
“An online SEEM student and I met up at one of the Providence Bruins games. It was fun to meet in person and talk about a project we had worked on together. Another student I met when I visited the campus has become one of my best friends — even though we’ve never had a class together.”
Elevating Nardella From Waiting Tables To Learning To Lead
Nardella began bussing at 16 for the Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, Rhode Island. When she was 18, the Club invited Nardella to become a server. She works at the club year-round as an all-season employee.
“Recently the entire pool area was beautifully renovated,” enthuses Nardella. “This year they needed a seasoned employee to supervise the pool operations. I had worked as a pool attendant the previous summer, so they asked me and one other employee which one of us wanted to run the pool operations. I love to being outdoors, so they made a supervisory position for me.”
Nardella had applied to other companies for an internship, but elevating her role at Wannamoisett to a supervisory position gave her the opportunity to have a paid internship at the Club while earning credits in the SEEM program.
Now Nardella oversees pool operations at the club for 25-30 hours a week. When she was a pool attendant, she just showed up at the beginning of her shift; now as a supervisor, she opens and closes the pool.
“As pool supervisor, I interact more with members. My primary purpose is to ensure that the members are comfortable and satisfied with the services. I take charge of re-stocking, making sure we have towels on hand for the members and informing the managers about what needs to be ordered. I print out and double-check all of the menus each day.
“I am also responsible for training each new pool attendant on how to make all of the drinks, knowing the restocking procedures and understanding how all of the operations work.
“Recently I’ve become involved in food and beverage planning. A manager asked me to share my thoughts about the way in which we set up cookouts, based on what members have told me. When we hold a cookout, I consult the Banquet Event Order (BEO) to make sure that everything is ready for the day’s event.”
The BEO document outlines the details of the event and communicates roles and responsibilities to the staff. Because Nardella had learned about the BEO in the SEEM program, she felt prepared to use it at the club.
“Learning negotiation skills in the SEEM program helped me manage difficult conversations as a manager would. When I was a server and a problem arose, I needed to ask a manager to have a conversation with the members. As a supervisory intern and the lead at the pool area, I take the initiative to talk directly with the members.”
Looking To The Future
“Going forward, I may apply for a position at an arena, like Gillette Stadium, where they just had the FIFA World Cup. I am also a huge advocate for women’s sports. I’d love to work for the Boston Fleet, the professional women’s hockey team, but working with any women’s sports team would be rewarding. Long-term, it would be amazing to have a role planning for events in the Winter Olympics and traveling to the various places where the Olympics are held.
“Fortunately, I have had opportunities to dance and participate in track and field, and in soccer events. I hope to give back by being a role model for my little sister, multiple female cousins, and all young girls. I want them to know that you can go after anything you set your mind to and accomplish your goals and dreams.
“I’ve already recommended JWU to others — although a smaller school, it is big in the way it opens the door to so many opportunities in the hospitality and sports industries.
“JWU is a welcoming community, whether you are on campus or online. Through JWU Online, you’ll make great connections with professors who will become part of your professional network and students with whom you can build life-long friendships.”
The Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management Degree Program At JWU Online
Ready to build a career matched to your interests? You can pursue exciting career paths with our fully online Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management bachelor’s degree program at JWU Online. Complete the Request Info form, submit your free application or email [email protected].