Johnson & Wales Hospitality Management bachelor’s degree program brings together in-depth education about the hospitality industry with business skills for advancing into management and leadership career tracks.
Tyler Power ’26, B.S. Hospitality Management shares how a combination of a hospitality internship, working in the industry and an inspiring course in his program radically changed his career trajectory — and how mentorship through JWU Online and at work is helping him advance in a new career.
Making A Shift Towards A New Professional Path
Power has been baking all of his life. “As soon as I could talk, I declared my intention to work in culinary arts or baking. During high school, I took classes for four years in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) culinary program. After graduating high school, I enrolled in Johnson & Wales Baking & Pastry and Food Service Management bachelor’s program on campus, fully expecting to pursue a baking career.”
Early in his freshman year, Sean Riccard, Director of Operations at the Marriott Providence, suggested Power apply for an open position at the hotel. Power comments, “I had no expectations that working at the hotel would lead to anything, but thought I might learn something to help me in my baking career.”
Power was quick to learn the systems, but benefitted from Riccard’s coaching to polish his communication skills and build his confidence. Riccard’s mentoring, which went beyond teaching the skills required for the job, elevated Power’s personal development, so that he would be an asset to any team.
Doing “a little bit of everything” at the front desk, Power enjoyed connecting with the guests. Power shares, “I also liked my team and looked forward to times when we would get together outside of work.”
When serving as a night auditor at the hotel, Power was surprised to discover that he loved working with numbers. “Out of all of the operations I did at the hotel, I found I was best at accounting. I always knew I wanted to work in the hospitality industry but never expected I’d want to work on the business side.”
Realizing that he enjoyed baking as a hobby but not as a career, Power switched to the Hospitality Management bachelor’s degree program. After completing the second semester of his freshman year on campus, Tyler transferred to JWU Online.
Benefits of Learning Online
“I was pleased that the online courses were the same quality as the ones I took on campus during my freshman year,” Power notes. “Asynchronous learning has been tremendously helpful, given my particular learning style. When taking a course in person, you have to keep up with the professor’s pace. Online, I can go through the material at my own pace and if I don’t understand something, I can immediately re-read the text or re-watch a video.
“A work-life balance is important for me. Learning online, I was better able to balance school and work, which my higher grades reflected. Working in the industry while earning my degree helped me better understand my schoolwork because I was able to apply what I was learning on the job.”
Mentorship From Professors
“I’ve had good experiences with the professors who teach online,” Power remarks. “Although I’m not learning in the classroom, the professors actively respond to provide help. Having my questions answered has been a big part of my success in school.
“One professor in particular has been an incredible mentor for me. Rex N. Warren, Ph.D., has a ton of industry experience. He taught several courses in my program and helped me prepare for job interviews.
“The Revenue Management course he taught piqued my interest. We learned about the relationship between accurate forecasting, overbooking, reservation systems, marketing issues, pricing and e-commerce as they relate to financial decision making in hotels.
“For an assignment on simulating hotel operations, we set rates and made decisions about what we could implement to drive business to the hotel. The course inspired me to change my career trajectory and to search for a hotel position in accounting and revenue management.
Achieving A New Job In Accounting
Power applied for an accounts receivable position at the Marriott Quincy, and asked to complete a separate internship, during the fall of his senior year. “I already knew the property management system software that the Marriott Quincy uses because it’s the same one I used at the Providence Marriott. My experience as a night auditor demonstrated good problem-solving skills because when something goes wrong at night, you have to solve the problem during your shift to ensure smooth operations the next morning. My ability to cover for a manager in the accounting department while she took time off, demonstrated I could learn quickly.”
However, Power needed to meet the schedule requirement to qualify for the position. “The flexibility of earning my bachelor’s degree at JWU Online made it possible to meet the requirement. During my interview I assured the hotel I could work a full Monday to Friday daytime shift. I was hired by the Marriott Quincy the next day.”
Electing To Intern
Power’s new boss at the Marriott Quincy agreed he could undertake the internship at the hotel.
“Interning at my worksite was an opportunity to learn more in-depth about the job I had been doing,” Power explains, “and to explore a wider range of hotel operations and events. Earning credits through an internship equal to taking courses was a big plus.”
Interning opened doors for Power. “As part of my first internship assignment, I set goals with my boss. One goal was to attend more meetings, so that I could expand my knowledge of hotel operations. Meetings would also give me the opportunity to meet and get to know other executive leaders.
“When I attended a revenue management meeting, I connected with our Area Director of Revenue Strategy at Crescent Hotels and Resorts, which is our hotel management company. As I transition into a new position, I will be working more closely with the Area Director and will gain experience at the corporate level.”
Cross-Training During Internship
“The internship gave me the opportunity to cross-train as a backup to the position of group rooms coordinator and inventory. My boss wanted more than one person to know the job and she chose me because I learn quickly.”
Power’s cross-training was fast-tracked when the person in that position left the company. Initially expecting to fill the gap until a new person could be hired, the General Manager approached Power to suggest he apply for the position.
“Starting a new position so soon felt scary, but the GM said, ‘I want to see you challenge yourself.’ I talked with my family and contacted Professor Warren, my mentor at JWU Online, because he’s been a hotel controller and also a director of revenue.
“Professor Warren encouraged me to consider the position, suggesting it would give me broad exposure to sales and to revenue management, which he thought would be helpful in my career progression. ‘The more experience you have in various departments, the more valuable you become in the future.’ When the GM pointed out that this was more closely related to revenue management — the career I want to pursue — it was an easy decision for me. I decided this is the time in my life to try new things.”
Transitioning Into A New Role
“In my current accounting role, I take deposits for groups prior to their arrival at the hotel and then settle their bill after they depart. If a guest reservation has billing issues after the fact, I look into what’s wrong and figure out how to solve it. I also assist my boss by making entries into the income journal, including stats about how many rooms were occupied and our room revenue that day.
“In my new group rooms and inventory coordinator role, I’ll be working with multiple departments, including revenue management and sales and events. I’ll be one of the main points of contact for clients, aside from the sales and events managers, to handle their specific event. Instead of accepting payments, I’ll be building the group blocks to facilitate reservations, whether through a personal reservation link, or by having us input a list of people sent to us.
“I’ll also continue to perform front desk administrative operations. Including handling outlying reservations and making third-party reservations, whether through Expedia, Priceline or other booking portals.
“What I most look forward to doing is the revenue piece. I will be the on-the-property person whose function it is to control the inventory, making sure that we don’t oversell rooms and providing advice about revenue strategies.”
“I’m excited that while I have been sharing office space with others, I will be getting my own office for the first time in my career!”
The Marriott Quincy Mentorship Team
Mentorship provides guidance and support to gain skills for a new career, understand an industry, learn your job or navigate the transition to a new role. Power was fortunate to have had strong mentorship at school from professors, including Dr. Warren, Riccard at the Marriott Providence and a whole team of mentors at the Marriott Quincy.
“I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Jennifer Tavares to navigate a difficult position transition and learn from her wealth of knowledge in sales.
“My former boss, Stephanie McHale, did so much to help me grow. Without her guidance I wouldn’t have been able to understand my position nearly as well and feel ready to move to the new position.
“Kimberly Greene personally mentored me more than a GM needs to do, making it the best working relationship I’ve had with a GM in my short career. She instilled the confidence in me to take on the challenge of a new position.
“I’ve only worked with David McKeon for a brief time but he’s made an impact through helping me work better with the front desk team. Additionally, he’s willing to lend a hand when I need it.
“Although I don’t work as closely with Devin Scott on a day-to-day basis, he has been instrumental in getting me to be more comfortable with how I fit in with the team. I appreciate his willingness to provide general advice when needed.”
Why The Hospitality Program At JWU Online Was Right For Power
“I made the right decision to complete my Hospitality Management degree at JWU Online. Whether you choose to live on campus or complete your program online, JWU is a great option. Because I wanted to work full-time while attending school, the online program was the best option for me.
“If I hadn’t attended JWU Online, I wouldn’t have known that I wanted to pursue a revenue management career. Taking the course taught by Professor Warren helped me see myself in a revenue management role.
“Choosing to do an internship is what ultimately led to being promoted into a new role. The internship expanded my knowledge about the job I was doing, train for a new position and develop a network of mentors.
I’m a huge advocate of asynchronous learning because it gave me the flexibility to work full-time while attending school and gain real-life experience – and the net gain of income as I graduated was significant.
“I am grateful to all of my mentors and my family and friend who have supported me — your support has been instrumental in getting me to where I am today.”
The Hospitality Management Bachelor’s Degree Program At JWU Online
Ready to start or advance your hospitality management career? Complete the Request Info form, call 855-JWU-1881, or email [email protected].
