Zoe Rubin (left), hospitality management junior and pageant participant, does a mock interview with Marisabel Flowers (middle), senior recruiter at Rosen Hotels & Resorts, and Courtney Eckelberger (right), recruiting and community outreach specialist at Rosen Hotels & Resorts, during the Recognizing Hospitality Pageant on Thursday at UCF Rosen’s Darden Auditorium.
Valentina Solorzano
Students took the spotlight at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management’s first annual Recognizing Hospitality Pageant Thursday, where contestants competed for a $500 scholarship.
The Recognizing Hospitality Pageant aims to revive the tradition of the Mister and Miss Hospitality competition, previously hosted by the Rosen College and discontinued in 2020 due to COVID-19, said Sabrina Rihl, senior event management major and special events director of Rosen Life.
Nine students competed to be crowned hospitality royalty and win the scholarship. UCF students applied to participate in the pageant through Rosen Life’s Instagram account.
The competition consisted of three parts, beginning with a professional dress strut. Then, contestants did a mock interview, answering questions about their passion for and experience in the hospitality industry.
Finally, students demonstrated their hospitality skills through presentations highlighting their philosophy on hospitality and events they had organized.
At the end of the night, a winner was chosen by a panel of hospitality professionals, including Ashley Mostaccio, director of sales for nationwide event company PRA and UCF Rosen’s 2013 Miss Hospitality.
The scholarship prize money was a major benefit of the event, said Luke Brown, senior event management major, supporting students who often balance demanding coursework and industry jobs. According to UCF Rosen, more than 1,000 students complete internships each semester.
Brown is the student director for Rosen Life and said he hopes events like this will bring the college together.
“Rosen has gotten more disconnected the past few years, so we want to bridge the gap between career and living your life,” said Brown. “A big thing that we’ve been pushing this year with Rosen Life is trying to revive our traditions.”
Rihl said scholarships can expand access to opportunities for students.
“A scholarship can change so much about your accessibility in continuing your college career,” Rihl said.
Michelle Friberg (left), winner of the Recognizing Hospitality Pageant, poses at UCF Rosen’s Darden Auditorium on Thursday with Ashley Mostaccio, director of sales for PRA, which plans and executes business events around the United States, and UCF Rosen’s 2013 Miss Hospitality.
Valentina Solorzano
Michelle Friberg, senior event management major, was crowned the pageant’s winner and scholarship recipient. Friberg works for the Four Seasons Hotel and serves as president of MPI Knights, the UCF chapter of Meeting Professionals International, a networking organization for hospitality students in the event sector.
“A lot of what [Rosen students] do is work. We work many, many hours while also pursuing school,” Friberg said. “To be able to recognize those students for those accomplishments is just a really cool thing to do.”
Friberg said the pageant was a reflection of how much she and her peers have grown in their years at Rosen.
“It’s really cool, at the end of my college experience, to see a culmination of everything I’ve done … and what I’m leaving behind as a legacy,” Friberg said.
The pageant was hosted by Rosen Life, an organization that plans and executes various events on Rosen’s campus. Through social events and student advocacy, the organization aims to build community among students and create opportunities for students to pursue their careers while still enjoying the college experience.
Brown and Rihl said they hope the pageant will continue as a tradition for future Rosen students and grow into a lasting part of campus life.
“My hope for this pageant is that it does continue on for years to come,” Rihl said.