Gorgeous campuses. Thought-provoking classes. Amazing real-world opportunities.<\/p>\n
These are among some of the key experiences that freshmen wrapping up their first few semesters on campus are raving about.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been loving my time at FIU,\u201d says hospitality management major Haley Caravetta. \u201cThe campus has such a fun and lively energy. There is always something going on. It makes it really easy to get involved and make friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
She adds, \u201cThe professors are so good. They have been so engaging. They make sure to connect the classes to the real world.\u00a0I know that FIU has the top hospitality school.\u00a0Already as a freshmen I\u2019ve gotten exposed to so many opportunities, which I honestly don\u2019t think I\u2019d be able to get at any other school.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through FIU, she volunteered at the\u00a0South Beach Wine & Food Festival\u00ae, which many consider the largest experiential learning opportunity in the country. The international food and wine festival allows students to network with some of the biggest names in the hospitality world, gain experience and start forging connections with potential future employers and contacts.<\/p>\n
Caravetta also participated in a three-day, one-credit course that gave her and a group of students a behind-the-scenes look into the cruise industry. Caravetta toured three cruise ships, each from a different top company: Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Carnival. She spoke with employees and learned what it\u2019s like to manage a cruise ship. The experience particularly speaks to her heart, since her goal is to launch a career in the corporate side of the cruise industry.<\/p>\n
She has also been getting involved on campus through the FIU 4 Christ student group, which hosts praise and worship nights as well as Bible studies as the students grow together in their relationship with Jesus. She has also enjoyed line dancing events, thanks to FIU\u2019s Line Dancing club. And she has been selected as a content creator student for the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, which means she creates and posts social media content about her time in the program.<\/p>\n
Another highlight of her first year: Caravetta enjoyed going to F1rst Night, a festival-style event held annually on the first week of the fall semester that features music, food and vendors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to miss my freshmen year so much,\u201d Caravetta says. \u201cI made so many memories. It was so fun and insightful. I learned so much. It really set the tone for the rest of my four years at FIU.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Collage](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1_haley-collage.jpg\")
Top photo and bottom right photo: Freshman Haley Caravetta took a special three-day course that allowed her to get a behind-the-scenes look into cruise management (and explore ships!) at three different cruise lines. Bottom row, left: Caravetta attended a campus event recently in which hospitality expert David Grutman presented his new book.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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