Hospitality career exploration event brings high schoolers to campus
Monday, October 20, 2025
photos by Jennifer A. Cline, college editor
Dedra Pembrooke (in blue), director of human resources for Omni Bedford Springs Resorts, shares internship information with an instructor from Fayette County Career & Technical Institute, who is joined by his students. The career networking event was part of a Hospitality Career Exploration & Leadership Workshop, designed for high school students and hosted by Penn College’s hospitality program and the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association.
Penn College’s baking & culinary program partnered with the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association last week to provide a Hospitality Career Exploration & Leadership Workshop to students in grades nine to 12.
More than 100 high schoolers attended – some starting their drive at 5 a.m. to travel from the southwest corner of the state.
The day’s activities included a workshop on leadership tracking by Mary Anslinger, vice president of corporate human resources for Shaner Hotels; a workshop on personality types and how it relates to leadership; a networking event with eight hospitality-industry employers; and lunch in the hospitality program’s Le Jeune Chef Restaurant. The visiting employers later participated in a recruitment event for Penn College students.
