Sadie Mouledoux always found Lafayette to be a “home away from home” because her brother lived in town. She found that feeling on the UL Lafayette campus, too.
“The red brick buildings and big green oak trees make me feel like I’m back home in rural Hammond,” she said.
The ŷƬ also catered to Sadie’s educational preferences.
“It wasn’t just the appearance that won me over. It was the class size and teacher-to-student ratio,” she explained. “I graduated from a very small private school called the Brighton School, where I was 1 of 7 kids in my graduating class, so class sizes were a big deal when looking into universities around Louisiana.”
Smaller class sizes were a benefit for Sadie, especially as a hospitality management major.
“We learned about the ins and outs of hotel operations,” she said about HMGT 371: Lodging Management I.
“We also took hotel tours to see the front-of-house and back-of-house operations, which was another great chance to learn about job and internship opportunities these businesses where offering.”
Professional Certifications in the Industry
Earning a major in hospitality management requires Sadie to earn important certifications for the hospitality industry, including the CHIA (Certified in Hotel Industry Analytics) and ServSafe certifications.
“The knowledge I gained from my ServSafe certification or my CHIA certification can be used throughout the hospitality industry,” she explained. “The professors help us through these tough courses that many industry professionals have to learn on their own, post-graduation.
“UL Lafayette hospitality graduates are entering the workforce with the knowledge and certifications many businesses now require you to have,” she said. “On top of that, the fact that we have been using and implementing these certifications throughout our college career further sharpens our skills and knowledge.”
Preparing for a Career in Hospitality
Learning about hotel operations is important for Sadie’s current and future career. She is currently a guest service agent for a local hotel, and she has big plans for the future.
“I have decided to go through a management-in-training program through my current employer, Drury Hotels,” she said. “It is an 18-month training course where I will learn every aspect of running a hotel property including back-office operations, housekeeping, and maintenance.
“My current career goal is to become a quality assurance auditor to help Drury maintain their high-quality brand standards,” she said.
Ultimately, these steps will teach her enough to open her own “boutique hotel on an island in the Mediterranean Sea.”
