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April 25, 201846 SUNY SCCC Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Students Headed to Kentucky Derby for Internship
The SUNY Schenectady County Community College School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism will send 46 students to the Kentucky Derby this year, as part of its annual internship program at the renowned horse race, often referred to as “the greatest two minutes in sports.”
Paul Krebs and three other professors from the College will accompany students and oversee the internship program, which is run in conjunction with Levy, the Derby’s food and beverage provider. The College has been sending students to work at this historic event for more than
35 years.
Levy partners with SUNY SCCC to fill important roles in Culinary, Dining Room Management, Concessions and Infield Special Events. Specifically, students serve as: chefs, preparing platters for luxury viewing suites surrounding the track; dining room managers, overseeing guest service and satisfaction; assistant zone managers, overseeing a dozen concessions inside the clubhouse and throughout the grounds; and special event managers, overseeing volunteer crews and temporary concessions set-ups.
Students and faculty will depart the Capital Region on April 29, and will return home on May 6.
During the course of the 2018 Spring Meet week, including the Kentucky Oaks and the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby, Levy will cater to hundreds of thousands of guests from around the world, an effort which SUNY SCCC students will support. The Derby race will be held Saturday,
May 5.
According to Paul Krebs, SUNY SCCC’s Derby program coordinator, “The Levy Derby program provides our students with a unique experience. The sheer volume of food and beverage, the crowd sizes, and the noise and excitement can be overwhelming, but veterans of the experience leave better prepared for future challenges in the hospitality industry. I liken the week to a ’boot camp’ for aspiring hospitality professionals.”
Levy’s commitment to students includes round trip transportation between Schenectady and Louisville, hotel accommodations, hotel shuttle service, student event guides and orientation programming, in addition to compensation.
