Samantha Phillips is booking a future in hotel leadership. Phillips, a graduating hospitality and tourism management major from Avon, N.Y., has been selected for Marriott International’s prestigious Voyage Leadership Development Program, a fast-track career pathway designed to prepare high-potential college graduates for leadership roles in hotel operations and management. The path is competitive. Applicants complete multiple rounds of interviews and assessments that evaluate leadership potential. For Phillips, the rigorous process is well worth the outcome. “Many people who complete the program stay with Marriott for years, starting from the bottom and working their way up,” Phillips said. “It seems to be a common theme with Marriott. So just looking at that, I was like, I could see myself staying with them. And this program seems like a good place to start.” Phillips will begin her Marriott career working in event management at its downtown Philadelphia location. A 2023–2024 Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar and recipient of a New York State Tourism Industry Association scholarship, she credits RIT’s international hospitality and service innovation department with preparing her to succeed. She entered RIT through the business exploration track in Saunders College of Business, but an introductory hospitality class in her second year and guidance from professors and academic advisers like Mel Cerra quickly shaped her direction. That interest was reinforced by hands-on experience through student leadership in the Women in Business Club and Delta Sigma Pi, support roles during major events like RIT’s Brick City Homecoming & Family Weekend, and a trip to Marriott’s headquarters in Bethesda, Md., sponsored by the Saunders College Honors Program. “You learn a lot about customer service and creating memorable customer experiences,” Phillips said. “That did help in the application for Marriott because they kind of want two things. They want people who have the personality for hospitality and the personality for leadership. I think that my time at RIT really helped combine both of those areas.” Phillips’ embrace of the full student experience at RIT is a mindset shaped in part by a high school geometry teacher who reminded her that it’s okay to slow down and enjoy the ride. “You meet so many great people,” Phillips said. “There’s a real sense of community at Saunders. I walk into the building and always see people I know. And across RIT, it’s incredibly diverse. There’s every kind of person, club, and activity here. No matter who you are, there’s a place where you’ll feel like you belong.” That balance is exactly what RIT’s hospitality faculty aim to cultivate. The program combines a business core with specialized training in hotel operations, food service management, real estate development, and event planning. “Samantha Phillips embodies the qualities of an exceptional hospitality student,” said Jerrie Hsieh, professor of international hospitality and service innovation. “Her professionalism, work ethic, and passion for the field sets her apart. Our program is designed to prepare students like Samantha to excel in a dynamic and rapidly evolving industry. Experiences such as student-led organizations, site visits, and hands-on learning give our students both practical insights and long-term perspective.”

Brooke DiFlorio will launch her career as one of the first RIT Air Force ROTC cadets to be commissioned for the U.S. Space Force, the newest branch of the armed services. “I knew I wanted to be in the military and be an engineer. Space Force was a way to combine both,” said DiFlorio. It also provides the mechanical engineer in RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering with an opportunity to apply some of the newest technologies she’s learning to keep America safe. “I was drawn to the Space Force because of its newness and the opportunity it offered to be part of something historic,” she said. “I was excited by the idea of helping shape the foundation of a growing service and being one of the guardians who would help pave the way for future generations.” Candidates apply for the Space Force by their second year of ROTC programming and proceed with recommendations from their detachment’s commanding officer. Cadets take a series of military science courses, and DiFlorio combined those with coursework in astronomy and mechanical engineering topics such as orbital mechanics. DiFlorio served in several leadership positions including her current role as training squadron commander. She oversees execution of training related to cadre drills, coordinates Leadership Laboratories, plans Honor Guard events, executes Reveille and Retreat observances every Friday during the semester, and provides extra training for newer cadets.  These responsibilities position cadets to qualify for Space Force training activities. Only a few cadets are picked each year, and all are required to go through extensive field training at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Ala. “It was an intense two-and-a-half-week experience that pushed us to our physical and mental limits,” said DiFlorio of her field training experience. “I had to quickly build trust and rely on fellow cadets whom I had just met upon arrival. We became each other’s support systems, working together to overcome the grueling Alabama heat and navigate high-pressure, stressful situations.” Space Force expands on the Air Force’s intelligence gathering capabilities toward more worldwide defensive procedures specific to cybersecurity, including satellite tracking and sensing. “We need to know how ‘space’ works, because space is a different domain. How can we defend ourselves in the future? Defense and deterrence—these are important,” said DiFlorio, who is from Chittenango, N.Y. DiFlorio will also be following in her grandfather’s footsteps. He also served in the Air Force, and although she never had the chance to meet him, the stories her mother shared about him inspired her. DiFlorio will participate in this year’s graduation ceremony and complete a final training course over the summer. Once commissioned, she’ll report to Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado to attend the Officer Training Course, a yearlong technical program to further refine skills in space operations, intelligence, and cyberspace. “I feel a deep desire to give back to the country that has given me so much. AFROTC has allowed me to experience college life while simultaneously preparing me to become a leader of character in the Space Force,” she said. “Upon graduation, I’ll be stepping fully into the military world—and I’m genuinely excited for the challenges and responsibilities that lie ahead.”