These Graduates Turned Operations Experience to Leadership with the Online MS in Hospitality & Tourism Management

The Many Paths Within a Hospitality Career

If you work in hospitality, you might recognize this trajectory: start in an operational role at a front desk, guest services, event coordination, restaurant management, or catering. You build real expertise through long hours and on-the-ground problem solving. Each role teaches you something about the guest experience, the pace of the business, and what it takes to keep things running smoothly.

MS in Hospitality and Tourism Management alumna Taylor Van Ness began exactly that way, working as a Catering Coordinator at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans.

"I had always been very career-driven," she said. "For a long time, one of my biggest professional goals was to eventually become the General Manager of a hotel, and I had set a personal goal for myself to reach a management position before turning 30."

She knew that growing beyond a coordinator role meant understanding the business at a deeper level. Not just how to execute the day-to-day work, but how leaders make decisions, manage teams, drive revenue, and think strategically about overall success.

Ramon Reyes took a different route into the same field. With an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and years of industry experience, he was already serving as a General Manager in New Orleans when he decided to pursue the degree. His motivation was to sharpen the strategic edge that separates good managers from true leaders.

"I wanted to deepen my industry knowledge, expand my professional network, and continue growing as a leader," he explained. "Having spent many years in the industry, I also looked forward to contributing to the learning experience of my classmates by sharing practical, real-world perspectives."

Making the Shift

There's a moment many hospitality professionals hit when they realize that operational knowledge isn't enough to keep climbing the career ladder. Managing tasks becomes managing people. Managing people becomes managing budgets. And managing budgets becomes influencing strategy.

Graduate school pushed Taylor to expand her mindset and think beyond her own department.

"Early in my career, it was easy to look at my responsibilities through the lens of my own department," she reflected. "Graduate school pushed me to think much more holistically about operations, sales, marketing, finance, guest experience, leadership, and the overall business."

The new view changed how she approaches decisions. She’s able to look at both the immediate impact and the bigger picture: how something affects the guest, whether it's operationally realistic, whether it makes financial sense, and what it means for the team and the brand long term.

Ramon experienced a similar mind shift, but from a different vantage point. As an experienced GM, he was already familiar with the technology and reporting systems that drive the industry. What the coursework gave him was an understanding of the principles and processes underlying those reports.

"We learned how to build and analyze cash flows from the ground up, gained a stronger understanding of real estate and asset management, and developed a deeper appreciation for strategic business decision-making," he noted. "Being able to connect the theoretical concepts taught in the classroom with the practical experience I had accumulated throughout my career was incredibly valuable."

Turning Experience into Strategic Leadership

One of the most valuable things about graduate education for working professionals is that it doesn't replace your experience; it amplifies it. You're not starting from scratch. Instead, you're building a framework around knowledge you've already earned, which makes the learning stick in a way it wouldn't if you'd never set foot in a hotel or event space.

For Taylor, that meant developing the confidence to step into situations where she has to lead, make decisions, and figure things out.

"Leadership is not simply having a management title," she said. "It is being willing to take ownership, solve problems, communicate effectively across departments, advocate for both the client and the business, and make thoughtful decisions even when there is not always an obvious answer."

Ramon put it in equally practical terms. The degree improved his ability to contribute at a higher strategic level and gave him a seat at the table when major decisions were being made, including discussions that influence operational strategy, business performance, and long-term planning.

"The knowledge and confidence I gained through the program have undoubtedly helped prepare me for these responsibilities and opportunities," he said.

Where Are They Now?

So, is graduate education in hospitality worth it? The proof is in where these two alumni have ended up.

Taylor moved from coordination roles into catering sales and is now a Catering Sales Manager at the Royal Sonesta New Orleans, where she manages weddings and social events. Her responsibilities extend far beyond planning. She develops client relationships, generates revenue, negotiates contracts, sells the hotel's event spaces, and works across departments to ensure what they sell can actually be executed. She also serves as Digital Marketing & Content Director for NOW Weddings Magazine and Director of Marketing for NACE New Orleans, which expands her reach into media, digital strategy, and industry leadership.

"What I enjoy most is that my career has developed into a combination of hospitality, weddings, sales, marketing, and strategy," she said. "I am no longer only responsible for completing the task in front of me; I am often thinking about how something affects revenue, customer experience, brand perception, efficiency, growth, and the business as a whole."

She also pointed out that a hospitality degree can take you in more directions than people realize.

"At its core, hospitality teaches you how to understand people, build relationships, manage experiences, solve problems, communicate, sell, lead, and understand how a business operates," she reflected. "Those skills translate into so many different opportunities."

Ramon's trajectory tells a complementary story. Since earning his degree, he advanced from managing one of the smallest hotels within his company's brand to leading the largest property in the portfolio. Along the way, he's participated in numerous initiatives and projects that shape the future direction of the brand.

"The experience was both professionally rewarding and personally enriching," he said of the program. "It provided a strong foundation that complemented my practical experience and helped me become a more effective and strategic hospitality leader."

Prepare for the Next Step in Your Career

Your hospitality experience is the foundation. It's what makes you valuable in the first place. But advanced education can accelerate your path forward and give you the financial skills, strategic thinking, and leadership confidence to move from executing the work to shaping the business.

Taylor and Ramon’s stories offer a view into the possibilities for what you can achieve through the preparation offered by this hospitality and tourism degree. 

Finally, if you’re wondering about the value of the program from someone who’s completed it: “I am extremely proud to be a graduate of LSU New Orleans's Master of Science in Hospitality Management program. I frequently speak about the program’s impact on my career and leadership development,” Ramon said. 

And from Taylor: "I feel like the foundation I received through the program gave me the confidence to keep saying yes to opportunities that challenge me and expand what I thought my career could look like.”

Take your next step! Explore the online MS in Hospitality and Tourism Management from LSU New Orleans, and apply today.