Vita Nova is responsible for the practical training that helps our students go from successful people to the next big name in hospitality. Our upcoming group of graduating Seniors are no different! With many of them going into great Hospitality jobs, we thought we'd take our last blog of the semester to feature them and their hard work! We are all so proud! Samantha Gambino Post Grad Plans: Global Customer Support Team at Bloomberg L.P. Favorite Memory at Vita Nova: "After the Board of Trustees Dinner last fall semester, the whole Front of House stayed late to polish and clean and we got to listen to music. It turned work into a fun bonding experience for the students" Abby Glauberman Post Grad Plans: Stanley Martin Homes as an Assistant Neighborhood Sales Manager in Northern Virginia. Favorite Memory at Vita Nova: "I loved putting on the Board of Trustees dinner last Fall. Working late with my fellow classmates to put on a great evening for our guests. I enjoyed all the bonding and friendships that were built through Vita Nova that will last a lifetime. " (Pictured 2nd from the right) Giuliana Lorusso Post Grad Plans: Rooms Division Management Trainee for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Favorite Memory at Vita Nova: "I loved how close the students became with each other, as well as with Chef Joe and Debbie because it made coming into Vita just as fun as it was educational!" (Pictured front, 3rd from the right) Emily Barbey Post Grad Plans: Global Customer Support Team at Bloomberg L.P. Favorite Memory at Vita Nova: "My favorite memory at Vita was blasting "Closing Time" with our instructor Nick Waller while we polished silverware and cleaned up." (Pictured right) Kayla Weinstock Post Grad Plans: Convene: Meeting Rooms and Conference Centers Coordinator Favorite Memory at Vita Nova: "I loved being able to spend time with some of my favorite people who I met in HRIM. One of favorite memories is when Nick dressed up as Austin Powers for Halloween." Gianfranco DiStefano Post Grad Plans: Rooms Division Management Trainee for Starwood Hotels Favorite memory at Vita Nova: "I loved working alongside Debbie baking bread during Dinner Lab!" Rachel Cuntala Post Grad Plans: Sales and Marketing Associate for Bozzuto Favorite Memory at Vita: "I don't have a single memory that stands out in my mind, just a collection of memories and bonds that will last a lifetime!" Alison Sprong Post Grad Plans: Attending The Culinary Institute of America accelerated culinary program Favorite Memory at Vita Nova: "My favorite memory was when one of the guests complimented the food I made, and I got to go out and talk to them just like a professional chef would!" Stuart Issacs Post Grad Plans: Starwood Revenue Management Manager in Training at the Boston Sheraton Favorite Memory at Vita Nova: "My favorite memory was making bagels in Debbie's Breakfast lab!" (Pictured 2nd From Left) Michelle Sansiveri Post Grad Plans: The Waldorf Astoria NYC, Rooms Division Manager Trainee Favorite Memory at Vita Nova: "When I spent an entire day in the Vita Nova kitchen cooking a Thanksgiving feast for family dinner when I was Sous Chef!" Guido Iammatteo Post Grad Plans: Sales and Marketing Associate at Bozzuto Favorite Memory at Vita Nova: "My favorite memory after completing HRIM 489 at Vita this spring wasn't as much an event as it was a feeling. It was a feeling of confidence that I felt on two occasions, in both of my final weeks of each FOH and BOH rotations. In both rotations, the gained confidence equated to empowering myself to take charge and lead by example. It is a sensational feeling when you can see how the practical details behind what we learn, come together to WOW our guests." As this semester comes to a close, I would like to thank all of our dedicated readers, guests, parents, professors and the HRIM department for making Vita Nova such an enriching experience. As a graduating Senior myself, I am feeling the utter nostalgia of leaving the lab. As time goes on, I will always remember Vita Nova. All in all, it's just another day living la Vita Nova.
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As many of you have seen, Vita Nova social media is full of pictures of students doing hands-on work in the restaurant. These pictures are high quality shots from a UD student Chris Merken. Chris has graciously volunteered his services to Vita Nova this semester in order to produce real-time pictures of Vita Nova in action. His participation this semester has allowed us to show aspects of Vita Nova we were unable to capture ourselves. Chris Merken is a Junior in the UD Political Science program. He studies Political Science with a concentration in American Politics, along with Legal Studies and Political Communication. After Graduation, he hopes to continue onto Law School. He will also apply for the Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a Masters Degree abroad. Chris spent last summer as a White House Intern in the Office of the Vice President of the United States. He has also performed in three operas and competed in a marathon. Photography is mainly just a hobby for him, but you would never know it. This goes to show how talented the students that walk through Vita Nova truly are. From everyone at Vita Nova, we would like to thank Chris for capturing the beauty of life in the lab, all while making us look so good!
So far, this blog has focused on the final portion of the Vita Nova Practicum; the Dinner lab. As many of you know, Vita Nova is also open for a Buffet-style Lunch. This lunch is also run by Vita Nova students. The students in this lab have completed the first round of the practicum, also known as the Breakfast Lab, and they are moved into the Lunch lab to start perfecting their fine-dining skills. The Lunch lab focuses primarily on solitary work in order to grow the skill set of the individual. Each student will prepare foods by themselves, as well as serve tables by themselves. This is a little different than the Dinner Lab where each student has a partner. For some, this is their first time in a live restaurant setting. The Lunch Lab is a way for students to slowly learn how to serve in a fine-dining setting without it being as fast paced and detailed as the Dinner Lab. This lab is once a week for about a 5 hour shift, and it teaches the Students the skills they will need to perfect Dinner Lab Service. The Breakfast Lab is the first lab that the Students must take. This Lab is run by Chef Debbie Ellingsworth, and it focuses solely on kitchen and baking skills. This Lab is also once a week for a couple of hours. Although the lab starts at 8am, Debbie works hard to make the students have as much fun as possible! This lab is the most free-form, and the least amount of pressure. For the final, Chef allows the Students to create their own dish out of any of the ingredients in Vita Nova. This part of the lab turns Ramen-Noodle-Cookers into the Chefs that put out dishes like Ahi Tuna and Duck Breast. As you can tell, Vita Nova is a complex beast that is only perfected by a lot of practice and hard work. The Breakfast and Lunch Labs are just as important as the Dinner Lab in growing each student into a Restauranteur. From Freshman year all the way to Senior year these students are just living la Vita Nova!
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The StudentsThe students of the Hospitality Business Management program at the University of Delaware share their experiences at Vita Nova Archives
November 2020
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