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CHLA Hospitality Foundation Proudly Awards $120,000 in College Scholarships

Sixty-two Students from 13 California Colleges Honored at Annual Gala

SACRAMENTO, CA – (Nov. 2, 2020) – The California Hotel & Lodging Association Hospitality Foundation proudly awarded $120,000 in scholarships to 62 students pursuing hospitality, tourism, and culinary arts degrees at 13 California colleges during a virtual celebration online on October 29, 2020.

“This year, our industry was shaken to its core, but we will recover and, in that recovery, it is more important than ever to support our hospitality students,’’ said Michael Pace, CHLA Hospitality Foundation Chair. “These scholarships represent an investment in our recovery, they represent a belief in these students and an investment in the future of lodging.”

Raul Leal, CEO of Virgin Hotels and keynote speaker during the event, highlighted the opportunities available in the hospitality industry and let students know that they selected a great choice for their careers. Mr. Leal told them, “Don’t be afraid of this environment, this absolutely too shall pass, and our industry is going to come back stronger, better and more innovative than ever.”

The colleges whose hospitality students received scholarships include: Cal Poly Pomona, California State University-East Bay,  California State University- Long Beach, California State University -Northridge, Cerritos College, City College of San Francisco, California State University-Chico, Orange Coast College, Palomar College, San Francisco State University, San Jose State University and University of San Francisco.

About California Hotel & Lodging Association Hospitality Foundation
CHLAHF is a non-profit organization that provides scholarships and research in support of excellence among industry employees and hospitality students, to raise the profile of the California hospitality industry. CHLAHF was formed in April 2019 when two large supporters of hospitality education – The Hotel & Restaurant Foundation and the CHLA Education Foundation – combined to support the future of hospitality in California. For more information, please go to https://chlafoundation.org.