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CHLA Hospitality Foundation Proudly Awards $165,000 in College Scholarships

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

SACRAMENTO, CA – (Nov. 20, 2019) – The California Hotel & Lodging Association Hospitality Foundation proudly awarded $165,000 in scholarships to 65 students pursuing hospitality, tourism and culinary arts degrees at 13 California colleges during a gala reception Nov. 8 in San Francisco.

The celebration raised more than $120,000 for future CHLAHF scholarships and recognized the achievements of two outstanding students with the presentation of the prestigious Hilda Watson Gifford Award.

“Supporting the next generation is what makes our hospitality industry so special,’’ said Deb Kurtti, executive director of CHLA’s Hospitality Foundation. “All of the scholarship winners are pursuing careers at hotels and restaurants in which someday soon they will be the leaders their colleagues and guests turn to.”

Eunice Cincotta of Orange Coast College and Sabrina Luk of Cal Poly Pomona were honored with the Hilda Watson Gifford Award for their classroom achievements and their dedication to the hospitality industry. Hilda Watson Gifford was the first female graduate of Cornell Hotel School and the first director of the Hotel & Restaurant Department at City College of San Francisco who advocated for hospitality management education throughout her career.

More than 240 attendees celebrated during the scholarship ceremony at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins in San Francisco made possible by significant contributions from numerous sponsors, including Marriott hotels, Handlery Hotels, InterContinental Hotels of California, Sysco San Francisco, San Diego Gas & Electric and Ideas Events & Rentals

The colleges whose hospitality students received scholarships include: Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, San Diego State University, University of San Francisco, San Jose State, Cypress College, Orange Coast College, Woodland Community College, City College of San Francisco, Cosumnes River College, Chico State University, Long Beach State and Monterey Bay State