STHM student Patrick Cosgrove, class of 2026, and recent graduate Brianna Clark, STHM ’24, offer insight into their fall 2024 experiences interning within the hospitality industry. (Photos courtesy of Patrick Cosgrove and Brianna Clark)
At Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM), students obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to enter their desired professional industry.
While much of that preparation occurs through their education in the classroom, integral experiential learning happens through the experience of an internship.
In order to learn more about this important step for STHM students, we checked in with an upperclassman and a recent graduate student to recount their fall 2024 internships in the hospitality industry.
Brianna Clark, STHM class of 2024
Major: Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management
Hometown: Shirley, MA (Nashoba Valley Technical High School)
Internship: Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia
Role: Intern
Internship location: Philadelphia, PA
Patrick Cosgrove, STHM class of 2026
Major: Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management
Hometown: Scranton, PA
Internship: Gift of Life Howie’s House
Role: Guest services intern
Internship location: Philadelphia, PA
What were your primary responsibilities at your internship?
Brianna (Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia): My primary responsibilities were related to daily guest service tasks like check-ins and check outs. I also assisted with front desk reports and inventory management. Ensuring that guests of the hotel and casino were provided with professional and helpful service was very important!
Patrick (Gift of Life Howie’s House): As a guest services intern, my main responsibilities were answering the phones, checking in families, giving guest tours and orientations or coordinating dinner services. Gift of Life Howie’s House serves as a “home away from home” for transplant patients and their families by providing them with affordable lodging and supportive services while they are in Philadelphia for transplant-related care, so it was impactful to assist with the daily operations of the facility.
What completed project were you most proud of?
Brianna: I worked with one of my managers to implement new initiatives that created more efficient front desk processes which overall improved customer service scores across the department. Since I was able to input my own ideas with the front desk team, this felt like a true instance where I made a real impact on the guest experience.
Patrick: The biggest project I worked on was digitizing guest files to help the facility transition to a paperless system. While a big project overall, I helped organize, scan and upload thousands of guest files, which really helped me build confidence in my leadership and work delegation abilities.
What did you most enjoy about your internship experience?
Brianna: I really enjoyed working with the front desk team! All of my colleagues took pride in their roles and were very helpful in my own experience. Since there are many regulars at the hotel, I also got to know certain guests and the best ways to make their stay more enjoyable—that was rewarding for me.
Patrick: I really enjoyed having the opportunity to help people in need. Many of the families staying at the house were going through incredibly difficult times, and I was proud to know that my internship offered me a chance to be a friendly face and work to create a warm, supportive environment for them.
How did you find your internship related to your education at STHM?
Brianna: There were many aspects that related to my in-class learning about the industry. I saw real-world examples of hospitality concepts and organizational structure. Also, I was able to use my technical knowledge from courses and communication skills to ensure smooth guest interactions.
Patrick: This internship connected really well with my STHM education, but particularly well with my coursework in operations and organizational management! Because I was working at a nonprofit with a small team, the role required a lot of teamwork and emotional intelligence—this really reinforced what I’ve already learned about managing operations, especially when working in a guest-facing role.
How do you think this internship experience will benefit you in your professional pursuits of the hospitality industry?
Brianna: I believe this internship experience will help me a lot as I plan to pursue a career in the hotel industry and explore more operations-type roles within the setting. This experience gave me the opportunity to see multiple aspects of the hospitality industry, especially through shadowing individuals from individuals and managers from multiple departments and learn more about their typical tasks and responsibilities. In addition to learning a great deal about the tangibles when it comes to guest and customer service, I also gained helpful feedback and encouragement from supervisors that will stay with me as I begin my career within the industry.
Patrick: Beyond my time at Temple, I plan to pursue a guest-facing, operations role in a setting like a hotel or venue—this internship confirmed that desire for me. I am fortunate that this experience allowed me to gain hands-on experiences with key responsibilities in hospitality and learn a deeper understanding of guest services, issue resolution and day-to-day logistics. The experience strengthened my ability to adapt, work with a team, and manage real-world challenges in a hospitality setting and I came out of it more confident in my skills and better prepared for a career in the industry.
What advice would you offer to other and future STHM students looking to intern within the hospitality industry?
Brianna: Be open to new experiences! The sport and hospitality industries are incredibly large, but STHM does a fantastic job for us as students in providing us with a path to gain knowledge and education for our career paths ahead. Don’t be afraid to utilize your STHM advisors in the process of finding opportunities for yourself—any experience or opportunity can teach you something and help you find your professional passion!
Patrick: My best advice would be to step outside your comfort zone. Before this internship, I never considered working in the nonprofit space, but this opportunity opened my eyes to how rewarding it can be. I believe internships are a great way to see for yourself how many different career paths and options there are for you. Even if you find yourself in an internship that isn’t exactly what you want to do long-term, there are so many unique and unexpected jobs within every industry that you may not have even known existed until you saw them.