Ashleigh Lang

Kelly Simmons

Lang, from Bogart, Ga., supervises one of the many banquet layouts set for the evening.
Photographer Abbey Benefield

Georgia football weekends at the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel on campus are a whirlwind of activity and excitement, but for Ashleigh Lang, Hospitality and Food Industry Management student, they also provided the training ground that would launch her career in the Marriott Voyage management training program at the Ritz Carlton Reynolds on Lake Oconee.

“I would go from feeding the football team on Friday nights to running the bar on Saturdays. I loved being able to interact with fans excited to be in Athens and attend the game,” Lang says. “They loved that I remembered them and what they ordered. I enjoyed being able to promote the local products we carried at the bar.”

Lang began working in food and beverage soon after she arrived at UGA in 2021 and began the Hospitality and Food Industry Management degree program. The Georgia Center provided a hands-on learning and workforce experience as she moved through a variety of roles including banquet server, bartender, trainer, event leader and student supervisor.

A benefit of the on-campus experience allows students to progress in their responsibilities as they take their classroom learning to the field. Lang began taking on more responsibility helping with scheduling and assisting managers in their work. She worked with the offsite crew, and oversaw the banquet for the UGA Alumni Association’s annual 40-under-40 awards.

The variety of opportunities available at the Georgia Center fits into students’ busy schedules and can provide targeted experiences. Lang did an intensive two-week internship with the sales and events team at the Georgia Center in February to prepare for her capstone project, overseeing food and beverage for the third annual Georgia Hospitality and Tourism Summit at the Georgia Center in May. The conference brings together hospitality leaders, who share their industry experience and offer advice to students.

I have really developed my leadership and management skills, learning how to marry these with small events and large events.

In addition to being accepted into Voyage program, Lang was selected 2023 student of the year by the Georgia Center staff and received a Top 5 Student Employee of the Year Award from UGA.