Morgan Carr

Kelly Simmons

Carr, originally from Senoia, Ga., poses with a sign inside the Georgia Center.
Photographer Andrew Davis Tucker

Morgan Carr’s first internship in the UGA Hospitality and Food Industry Management (HFIM) program was in Food & Beverage, where she initially was assigned to banquets. Her first week was during the holiday season and one of the events was a holiday dinner.

But not just any holiday dinner. This one featured University of Georgia President Jere Morehead.

“Just stay calm,” Carr’s supervisor told her. “When everything is calm things go smoothly.”

The event was without incident.

The experience in banquets at the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel, a living lab for HFIM students, helped Carr develop customer service skills, and shape her career goals.

“That’s really helped me in my position here,” says Carr, who began an 18-month leadership program in May at the Omni Homestead Resort in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia.

The experience at the Georgia Center was really the foundation for finding different opportunities.

Her job at the Omni Homestead started just two weeks after graduating UGA with bachelor’s degrees in HFIM and business administration.

Carr’s experience in Food & Beverage at the Georgia Center had well-prepared her for her first assignment at the Omni—learning how to manage food outlets at the resort, including fine dining, the tap room and the hotel’s family-style Italian restaurant.

In that management position, she works with the hotel’s purchasing department, as well as human resources.

“I really like that I have to cross different departments to get the job done,” Carr says.

She looks forward to working in special events, which was the area of her second required HFIM internship at the Georgia Center. During that experience she planned events, called vendors, created itineraries and networked.

“Ideally when this program ends, I can go into event planning at the resort,” Carr says.