Sam Johnson

Kelly Simmons

Johnson, from Big Sky, Mont., paraglides above Turkey’s blue lagoon in OEluedeniz.
Submitted photo

An activity during his internship in Sales and Events at the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel helped open Sam Johnson’s mind to the vast career possibilities in the hospitality field.

Johnson and two other student interns in UGA’s Hospitality and Food Industry Management (HFIM) degree program were given a budget and specifications and told to design an open house to highlight recent renovations at the Georgia Center.

Johnson, who was born and raised in Big Sky, Montana, planned a formal reception with tours to show UGA employees and Athens residents all that the full-service hotel and conference center could offer.

Another intern planned a St. Patrick’s Day-themed event, and the third planned a presentation featuring photos of the Georgia Center before and after the renovations, followed by a reception.

There are so many different avenues you can take.

Johnson says “That project made me go ‘this is what hospitality can be.’ ”

His semester working with Sales and Events was one of two internships required of students in the HFIM program. Most students do at least one of the 200-hour internships at the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel, which serves as a living lab for HFIM students.

In Sales and Events, Johnson became familiar with contracts and business requests from companies interested in holding events at the center and shadowed sales coordinators when they met with current or prospective clients.

For his second internship, he helped the luxury Montage Hotel open its first property in Big Sky, performing front desk and concierge duties remotely from Athens. It was during that time he began thinking about travel and tourism as a career.

Working with an advisor his final year at UGA, Johnson tapped into his experience at the Georgia Center as he helped clients plan group trips and corporate travel. After graduation he continued to work with the advisor eventually partnering with her as lead travel advisor.

His next goal? Launching his own adventure travel company.

“I thought I’d go into hotels, become a general manager,” Johnson says. “I think I’ve kind of hit my dream job without knowing it.”