Alexa, play “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi because I am halfway there!
My time at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is halfway done. I cannot believe how quickly time passes. It felt like yesterday I was attending my first UNLV event as a little freshman. Two years later and I feel at home.
Sophomore year of college was one for the books. I can honestly say it was one of the best school years of my entire life, especially this spring semester. Here is everything I have been up to in 2023 thus far:
William F. Harrah College of Hospitality
Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC)
This has been a semester-long competition. We have made it to the semi-finals! My friend and teammate Allister will be representing us in Amsterdam in June. We are creating a hotel that is sustainable and customer centric. We have met with accomplished individuals who have given us advice on our hospitality concept. All of the experts have been super helpful and generous with their time. We are so excited to show the SHC judges what UNLV has to offer. This is the first time that UNLV is involved in an international competition like this one. I am happy to be a trailblazer and I hope to make my Hospitality College proud!
Hospitality Mentorship Program
This semester, I have had the amazing opportunity of meeting Amanda Saenz! She is my awesome mentor that I made through the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality Mentorship Program! We have made some amazing memories together. She has been guiding me in a great direction and her advice has been incredibly helpful. I am so thankful to have met Amanda this year and I am excited for all of our future dinners and discussions.
UNLV Books, Beverages, and Bites
My friend Hiếu is an inspiration! He has so many creative ideas and brings me so much joy! We are working on the SHC competition together too. This semester, he founded Books, Beverages, and Bites. We are a hospitality reading and self-care club for students! We are planning on implementing a hospitality-related art installation into the Barrick Art Museum. I love our focus on mindfulness as an organization. We want people to feel peace at UNLV BBB meetings. We want our members to make lasting connections with one another while learning and growing as people. Hiếu and I are excited to make BBB a thriving registered student organization at UNLV. Please join us if you are reading this.
William F. Harrah College of Hospitality Peer Mentor Position
I was a peer mentor for the Harrah College of Hospitality this semester. I enjoyed seeing my mentees thrive and become more comfortable with college. I emailed incoming freshmen and received so many thoughtful comments. I also attended workshops as training for my job position which were a lot of fun. I am excited to be a peer mentor next year and continue to serve the young minds entering UNLV!
Tours - MGM and Venetian
The Hospitality College provides so many different opportunities including tours of hotels on the strip! I was able to see the Sky Loft villas and Mansion villas at MGM as well as the suites at the Venetian. These tours make me excited about my future. The possibilities are endless!
American Marketing Association
American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference
April 2023
This year, the UNLV AMA chapter traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana for the 2023 International Collegiate Conference. I had the most amazing experience growing closer to the members in my chapter and meeting new people from around the world. I attended lectures, workshops, and competed in the Perfect Pitch Competition. There were over 250 people who competed in this event and I won 3rd place! I am truly grateful and tremendously proud of myself for this accomplishment. Furthermore, I won the Robert Delano Service Scholarship worth $2,000. I owe immense gratitude to Dr. Jack Schibrowsky and Dr. Nadia for writing me recommendation letters that led to this achievement. The trip was a success and I will forever cherish all the memories I made in New Orleans.
American Marketing Association Vice President of Consulting Transitioning to President
I served as the Vice President of Consulting this past school year for AMA. We have now formed partnerships with RebelSat and Spectra Health. UNLV AMA will be helping RebelSat spread the word about sending UNLV into space! RebelSat is sending the first satellite into space from Nevada! We are so excited to assist them with their social media presence. In addition, UNLV AMA is working with Spectra Health to advertise their primary care clinic. We will be using organic social media marketing strategies to help them increase patient numbers. The torch has now been passed to me to be president. I am thrilled to be in this position. It will take hard work and dedication but I know I have the strength, leadership, and tenacity to make our organization AMA-zing! President Christen is now at your service.
YouChef
President’s Innovation Challenge | YouChef
May 2023
I have talked about YouChef quite a bit on my LinkedIn profile and in my last blog post. YouChef is an innovative mobile application and sustainability tool that decreases food waste one scan at a time. My team won 2nd place in the President’s Innovation Challenge this year. We won $15,000 that will be invested back into YouChef’s development. We want to make our app a reality. My teammates and I truly believe that this app has potential and could serve both a sustainable purpose and a philanthropic focus. I am grateful for the Global Entrepreneurship Experience Program acting as an innovation lab for me to unleash my creativity. This is where YouChef was born and where Allister, Vianey, and I were able to develop the idea. I am so excited to see what happens with our app!
Honors College
I served as the Honors College Student Council Secretary this semester. Take a look at the flyer I made for our Spring Picnic down below!
Troesh Center
Journaling Workshop
I had the opportunity of promoting entrepreneurship and innovation at UNLV! I applied to be a Troesh Scholar at the beginning of the school year. One of the things I loved about being a scholar is that I got to host my own workshops. I hosted a journaling workshop in both 2022 and 2023. I journal every day and I love that I can share my passion with other students!
Dinner and Bonding
I received my Troesh Scholar Cohort 2 stole for graduation! The entire cohort met on the last day of school to celebrate the year. We ate at Din Tai Fung in the Aria Resort & Casino. The food was delicious and the company was exceptional. I loved getting to know each of the individuals in this amazing program.
Night to Shine
My favorite volunteering opportunity this semester was Night to Shine at Canyon Ridge Christian Church. The event is a prom for people with both mental and physical disabilities. The Tim Tebow Foundation started Night to Shine to show disabled people that they are loved. My date to the prom was Corey. We had so much fun dancing the night away! Thank you to Canyon Ridge for hosting Night to Shine and for granting me this experience.
Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority
Director of Communications and Sisterhood Bonding
I am the Director of Communications for my chapter! I send weekly newsletters out to members and I am in charge of the scrapbook. I love preserving memories. We had so many incredible events this semester. From sisterhood retreat to weekly chapter meetings, I feel so close to my sisters and I cannot wait for the future!
Formal - Most Ambitious Squirrel
The mascot of Alpha Gamma Delta is a squirrel. I won a superlative at formal for "Most Ambitious Squirrel." I am thankful that my sisters see me in such a positive light! The whole night was incredible!
Grade Point Average
I earned a 4.0 GPA this semester! Still on track for Summa Cum Laude status!
Cards and Art
I have made more cards this semester! The card down below was made for the Dean of the Harrah College of Hospitality. I am currently making prints of the card that I will be selling soon. If you are interested in custom-made cards, DM me @christenjoycards!
Making Memories
I love my friends and all the memories I am making in college! Thank you to all the people that are in my life. I am grateful for each of you. This year of university has been spectacular because of all the joy my peers give me.
Summer Plans?
Yellowstone Club!
I will be working in the Concierge Department at Yellowstone Club this summer! Look out for my next blog post all about my experience at this private golf, ski, and adventure resort!
With Joy,
Christen
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