By Franci Valenzano, Public Relations Associate
John Sagendorf, past president and current executive board member of Skål International Albany, presents the annual Hospitality Scholarship to Morrisville State student Vanessa Connally. From left are Sagendorf, Connally and Joan Johnson, professor in the Hospitality Department at Morrisville State.
(Morrisville, NY – Sept. 2014) Morrisville State student Vanessa Connally of Morrisville was recently awarded the Skål Albany Hospitality Scholarship. The $1,500 scholarship is based on academic achievement and campus involvement.
Connally, a senior in the college’s resort and recreation service management bachelor degree program, is active on the Morrisville State campus, serving as vice president of the student government organization, a resident assistant and student activities assistant. Additionally, she is a student ambassador in the college’s Admissions Office and student philanthropy chairperson in the Office of Institutional Advancement.
An active member of the International Food Service Executives Association (IFSEA), Connally also excels academically. She was inducted into the Eta Sigma Delta International Honor Society and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and is a past recipient of the Destinations of NY Scholarship.
A certified meeting and convention planner, Connally, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, gained additional experience in the hospitality industry working at the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Liverpool.
A 2011 graduate of Frederick Douglass Academy VI High School, in Far Rockaway, Connally is the daughter of Jacqueline Rowe of Queens.
Skål International is a professional organization of tourism leaders around the world, promoting global tourism and friendship. With more than 17,000 members, it is the only international group that unites all branches of the travel and tourism industry.