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Wyandotte Daily News – May 9, 2011
Wyandotte students learn much from KCKCC's H.E.A.R.T. program
Written by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC Friday, 20 May 2011 08:02
There were smiles all around at graduation ceremonies May 16 for 14 Wyandotte High School students who earned
certification from the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute through the Hospitality Education and Retail Training
program at Kansas City Kansas Community College. (Photo from Alan Hoskins, KCKCC)
Fourteen Wyandotte High School students will enter the workforce far ahead of their peers thanks to the H.E.A.R.T. program offered
by Kansas City Kansas Community College.
“Your look of confidence today is well-deserved,” said Marisa Gray, project coordinator for the Hospitality Education and Retail
Training (H.E.A.R.T.) program at KCKCC. “Not only have you passed the class but you will also receive your national certification from
The American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute which places you one credential higher than your classmates.”
Speaking on behalf of the 14 graduates, senior Ivan Villagrana said, “I can, without a doubt, say that my comrades and I know what is
expected of us if we enter the hospitality industry. The intended purpose of this program was to give us the knowledge that we needed
to be successful in the field of hospitality and we touched on all kinds of subjects – from learning how to make a reservation at a lodging
property to learning how to properly mop a floor using the figure 8 mop strategy.
“What makes this program so great is that we are not sitting in a classroom reading and testing over the stuff we learned. Yes, that
was part of the experience but there was so much more. We were able to go on field trips and get an insight into how everything works
inside restaurants and lodging properties – places like the Great Wolf Lodge, T-Rex Café, Red Lobster, Chateau Avalon, Hilton Garden
Inn, KD Kakes and Tapatio which opened their doors to us.”
Graduates in addition to Villagrana were Yamileth Cordero, Tanika Davila, Manuel Flores, Sabrina Heistand, Khem Khanal, Nathan
Mendell, Adriana Perez, Canesha Reed, Karen Rios, Mylissa Roark, Rosa Rodriguez, Luz Soria and Alexis Soriano.