Hospitality management mentorship program bridges gap between students and the industry
Maite Montes Gonzalez was admittedly nervous for her first official meeting with her new mentor.
She was headed downtown to the Thompson Denver, a Hyatt hotel, for an appointment with the general manager. The then-sophomore in the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management was dressed professionally, armed with a list of topics and questions to keep the conversation going. Preparation was her antidote to the stress of a new connection.
That pressure was all relieved once she sat down with Amanda Parsons. The mood lightened and the two bonded.
“The first couple of times I was very nervous, especially because they came up and valeted my car,” Gonzalez said with a laugh. “But we got so close because I was able to be myself. She was the one that was trying to get me to not be so formal.”
Fritz Knoebel Director David Corsun presents award to Amanda Parsons and Maite Montes Gonzales.
Gonzalez and Parsons connected through Fritz Knoebel’s Ann and David Hoffman Learning By Example, Attaining Distinction (LEAD) Mentorship Program, which is entering its 15th year at the Daniels College of Business. The program connects students with peer and professional mentors, building crucial relationships and helping facilitate hands-on hospitality experiences.
Within the LEAD program, first- and second-years are assigned peer mentors, while juniors and seniors lean on industry mentors. In special circumstances, sophomores can apply for professional mentorships. Gonzalez jumped at the chance a year ago and was paired with Parsons, who was a perfect match.
“I want to be a [general manager] one day and she was the GM at the Thompson, so it was a natural connection,” Gonzalez said.
As part of the program, mentors and mentees are required to check in monthly, where they set goals and discuss their aspirations. With a full plate of coursework and extracurricular activities on campus, Gonzalez leaned heavily on Parsons for advice around time management and prioritization.
“She showed me that I’m able to do all these things and I’m capable of it all,” Gonzalez said. “It’s just a matter of time management and focusing on yourself.”
Parsons also proved invaluable in helping Gonzalez land a summer internship at KSL Capital Partners. She played such an important role that Gonzalez’s first call after receiving an offer wasn’t to family or friends; it was to Parsons.
That special connection was one of the many reasons Parsons won LEAD Mentor of the Year in 2023, after being nominated by Gonzalez. The award is given annually to one professional mentor that makes an outstanding impact on their mentee, both professionally and personally. Parsons has also since been promoted to a vice president role with Hyatt, looking after a portfolio of 13 hotels in the company’s lifestyle division.
Parsons is quick to brush off the recognition that comes with her award, praising Gonzalez for her curiosity and dogged preparation. But the real magic came when Parsons led Gonzalez to problem solving on her own.
“We started the relationship with her thinking I had a bunch of answers and, instead, it was about how she could find them within herself,” Parsons said. “Watching her flourish this past year has been such a gift. She’s incredible. We’re all going to be working for her one day, mark my words.”
Parsons may be new to LEAD, but mentorship has long been part of her career journey. When she entered the hospitality space nearly three decades ago, female leadership was less common. Parsons is grateful that she found women she could model her own career after. She hopes she can give her mentees the same roadmap.
“I remember thinking this could be a path for me,” she said of hospitality leadership. “I spent almost the last three decades working with that goal and vision in mind, allowing myself to learn as much as humanly possible about the business and myself as a leader.”
Their official mentorship may be over now, but Gonzalez and Parsons are as close as ever. Gonzalez recently returned from studying abroad in South Korea and couldn’t wait to meet with Parsons to swap stories and small gifts. She’s also used their relationship as a model for her role as a peer mentor in the LEAD program.
“[Parsons] showed me how to be a good mentor, now that I have a protégé. She showed me how to keep things casual and easygoing, because we’re able to talk about so many more things when we’re not so scared about what the person is going to think about you,” Gonzalez said.
She encourages fellow students to utilize their mentors to the fullest, creating a lasting relationship on both a personal and professional level.
“Take advantage of your mentors,” she said. “They joined the program to help students, so you might as well get as much as you can from it. These are bonds and connections we’re creating, so just be yourself.”