Las Vegas Sands and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Announce the Inaugural Sands Hospitality Immersion Program

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Jul 11, 2023, 13:00 ET

Intensive experience in Las Vegas for 12 select Historically Black College and University students July 24-28 aims to create pathways to careers in hospitality and tourism.

LAS VEGAS, July 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) today announced 12 college students will participate in the inaugural Sands Hospitality Immersion Program, July 24-28 in Las Vegas. The intensive experience is designed to encourage interest in travel, tourism and leisure by exposing students to the inner workings of the Las Vegas hospitality industry.

Sands and TMCF, the only national organization exclusively representing the Black college community, established the Sands Hospitality Immersion Program to provide students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with a deep introduction to the travel, tourism and leisure industry and its wide range of professional positions, aiming to inspire them to consider one of the world's fastest-growing and largest employment fields.

The 12 students selected for the exclusive summer program are all rising junior and senior college students at TMCF member schools and were chosen from a pool of candidates who applied through TMCF and were reviewed by Sands. Participants include Ta'Niyah Harris, Bowie State University; Erin Williams, Howard University; Jaida Robinson-Clark, Howard University; Jasmyn Love, Howard University; Joshua Williamson, Howard University; Nathanael Edwards, Langston University; Zay'Kori Jones, Norfolk State University; Brandon Smith, North Carolina A&T State University; Derrick Jacobs, North Carolina A&T State University; Joleen Buchanan, University of the Virgin Islands; Kayla Smith, Virginia State University; and Marquis Bell, Virginia State University.

"As a first-generation college student, my career has always been the light at the end of the tunnel while at Howard University," said Jaida Robinson-Clark, a rising junior at Howard University. "My participation in the Sands Hospitality Immersion is a glimpse into a promising industry where I could pursue my interest and learn about the many opportunities that may lie ahead. Considering how many applied to attend, this excites me, and I am grateful to have been selected."

The multi-day experience curated by the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will feature in-depth seminars, tours of integrated resorts with back-of-house access, visits to other types of hospitality venues, presentations by experts in various disciplines and interactive events such as a cooking competition with professional chefs.

"We are thrilled to partner with Sands on this tremendous immersion opportunity in Las Vegas," said Dr. Harry Williams, president and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund. "Creating these unique experiences for our students is at the core of our mission. The hospitality field is one of the fastest growing in America, and this strategic partnership allows TMCF to provide our talented students with a chance to learn more about the various careers in this important industry."

The travel, tourism and leisure industry continues to experience tremendous job growth and encompasses a wide range of professional positions. Beyond traditional hospitality tracks in hotel operations or restaurant, meetings and venue management, the industry offers career opportunities in finance, marketing, sales, human resources, information technology, legal and other professional service fields.

"I want to thank Sands and Thurgood Marshall College Fund for their critical investment in building a pathway that develops and showcases the talented students who attend HBCUs," said Brandon Smith, a rising senior at North Carolina A&T State. "As I embark on this immersion experience, I look forward to professionally fostering relationships within the industry and absorbing significant insight regarding the trajectory and landscape of the hospitality, tourism and entertainment industry internationally."

The Sands Hospitality Immersion Program was established through the Sands Cares global community engagement program and is one of the company's many education and workforce development initiatives, which include contributions to and partnerships with higher education institutions, funding for scholarship programs, on-property and industry-supported training opportunities for students and hospitality professionals, and mentorship and instruction from company leaders and experts.

"Our goal for this program is twofold: to encourage the best and brightest students in all disciplines to consider hospitality as a career path and to ensure our industry cultivates a diverse and inclusive workforce that provides opportunities for people from all backgrounds and communities," said Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs, who spearheads corporate responsibility initiatives at Sands. "This program is a foundation from which we plan to introduce other unique educational opportunities for HBCU students to experience our global destinations and gain even more perspective into the industry. We look forward to hosting this talented group of students."

About Sands (NYSE: LVS)
Sands is the world's preeminent developer and operator of world-class integrated resorts. Our iconic properties drive valuable leisure and business tourism and deliver significant economic benefits, sustained job creation, financial opportunities for local businesses and community investment to help make our host regions ideal places to live, work and visit.

Sands' portfolio of properties includes Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and The Venetian Macao, The Plaza and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, The Londoner Macao, The Parisian Macao and Sands Macao in Macao SAR, China, through majority ownership in Sands China Ltd.

Sands is dedicated to being a leader in corporate responsibility, anchored by the core tenets of serving people, planet and communities. Our ESG leadership has led to inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for World and North America. To learn more, visit www.sands.com.

About Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation's largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include publicly supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) which enroll over 80% of all students attending HBCUs. TMCF provides access to higher education through scholarships and financial support and prepares HBCU students to succeed in economically sustainable careers. These programs are particularly critical since over 75% of HBCU students are low-income, with 97% relying on financial aid – and over half are the first in their families to attend college. TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: tmcf.org.

SOURCE Las Vegas Sands