Student Speak

Fall 2007

Name: Kaylee Crane
Class: First-year hotel, restaurant, and tourism management student, College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management
Background: Native of Scituate, Mass., graduate of Wando High School, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

You were selected by the S.C. Tourism and Hospitality Educational Foundation to be captured on video throughout your four-year Carolina experience for a special Web site (www.goprostart.com) and pod cast to help communicate with ProStart students about the importance of ProStart and getting a college education. What is ProStart? ProStart is a program that helps high school students find out if they want to pursue a career in the restaurant industry by having them accumulate 400 hours of part-time hospitality industry work while they're still in school. I had a restaurant job in Scituate, Mass., and after I moved to Mt. Pleasant in my junior year I was introduced to the program. I took part in a sustainable seafood competition in Charleston that won first-place honors, which led to my getting a spot on the school's ProStart Culinary Team. The team won the state competition and went on to compete with me as captain in the national competition in Charlotte. The experience enabled us to meet a lot of great people from all over the world.

How do you feel about being recorded like this throughout your collegiate experience? Its been nerve-racking at times, but overall, it hasn't been too bad because I've been meeting new people and have friends who think it's fun, too. I'm trying to think of it as a learning experience at being successful and having fun at the same time.

What kinds of experiences have they taped so far? An HRTM class, moving-in day, and some dorm life. We're now in the process of trying to figure out what else I should incorporate in my podcasts.

Did ProStart lead you to the decision to enroll at Carolina's College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management? Yes, definitely. It's one of the main reasons I chose the college.

What are your career aspirations after college? I would love to open my own hotel and restaurant. But I understand that I have to start from the bottom up and keep working, but I'll get there one day.

You're known in your residence hall for baking goodies for your fellow students. One specialty of the week is pumpkin spice cake cupcakes with cream cheese icing. Tell us about this. I just thought I'd make them for my dorm and see what happened. They came out great. I think we'll also start having somebody cook dinner for another suite or person in the dorm after picking numbers. It should be fun.

You must be one of the most popular people in the dorm. Well, they definitely love the cooking. I don't really think they care who cooks it as long as they get it.

Have you gotten any comments? Five people came in while I was baking and asked me what I was cooking and when I was going to be done. Another girl in the dorm also likes to cook so we're planning to collaborate.

How is the University working out for you so far? I haven't had a bored moment yet. I love it here. Everywhere I go I meet a Carolina fan. No matter what you do, you always find somebody that loves Carolina, has been to Carolina, or knows people that are here.

10/07