On February 22, the Hospitality Scholars Foundation honored Dr. Brian Hill Assistant Professor of Hospitality Management at the Graham School of Management.
“The recognition was given to me because of my commitment and service to Celebrating Black Excellence in Culinary Arts & Hospitality,” explains Hill.
According to Hill, he wants to inspire students here in Chicago, but he has a bigger goal.
He wants South Side students to see Saint Xavier as an institution that helps them meet their goals.
Samantha Barrera, an SXU Psychology and Hospitality major said, “He has really made me see hospitality management in a new light. He treats us as professionals versus students and gives us so much respect. He’s honestly the first professor that I have had that actually cares more about what we can utilize outside of the class.”
“My passion for teaching Chicago’s youth and helping minority youths go in the hospitality and food service industry has given me life satisfaction. Not only does it help me, but I am making a difference to students’ life,” according to Hill.
Hill continues, “We have a lot of first-generation students here in SXU, and express that they are the first ones in their family to go to college. I want to see the success. I don’t just want to see them with a big student loan bill. I want to see them open businesses and getting professional certifications.”
So far, Hill has provided career education in Chicago yielding over 15,000 nationally recognized certifications to high schools and college students.
Over 2,000 of these certifications have been accomplished by Chicago Public School students in 18 career academies.
Hill’s contribution to Chicago’s hospitality industry has been life-changing for many of his Saint Xavier students.
Barrera continues, “His passion to want us to enter the hospitality industry and teach us aspects outside of the ordinary course outline makes him stand out in the hospitality field of professors. Being in his class for only eight weeks, we have already obtained two certifications and that just goes to prove how effective a leader and professor he is.”
“There is no such thing as school; it is a business. Your book bag is a briefcase, and you have a job. That job is to gain as much information during your business meetings as you possibly can to have the life that you desire and deserve. It is about how bad you want it?” emphasized Hill.
Hill begin his career in New York City by attending culinary school and earned his four-year degree in Hospitality.
He moved to Chicago where he became a restaurant manager before moving to healthcare food service then college food service.
After earning his Master’s and PhD., he soon realized all these factors were not enough to be successful in the Hospitality industry.
“Despite doing things the right way, getting all the education, and a lot of certifications, there weren’t a lot of employment opportunities for advancement. I got upset one day, I took fifty-dollars and started my own Company. ‘Hill Food Service Consulting’,” Hill states.
After this big step, Hill became a professor.
“After working with several agencies, I decided to have a greater impact, and a way to have a greater impact is to have some type of strike at the game, when you can do some things without having to ask for permission, like providing professional certifications for people, getting on boards, and creating your own business. Through my teaching, I can help minority students succeed, they need to see the evidence,” said Hill.
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