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Students Know Customer Service

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 6, 2008

FOREST HILLS - Chamberlain students Danielle Gray and Katrina McNeal knew so much about customer service that it earned them national honors.

The two won gold medals in the hospitality competition during the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America national meeting last month. Gray and McNeal had the highest possible ratings, with perfect scores on each of three scoring sheets in their portfolio.

They won regional and state competitions to qualify for the national event, held July 13 to 17 in Orlando.
McNeal will be a senior when classes resume. Gray graduated in May and is enrolled at the University of South Florida but returned to keep the two-member hospitality team together. Both had enrolled in Chamberlain's culinary operations academy and joined their school's FCCLA club, which requires extracurricular work but relies on students' experience and knowledge gained during classes.

They prepared a presentation on a topic they chose, assembling statistics, interviews and other research on customer service. McNeal said they looked at it from the perspective of people who work in the hospitality industry, and they created pamphlets with their recommendations.

Judges reviewed their portfolios and then gave them a case study of a customer service dilemma and asked how they would respond. McNeal said they also made a point to develop a rapport with the judges.

"It's hospitality," McNeal said. "We want to be hospitable."

Their culinary teacher, Erik Youngs, said preparing for FCCLA brought out their best qualities. Both are self-motivated overachievers. McNeal had knowledge and skills but had to build her self-esteem so she was comfortable communicating the information. Gray had confidence and drive but needed help applying it to competition.

They did a lot of work to assemble their portfolio, Youngs said, and continued to tweak it before the national meeting.

"They're the epitome of what every student should be," Youngs said.

He also praised the school's parliamentary procedures team, which brought home a silver medal. The students had to conduct a mock business meeting following proper parliamentary procedures and an agenda.

Hospitality and parliamentary procedures are two of the "Students Taking Action with Recognition," or STAR, events that take place annually during FCCLA's national meeting. Events test teams or individuals on knowledge, research and leadership in categories that include fashion design, early childhood development and financial planning, as well as other topics.

CHAMBERLAIN WINNERS

Students in Chamberlain's Family, Career and Community Leaders of America won gold and silver medals in events held during the FCCLA national meeting in Orlando last month.

Danielle Gray and Katrina McNeal earned gold medals and perfect scores in hospitality.

A six-member parliamentary procedures team won a silver medal in its category. Those students are Nick Englert, Olivia Febus, Hector Ortiz, Sabrina Pingle, Amanda Reardon and Brittany Yabczanka.

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (813) 865-1503 or cpastor@tampatrib.com.

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