Five of South Florida’s brightest and most promising hospitality students are getting the opportunity to pursue their dream of launching a career in hospitality management with an $80,000 scholarship from Carnival Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Carnival Corporation. The Carnival Gold Scholars program, which is in its second year, awards full-tuition scholarships, including room and board, to five students who have demonstrated excellence in hospitality management through programs, competitions and industry-specific internships, such as the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT) and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). "We are extremely proud of our five new Carnival Gold Scholars and all of their accomplishments that contributed to their earning this honor," said Linda Coll, executive director of Carnival Foundation. "Congratulations to the students, and we look forward to seeing what their bright futures hold." Among them is 18-year-old Deborah Daniela Sanchez. Sanchez, like many FIU students, is the first in her family to attend college in the United States, after her parents moved here from Venezuela in the pursuit of a better future. During high school, Sanchez placed second in the state of Florida during DECA's Career Development State Conference as a co-author of a 30-page manual on operations research. "This scholarship will allow me to receive the best hospitality management education possible," Sanchez said. "I am very grateful to Carnival Foundation for investing in me and my academic development. I am now able to dedicate myself completely to my studies, fully develop my professional skills and hopefully contribute to the industry." In addition to Sanchez, Destinee Marie Gutierrez, Heissel Veronica Mayorga, Dalila Delisle Pineda, and John Joseph Simpson also were selected to become Carnival Gold Scholars. Carnival Corporation is one of South Florida's largest [...]