Dining Services helps students hone management skills

Dining-Services

By Isabella Nicosia

PULLMAN, WASH. – Students in any area of study can gain supervisory and leadership experience through the semester-long student manager in training (SMIT) program at Washington State University Dining Services.

“SMIT set me up for a career in management,” said Jacqui Lacroix, associate manager for Dining Services who participated in SMIT as a student. She said it is good training for students who want to “get into management in their respective fields.”

Environmental science major Karman Bean said she tends to prefer leadership roles, so the program seemed like a good fit. SMIT has taught her to work with other people’s management styles and to think on her feet.

Catering manager Gary Thoren described the student managers as upper management’s “right hand-man.”

“I look for people who are calm,” he said. “I need to know that if I’m not there and something happens, they can stay calm under pressure.”

Qualifications for SMIT vary by location, but overall the program seeks students who stay on top of academic work, have dining center experience and can work under pressure. Student managers typically average 25 hours per week, including mandatory classes.

For more information about WSU Dining Services, visit http://dining.wsu.edu.