Festival gives WCU students experience in hospitality industry
For Carroll Brown, an associate professor in the hospitality and tourism program at Western Carolina University, there’s nothing like taking her classroom to the streets. For the past five years, she and her students have helped decorate the town for Dillsboro’s Lights and Luminaries Festival.
“There’s no better teacher than experience,” said Elizabeth Kilmer, a junior from Concord majoring in hospitality and tourism and marketing. “Taking part in setting up the Lights and Luminaries festival taught me more than any textbook could have. Helping out Dillsboro when they needed a few extra hands was so rewarding.”
The students aren’t the only ones who benefit from the experience. “Having the students help out during our Lights and Luminaries festival has been a great blessing for the town of Dillsboro,” said Susan Leveille, co-owner of Dillsboro business Oaks Gallery.
