AKWESASNE -- Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort recently welcomed students from Paul Smith's College as part of a course on field studies in hospitality.

The overnight visit, held Feb. 4, included a property tour and a meeting with casino management.

In December Kelly Cerialo, assistant professor of hospitality at Paul Smith's, approached the casino about participating in the field studies course, which works with local businesses on short-term management projects.

The upper division course has a class size of 11 students, who will propose marketing projects for the newly added Sweetgrass Spa and Hotel Banquet center. Both of these projects will be presented to casino management by the students.

Sheila King, director of organizational and tribal development, said "it's a good opportunity for us to share what [AMCR] has accomplished with a reputable college such as Paul Smith's, and it gives students a working knowledge of how they will apply academics to a business setting."

"The students are still buzzing about the site visit and are excited to start working on the spa project. Many of them have never had the opportunity to stay at a property of that caliber, so the overnight stay was certainly a treat, but it was also a wonderful educational experience for them as well," said Cerialo