Six Flags Friends Awards $26,000 Scholarship to First Six Flags Apprentice

New York, NY, Six Flags, Inc., announced that Six Flags Friends, the company’s philanthropic arm, has selected Alison Hoyt, a Cornell University freshman, as the first recipient of the Six Flags Friends Apprenticeship. This unique educational program combines a traditional merit-based scholarship with hands-on learning to supplement the student’s academic courses.

Hoyt is an honors student at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. As part of this elite program, Six Flags will relocate her to Six Flags New England, in Agawam, Massachusetts – the park of her choice – where she will spend the 2009 summer season engaged in all aspects of the park’s operations. Upon completion of the three-month program, Hoyt will receive a scholarship equivalent to one semester’s full tuition, valued at $26,000, to be used toward obtaining her degree at Cornell.

“By furthering the educational advancement of Cornell students like Alison, we are investing in the future of the hospitality industry,” said Jessica King, Director of Six Flags Friends. “This program offers a multidisciplinary edge for students – delivering experiential learning both in the field and in the board room.”

“I am thrilled to have been chosen as the first recipient of the Six Flags Friends Apprenticeship, especially as a freshman,” said Hoyt, a native of New Hampshire who grew up working at her family’s four-season vacation resort. “This is a true privilege and the scholarship is a wonderful bonus. I’m looking forward to putting my classroom skills to work in the day-to-day operations at the park.”

The Six Flags Friends Apprenticeship program proved to be exceptionally competitive, garnering wide-spread interest from Cornell University students. The opportunity was open to all freshmen, sophomores and juniors working toward a degree in hospitality management at the university. Six Flags executives, in partnership with a selection committee of esteemed Cornell University faculty, carefully screened all applications before conducting finalist interviews with top candidates.

For more information about Six Flags Friends and upcoming events and programs, log on to www.sixflags.com/friends.

About The Center for Hospitality Research
A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of the center's 77 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. To learn more about the center and its projects, visit www.chr.cornell.edu.

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