The students visited numerous iconic landmarks, including L’Arc de Triomphe on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
A group of students from Ohio State ventured to Paris earlier this summer for a transformational learning experience in global hospitality, blending hands-on culinary training, cultural immersion and direct engagement with international industry leaders.
The college’s Hospitality Management program coordinated Hospitality, Tourism and Gastronomy in Paris program, open to students in all majors.
“This program is rooted in hospitality and tourism education, but bringing together students from across disciplines created a uniquely enriching learning environment,” said Clinical Assistant Professor Annemarie Turpin.
“When students engage globally through immersive learning, cultural exchange and real-world industry experiences, they’re not just building skills for future careers. They’re developing the empathy, adaptability and global awareness needed to lead in diverse communities and workplaces.”
Students from a variety of majors went on the trip — including Hospitality Management, Dietetics, Social Work, Business, and Education — underscoring the interdisciplinary relevance of hospitality and human connection across fields.
This kind of experiential learning reflects Ohio State’s land-grant mission and its Strategic Plan Framework, Education for Citizenship 2035, which prioritizes affordability, access, global engagement and workforce readiness, Turpin said.
Trip highlights, participant reactions
Just a few of the highlights included:
- a pastry-making lesson at the École Lenôtre Culinary Arts School
- a guided tour of Paris’ most iconic landmarks
- a visit to the Palace of Versailles, about an hour outside Paris
- a visit to Disneyland Paris, exploring how a global brand adapts to local cultures through language and service design
- meetings with industry leaders from hospitality companies, who discussed inclusive hiring practices and making services accessible for all guests
Students said receiving instruction in the fine art of pastry-making from some of the world’s top chefs was eye-opening.
“It gave us an opportunity to be able to see how the French actually prepare their pastries. It gave us a hands-on approach,” said Ricky Quintanilla, a hospitality management major. “We were able to learn at the level that we were at, but there was an expectancy of excellence with our product.”
Edwina Seshie, another hospitality major, said the visit was especially meaningful since baking is a family tradition.
“I had a little knowledge about that because back home my mom was a baker… but I didn’t get to experience baking or helping her do it,” she said. “So when I got over there, I was like, ‘Oh wow, this is really hard.’”
At Sodexo, students learned about career paths across the hospitality industry.
“One of the individuals that gave the presentation was in operations, which is one of my majors,” said Hannaniah Matthews, who is majoring in hospitality management and operations management. “It was nice getting to see what her journey was.”
Students also reflected on cultural differences around dining, service and social norms. For many, the slower, more intentional pace of French hospitality was striking.
“Dinner at La Mère Catherine helped me see how different French dining culture is from what I’m used to,” Matthews wrote in a student journal about the experience. “Everything felt slower, more thoughtful and rooted in quality.”
Seshie noted service in Paris was “not about rushing, but letting people enjoy the moment.”
Hospitality staff’s small gestures, like greeting guests in multiple languages or presenting food artfully, made the students feel respected and included.
Phillipa Davis, who said she had dreamed of visiting Paris since she was 17, described her experience as “like a dream I was living in.” She said French hospitality challenged preconceived notions.
“French hospitality speaks to who they are as a people — respectful, kind and centered in their heritage and culture,” she said.
Traveling abroad was also a bonding experience.
“There’s a lot of value in going as a group, even if we didn’t know each other before,” said Kaleigh Morley, a human nutrition major. “I was there a little bit after the EHE program concluded, and it was a totally different experience by yourself.”
Davis said she appreciated sharing her first international trip with fellow Buckeyes.
“It was a very good experience to have an itinerary of what to do, to have professors who have been there. It was nice to have people that have been abroad already to guide you,” she said. “I think there’s something for different types, different majors. There’s something there for everyone.”
The program, open to students across majors, will return in summer 2026. The only prerequisite is successful completion of CSHSPMG 2600: Introduction to Hospitality, a fully asynchronous, three-credit hour course designed for maximum accessibility.
