A record 21 WVU students are participating in summer internships at Nemacolin, representing nearly two-thirds of the resort’s intern class and highlighting the continued growth of the partnership between the University and the nationally recognized destination. (WVU Photo/Jennifer Shephard)
A record number of West Virginia University students are spending the summer at Nemacolin in southwestern Pennsylvania, gaining firsthand experience at the nationally recognized luxury resort through a partnership that is preparing future hospitality leaders with immersive, real-world learning opportunities.
The 21 interns represent nearly two-thirds of Nemacolin’s 33-member summer intern class, continuing a partnership that has tripled the number of WVU interns at the resort since 2022. The collaboration between the WVU Hardy Family Hospitality and Tourism Management Program and Nemacolin combines classroom instruction with executive mentorship, experiential learning, and internships that prepare students for careers across the hospitality industry.
“The growth tells me that both WVU and Nemacolin are doing a great job promoting the incredible opportunities available through this partnership,” said Frank DeMarco, director of the Hardy Family Hospitality and Tourism Management Program.
“Students recognize that Nemacolin offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience to learn and work at one of the world’s premier luxury resorts. As more students hear directly from past interns about the professional growth, mentorship, and hands-on learning they experience, interest continues to grow. It’s exciting to see students seeking opportunities that will challenge them, develop their leadership skills, and prepare them for successful careers in hospitality and tourism.”
Throughout the summer, WVU students are working across departments from hospitality and tourism management to industrial engineering and animal sciences, gaining experience alongside professionals working within the industry while contributing to day-to-day operations.
Unlike a traditional internship, students also interact with executive leaders, participate in immersive learning experiences, and gain exposure to the leadership, service standards, and operational excellence that define luxury hospitality.
For Elkins native Bradan Andrews, a rising senior and hospitality and tourism management major in the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics, the internship has reshaped the career path he envisioned when he first arrived at WVU.
Entering college, Andrews, who also serves as a Nemacolin Ambassador in the Nemacolin Hospitality Innovation and Technology Lab, planned to pursue a career in hotel operations. But after spending the summer supporting the resort’s entertainment efforts, he discovered interests he hadn’t considered before.
“I’ve been having to reroute the way I think,” Andrews said. “For all of college, my plan has been the same — hotels, but the entertainment internship has changed my thinking. My mind is the most open it’s ever been to all the different opportunities out there.”
Working independently for much of the week, Andrews coordinates poolside activities ranging from children’s games to trivia and bingo, often making quick decisions without detailed instructions. He said the experience has helped him develop confidence, adaptability, and leadership skills while giving him a clearer picture of where his talents fit best.
“The internship helped me find my voice and see my strengths more clearly,” he said. “I feel like they might just cater more toward the entertainment realm and that’s exciting to me. The biggest lesson I’ve learned through this experience is kind of cliché: Don’t be scared to fail because you learn more from your failures than your success. Don’t be scared to branch out and try other things. And don’t be scared to not be set in your ways.”
Like Andrews, Gretchen Nichols found her way to Nemacolin by following an unexpected path. The Fredericksburg, Virginia, native graduated from the WVU Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in May with a degree in earth and environmental science, but it was a hospitality and tourism course during her senior year that shifted her perspective. Guest speakers introduced her to careers she had never considered, and when the opportunity arose to shadow a recreation leader at the renowned resort, she decided to take a chance.
“I really wanted to branch out into hospitality and outdoor recreation,” Nichols said. “I’ve always loved environmental science and ecotourism, but this internship showed me what outdoor recreation looks like on a much larger scale. Seeing the management side of it through hospitality has been incredible.
The internship expanded Nichols’ career ambitions. Already a whitewater rafting guide in Ohiopyle State Park, she said she now hopes to lead outdoor recreation programs around the world while exploring how destinations connect people with nature. She said the experience at Nemacolin has fundamentally broadened her vision of what’s possible.
“I never thought this kind of career would be available to me,” she said. “This experience really has opened my eyes to a whole different set of opportunities.”
For Paden City native Bryson Stackpole, a senior animal and nutritional sciences major in the WVU Davis College, the internship has reinforced his decision to pursue veterinary medicine. After hearing about the opportunity during a class presentation, he applied the same day, encouraged by the chance to work with a wide variety of animals at the Nemacolin Woodlands Wildlife Center and learn from experienced professionals.
Stackpole said former interns told him six students who earned letters of recommendation through the program had all been accepted to veterinary school, a track record he finds encouraging as he applies to programs around the country.
Beyond strengthening his application, the internship has confirmed that he’s on the right career path. He said he was surprised by both the diversity of animals he has worked with and the willingness of faculty and staff to teach students. After recently shadowing the veterinary chief of staff, he said the experience left him even more confident that veterinary medicine is the right fit.
Together, the students’ experiences illustrate how classroom learning translates into professional practice, from delivering exceptional guest experiences to collaborating with colleagues across a complex hospitality operation that relies on expertise from disciplines across the University.
The internships are one component of a broader partnership between WVU and Nemacolin that extends throughout the academic year. Resort leaders serve as guest speakers, mentor students, participate in career fairs, and host on-site learning experiences, while students also gain hands-on experience through the Nemacolin Lab, working with industry partners to solve real-world business challenges.
Since 2022, nearly 28% of interns have accepted full- or part-time positions with the resort after completing their internships, demonstrating the partnership’s role in preparing students for careers in hospitality.
“The pipeline between the resort and WVU right in our backyard is an absolute no-brainer,” said Cheyenne Hoover, Nemacolin’s university relations recruiting partner.
“We’ve been able to meet so many students, coming from so many different backgrounds, and bringing so many different skill sets. It’s been remarkable to watch this partnership figure out ways to innovatively utilize these interns, provide a tremendous experiential learning opportunity, and simultaneously build a pipeline that could turn into full-time opportunities.”
Meridith Balas, Hardy Family Engagement and Innovation professor and director of the Nemacolin Hospitality Lab, said she believes the partnership showcases what’s possible when higher education and industry work together.
“Our students are creating real value across disciplines — from wildlife and recreation to lodging, golf, and hospitality — while helping strengthen the tourism ecosystem that drives economic opportunity throughout our region.”
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hlt/8/5/26
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