LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands announced it has partnered with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) to award 13 students at HACU-member schools with Sands Hospitality Advancement Scholarships in support of their preparation for careers in the travel, tourism and leisure industry.
Students receiving the $5,000 and $2,500 scholarships attend University of Nevada, Las Vegas (3 recipients); College of Southern Nevada (2 recipients); University of North Texas (5 recipients); and Dallas College (1 recipient).
“HACU is excited to partner with Las Vegas Sands in this scholarship supporting students who are working towards a career in the hospitality industry,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “Our nation’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions have always been conduits for talent to all industries and these scholarships provide financial assistance to students who show promise and commitment to their future success.”
Sands established the Sands Hospitality Advancement Scholarships with HACU, the only national association representing Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs), as part of the company’s commitment to building a thriving hospitality industry workforce.
One of a Number of Initiatives
“We want to help cultivate diverse and highly capable talent to support the strength of our industry,” Ron Reese, Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Corporate Affairs, who spearheads corporate responsibility initiatives at Sands, said. “This program joins a number of initiatives we have to help ensure the hospitality industry can best capitalize on its continued growth with a solid pipeline of future talent, while empowering people from different backgrounds to enter the field.”
Sands’ broad array of hospitality education initiatives include the Sands Hospitality Immersion Program with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the Sands Hospitality Scholarship Program in Singapore, underwriting for the 2024 University of North Texas Las Vegas Study Tour, other scholarship funding and partnerships with higher education institutions, on-property and industry-supported training opportunities for students and hospitality professionals, and mentorship and instruction from company leaders.
The company’s focus on hospitality education is a core component of its 2021-2025 ambition to invest $200 million in workforce development. At the end of 2023, Sands had contributed $181 million toward achieving this target.
Funding for the Sands Hospitality Advancement Scholarships comes through the Sands Cares global community engagement program. To learn more about Sands Cares and Sands’ focus on developing the workforce of the future in the hospitality industry, read the company’s latest ESG report: https://www.sands.com/resources/reports/. To learn more about Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, visit https://www.hacu.net/hacu/default.asp.
