Mornings of Motivation with Bridget Bilinski

Mornings of Motivation is a time to get inspired, a time to pause the busyness of life and reflect on the true meaning of what grinds our gears. The Southern California Area VP of Marriott International, Bridget Bilinski ('79, hotel and restaurant management) encouraged a group of students to find their inspiration and cast a vision of their future. Throughout the meeting the Board of Advisor member urged the importance of reflection; suits and ties were peeled back to unscale the meaning that lays behind the hustle of being a student and making impactful career choices.

In one of the workshops, students randomly selected a Disney character. Then, Bilinski challenged students to analyze that character and what they shared in common with that individual. This exercise was much more powerful than the participants anticipated. Students began to connect significant traits about themselves, other people in the room and potential employers. The room saw raw emotion, as students championed each other in the traits and qualities they saw in them.

"It was such a valuable and important experience because I learned different ways you can talk about your character traits in ways I didn’t know before," Patrick Su said. Su is a student ambassador for The Collins College of Hospitality and Management. "My biggest takeaway from this event is that there are creative ways to find out how you can talk about yourself. The skills I learned today will only help me in future interviews, networking events and making a lasting first impression."

Bilinski also explained to students that seeking discomfort is a tool that can develop an individual into a confident, powerful and unstoppable leader. The Collins College of Hospitality and Management is in the business of shaping leaders, and seeking discomfort allows leaders to fine-tune their responsibility. Bilinski reminded students that The Collins College of Hospitality and Management shapes managers who understand a perspective and can grow from it.

Devon Lilley, a student ambassador to The Collins College of Hospitality Management said, "I would advise other students to go to mornings of Motivation because it is a smaller, intimate event with one of our influential board of advisor members. I got to see Bridget on a human level, and that was impactful because I see our Board of Advisors as these untouchable gods. By having the opportunity to talk to Bridget, they seem more approachable, and thus more plausible that we can follow in their footsteps and become influential members in the industry."