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Hospitality 101 on Marco Island

Sam Lietzke and Ben Batcher watch as a kitchen worker Antonio Duran prepares to make pizza with fresh dough.

Sam Lietzke and Ben Batcher watch as a kitchen worker Antonio Duran prepares to make pizza with fresh dough.

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  • Cassandra Ramirez and Kiera Ludwigsen stop for a fresh baked cookie break with tour leader and Director of Restaurants Youssef Oualidi and the hotel's pastry chef Todd Champagne.
  • Sam Lietzke samples a pastry along with students (from left) Colby Jones, Patrick Silveri and Blake Barrett.
  • Yousef Oualidi details aspects of the Kurrents restaurant to Jane Watt, MIA chair, teacher Kelly Monnott and students Patrick Silveri, Matt Jessen, Cassandra Ramirez; Ben Batcher, Blake Barrett, John Olszak and Kiera Ludwigsen.
  • Sam Lietzke and Ben Batcher watch as a kitchen worker Antonio Duran prepares to make pizza with fresh dough.
  • Nick Dotson, Ian Van Cleef, Sam Lietzke and Colby Jones try out the bar stools reserved for VIP guests at Kurrents, Marco Marriott Hotel Resort's fine dining outlet. Jean Amodea/Eagle Correspondent
  • Nick Dotson,Oscar Alvarez, Cassandra Ramirez and Kiera Ludwigsen visit kitchen worker Humberto Ventura in the expansive back of house kitchen that handles all in-house dining orders.
  • Marco Marriott Resort & Spa Resident Manager Michael Tighe, General Manager Rick Medwedeff and Director of Restaurants Youssef Oualidi join students at the completion of their tour as they relax with a snack.
  • Sophomore Matt Jessen views a pan of pizza dough in preparation for baking. Jean Amodea/Eagle Correspondent
  • Patrick Silveri and Ben Batcher end the tour with a bagged snack delivered by Tropiks restaurant server Eloy Lora. Jean Amodea/Eagle Correspondent
  • Jean Amodea/Eagle Correspondent (7) MIA students at the Marco Island Marriott Resort, from left, back row: Teacher Kelly Monnot, Cassandra Ramirez, Oscar Alvarez, Nick Dotson, Ian Van Cleef, Patrick Silveri, Blake Barrett and Ben Batcher; front row: Kiera Ludwigsen, John Olszak, Sam Lietzke, Colby Jones and Matt Jessen.

Upper class students at Marco Island Academy (MIA) are getting a taste of the industry that plays a major part in the area's labor and work force through the new "Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism" course.
Last week during the first of a half dozen tours held at the Marco Island Marriott Resort and Spa (Resort), students learned about aspects of front and back of house operations of the hotel's eight food and beverage outlets including in-house dining.

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