Kirsten Burke was a 2022 IFMA Education Foundation scholarship recipient. She attended Purdue and studied Hospitality & Tourism Management.
Kirsten's story:
I am a double major at Purdue in Hospitality & Tourism Management as well as Public Relations and Strategic Communication.
I decided to major in Hospitality because I have always loved working with others. After working as a hostess in a restaurant, I knew I wanted to go into foodservice. I added Public Relations as my second major because I knew the skills I would learn would help me with marketing restaurants in the future.
As I continue to learn more about the foodservice industry and gain new skills, I am more confident that I will obtain my goal of owning my own restaurant someday. This scholarship will help me stay on track to achieve my goals.
How the scholarship will help Kirsten, in her own words:
As a first-generation college student, going to a prestigious institution like Purdue seemed out of reach to me. My dad has worked in construction my whole life and instilled the importance of education in me from a young age.
In my last three years at Purdue, I have been grateful for my opportunity to receive an education, but I was always worried about how to pay for my expenses. I didn’t want to graduate with a lot of debt, so I have always worked 20-30 hours a week on top of my coursework. This has limited my opportunities for involvement in extracurricular activities in previous years.
With this scholarship, I will be able to scale back my hours at work and join new clubs that I have not been able to prioritize in years past. This will help me gain the whole college experience in my last year at Purdue and I will forever be appreciative of this.
Kirsten's program: Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management
About The IFMA Education Foundation
The IFMA Education Foundation promotes the next generation of foodservice leaders. The Foundation is committed to giving qualified culinary, marketing or food science students support to complete their education requirements. We accomplish our goal by providing scholarships, publications, educational programs, internships, and stipends to accredited institutions and individuals enrolled in them.
Support the IFMA Education Foundation and the future of foodservice.