Madeleine Leones - #MYNSMHSTORY

Meet our 2019-2020 Chapter Liaison, Madi!

Year: Sophomore

Emphasis: Meetings and Events

Hometown: San Diego, CA

My NSMH Love Story

I believe I fell in love with NSMH later than most of my friends. It wasn’t until the last night of the 2019 National Conference in Atlanta, GA. After the gala, the SDSU Chapter huddled together and I got to experience my first senior salute. Hearing the soon-to-be graduates express why they love this organization inspired me to realize how large of an impact NSMH truly has. After all the tears and memories, I fell in love. I’m so excited to enjoy the new adventures NSMH will take me.

My NSMH Journey

I decided to attend the 2018 Western Regional Conference in Denver, CO, when NSMH came to my class and introduced their purpose. I was intrigued by their passion to help students like myself, supporting the advancement of careers. This is when I decided I wanted to do the same for my peers. Aside from all of the fun we had in Denver, I earned the opportunity to practice my elevator pitch to professionals and began stepping out of my comfort zone. This led to the next conference, Nationals, in Atlanta, GA. During those few days, I networked with potential employers, met friends from different states, and had my first formal industry interview. A few of my goals for this upcoming year is to attend more general and community service events. Now, serving on the board, I’m excited to brainstorm new ideas to recruit others, develop leaders, and grow in personal and professional ways.

Educational Background

During my senior year of high school, I took a hospitality course but I wasn’t sure what to expect. Little did I know, I was walking into the class that would set my career goals. In 2018, I attended a conference in Downtown, San Diego where different hospitality classes from local high schools were able to tour hotels and restaurants in the area. I learned so much about the hospitality industry that day and I told myself, “This is what I want to do.” A year later, I was offered my first internship with Residence Inn by Marriott as an Operations Intern, where I gained hands-on experience within the hotel. I plan on advancing in the industry by taking on more internships and eventually working my way into the events side of the industry.

FUN FACT!

Before Regionals, I'd never been to another state outside of California and Nevada. Today, one of my goals is to visit all 50 states. Also, I want to see Europe, specifically Amsterdam, Greece, and Switzerland.