Each academic year, members of the Eta Sigma Delta Hospitality and Tourism Honor Society take on a defining challenge: to plan and execute a fully realized event from concept to completion as part of their commitment to ESD.
Eta Sigma Delta (ESD) is the only international honor society specifically for hospitality and tourism management students, designed to recognize outstanding academic achievement, professionalism, and service.
“Being able to design and orchestrate the induction ceremony allowed ESD to deepen the honors society’s portfolio, along with the students’ experiences within the organization,” said Molly Sawyer ’26, ESD Senior President. “Thoughtful and impactful event design and planning, such as this event, continues to serve as a reminder of why these students enjoy their work and what it means to exhibit traits of hospitality.”
This semester, ESD Gulls partnered with Gary Comeau, Associate Director in the Division of Professional Studies and Chapter President of the SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society, to create a meaningful induction ceremony honoring Endicott’s student veterans.
Students led every aspect of the event from start to finish—coordinating vendors, building the experience from the ground up, including timing, preparation, menu design, floor plan, décor, invitations, and execution—and even welcoming a local Vietnam Veterans group as attendees.
At Endicott, there are currently 92 military-affiliated students across doctoral, graduate, Van Loan Professional Studies, and traditional undergraduate programs. This year, nine students were inducted into SALUTE.
SALUTE is the first national academic honor society established for student veterans and active-duty military at two- and four-year colleges and universities.
“It was wonderful for Endicott College to formally recognize the impact and academic achievements of student veterans. Our campus has enjoyed a military-affiliated student base for as long as I can remember. As a Double Gull and student veteran, this ceremony and the support from Eta Sigma Delta, the Misselwood Events Team, and the leadership of the college made this event an extremely memorable one!” said Comeau.
For Endicott’s student veterans, the ceremony was more than an induction. It was a moment of recognition for their commitment to both service and education, and a reflection of the strong support system they have found within the campus community.
“As the Endicott College Chapter Advisor, I am incredibly proud of our Eta Sigma Delta Hospitality and Tourism Honor Society students. Their exceptional attention to detail, professionalism, collaboration, and commitment to service were evident throughout the event,” said Kayla Richards, Operations Coordinator for La Chanterelle. “They created a meaningful and memorable experience for our student veterans being inducted, reflecting the very best of our community.”