Killington Resort & Vermont State University Honor 2026 Resort & Hospitality Management Program Graduates

On Saturday, June 20th, close to 200 family members, Killington Resort employees, and Vermont State University staff gathered at K-1 Lodge to celebrate the achievements of the class of 2026. A total of 17 students received their Bachelor of Science in Resort & Hospitality Management, a unique three-year program that combines in-person classroom study with hands-on work experience across the resort. As part of the program, students complete at least three co-op placements, rotating through different departments while gaining real industry experience. Though this class’s story has unfolded over the past three years, the story of the program itself dates back to its formation 25 years ago.

The Resort & Hospitality Management program was founded back in 2001, the brainchild of former Killington Resort president Allen Wilson and former Green Mountain College president Thomas Benson. After Green Mountain College’s closure in 2019, the program continued on with Castleton University and now Vermont State University, which has housed the program since the university’s launch in 2023.

The program’s ability to continue through multiple university transitions, resort ownership changes, and even a global pandemic is due in large part to the efforts of one man. For the first 23 years of its existence, the Resort & Hospitality Management program was headed up by Frank Pauzé. Outside of his duties as Program Coordinator and Associate Professor, Frank also negotiated the lease for the program’s original lodge space and recruited a number of instructors to teach at Killington’s campus, including our current President & CEO Mike Solimano, who previously taught a course in finance.

Frank retired in 2024 and was celebrated with a surprise party at the Killington Grand Hotel that brought out guests from far and wide, including multiple people from the program’s inaugural graduating class of 2004. As he was an integral part of the first year of schooling for this year’s class, Frank was a guest of honor at last Saturday’s graduation ceremony. Rightfully so, the program’s annual Academic Excellence Award is now named after Frank, a fitting tribute to his 50+ year career in higher education. This year’s award was won by Haleigh Newell-Rentz, currently a volunteer in the Killington Fire Department as well as a Golf Attendant in Killington’s Pro Shop, who sported a sterling 3.9 GPA.

The graduation ceremony was led by Kristel Killary, who took over from Frank as Program Coordinator in 2024 following multiple stints as Killington/Pico’s Communications Manager. The students then heard from Cathy Kozlik, VTSU’s Dean of the School of Business & Professional Studies, as well as Amy Laramie, VP of Marketing & Events at Killington/Pico, who herself graduated from this program in 2009. Amy is one of around 40 graduates who currently work at Killington, many of whom have full-time, year-round positions managing departments like snowmaking, rentals, retail, and more.

The Diane L. Davis Leadership Award & Scholarship was presented next, named after Killington’s longtime Senior VP of Human Resources, who was instrumental in creating the program while herself teaching in it. The award is given each year to a second-year student who “has excelled both academically and professionally through this unique educational partnership.” This year’s winner, Atlas Hayward, was presented the award by Amy Laramie and Simon Graf, last year’s award recipient.

Finally, it was time for the main event. The 17 graduates were called up one-by-one to receive their degrees, with 11 receiving theirs with Cum Laude or higher distinctions. After closing remarks from Kristel Killary, it was time for the graduates to start, or rather, continue their careers. Of the program’s 17 graduates this year, 11 are currently employed at Killington this summer, many already in full-time, year-round positions.

The ceremony was a fitting capstone to a highly productive three years, as the graduating class completed 680 courses while boasting an impressive average GPA of 3.58. Outside the classroom, the students held 59 different job titles during their time in the program, clocking in over 38,000 hours at work in the process and earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages. Perhaps most impressively (depending on who you ask), they also tallied 2,019 cumulative days of skiing & riding.

One of this year’s graduates, Sean McCafferty, who came to this program originally from Pelham, New York, has enjoyed his time living closer to the mountains than to the big city. He completed co-op placements on our Trail Crew and as a Terrain Parks Foreperson and has since taken on a full-time, year-round position at the resort as our Social Media & Content Creator, with a focus on kparks in the winter and on our Bike Park in the summer.

“Going through the RHM program was such a great experience for me,” said Sean. “I met some of my best friends through the last few years of co-ops and classes, and I’m stoked to be able to work in a place where I get to spend so much time being outside and doing what I love.”

Looking ahead, this program looks to be in as good of a position as it has ever been. This fall, the largest incoming class in program history is set to arrive, with 27 new students ready to begin their own three-year journey through classroom learning, co-ops, and real experience all around the resort. As the track record shows, this partnership between Vermont State University and Killington Resort continues to be a valuable career opportunity for many. To learn more about the program or to apply, visit the Resort & Hospitality Management page on our website or head to visit vermontstate.edu.