My name is Stephen Hager and I am a non-traditional senior in the Food & Beverage track in Hospitality Management. I am married to my wonderful wife, Elli Hager, who is currently an academic advisor for open option students in the Arts & Sciences department. I recently just turned 30, so it’s never too late to go back to school to follow your dreams!
I sort of fell into the hospitality department after leaving the Air Force when I started working at a bar in a small Kansas town. I worked my way through all the positions, and fell in love with the industry. I worked my way up to management in that bar, then transferred to managing an Arby’s for three years. I knew that to take my career in the direction I wanted, I would need to go back to school.
I am graduating this December. In my first semester I was undecided, splitting my classes between the Entrepreneurship degree and the Hospitality Management Degree. I immediately formed the opinion that the Hospitality Management program would be the better choice to help me achieve my eventual goal of opening my own restaurant, bar, and arcade.
In my time at Kansas State I have served as the Vice President of Eta Sigma Delta, and I have also served as the Treasurer for the Hospitality Management Club. I would recommend to any other students to get involved. These two clubs have opened doors that would otherwise have been closed, including going to the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.
In the future, I hope to open my own concept, but in the more immediate future I’m looking to stay in Manhattan, filling a lead position in a local restaurant.