Visit Austin Foundation Scholarships

Heart of Hospitality Award & Scholarship

The Visit Austin Foundation offers funding to support students pursuing tourism-related degrees at local institutions of higher learning; residents of all ages currently working in the hospitality and tourism industry wanting to advance their career through certification, continuing education or other professional development; and, organizations providing valuable workforce development in Austin’s hospitality and tourism sector.

Congratulations to our previous Heart of Hospitality Award & Scholarship Recipients:

2024 - Victor Fioreze & James Randall
2023 - Nicholas Pattillo & Mackenzie Yandell
2022 - Joshalyn Walker
2021 - Samantha Anderson & Paxton Knies
2020 - Evan Bruesehoff

Professional men and women standing on a large stage with giant checks signifying a scholarship award.
2024 Heart of Hospitality Scholarship Recipients. Credit Kayla Prasek.

HEART OF HOSPITALITY AWARD AND SCHOLARSHIP

Front-line hospitality employees are the heart and soul of the hospitality and tourism industry. If you receive or witness outstanding customer service from a current member of the Austin hospitality industry and would like to recognize them and nominate them for a Visit Austin Foundation career development scholarship, please complete the following information.

Criteria for nominations (please provide examples of each of the following):

Outstanding customer service - exceeding customer expectations
Positive attitude
Initiative – goes above and beyond regular job responsibilities to enhance the customer experience

Eligibility for nomination:

Currently employed in the hospitality industry
Interested in advancing their career in the hospitality industry through certification, continuing education or other professional development *(can be verified during review process if unavailable during nomination)
Self-nominations will not be accepted

Procedure:
Please check back in Spring 2025 for the next round of scholarship nominations.

Testimonials

Victor Fioreze, 2024 Heart of Hospitality Award Recipient

"I'm honored to receive the Heart of Hospitality Award & Scholarship...This recognition reflects my commitment to creating memorable guest experiences and strengthening our community through hospitality. This scholarship is a meaningful step forward in my career. I'm grateful for this support as I work toward making an even bigger impact in our community.

James Randall, 2024 Heart of Hospitality Award Recipient

"I am incredibly honored to be the recipient of the 2024 Heart of Hospitality Award & Scholarship from the Visit Austin Foundation. This recognition means so much to me as I continue to grow within the hospitality and events industry. The scholarship will directly support my pursuit of the Certified Venue Professional (CVP) certification, an essential step toward my goal of becoming a Certified Venue Executive (CVE). This award…serves as a driving force to enhance my skills and contribute even more to the vibrant Austin hospitality community. I am deeply thankful to Visit Austin for believing in my potential and providing me with the opportunity to advance my career..."

Mackenzie Yandell, 2023 Heart of Hospitality Award & Scholarship Recipient

"The Austin Heart of Hospitality scholarship holds special significance as it provides a tangible means to advance my skills and knowledge in the hospitality industry. I'm excited to share that I plan to use the scholarship to pursue my Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) certification, a key milestone in my career journey...I look forward to sharing my progress and experiences. Once again, thank you for this incredible opportunity. I am eager to make the most of it and pay it back by contributing to the vibrant hospitality community in Austin."

Paxton Knies, 2021 Heart of Hospitality Award & Scholarship Recipient

“The Austin Heart of Hospitality scholarship is one of my proudest achievements of my career thus far...I was ecstatic and so thankful that an organization such as this would recognize me as being someone worthy of such an incredible opportunity. I will use the scholarship to help finish my degree in Hospitality Management and use the experience to help my mentees in the future. I could not be more grateful to the Visit Austin Foundation and will always cherish this achievement. “

Evan Bruesehoff, 2020 Heart of Hospitality Award & Scholarship Recipient

"I used the Heart of Hospitality Scholarship to help me return to Northern Arizona University to pursue my Masters of Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Project Management...I look forward to building a team that embraces diversity and uses it as an advantage to move our organization forward. Thank you, Visit Austin Foundation, for the scholarship; I am very grateful for the opportunities it has provided me."