To encourage and support interest, training, and education in the hospitality services industry.
NEIRA Educational Foundation
Mission: To encourage and support interest, training, and education in the hospitality services industry by making grants to tax-exempt organizations so that such organizations may provide educational programs to those interested or training in the hospitality services industry or to provide financial assistance in the form of scholarships to students accepted at tax-exempt institutes of higher education and enrolled in a hospitality, tourism, or similar program. Each scholarship will have its own criteria for applying and awarding of funds.
About The Rolf T. Hammer Scholarship Fund
The Rolf T. Hammer Scholarship is awarded annually to a New England student (any age) pursuing a career in the lodging or hospitality field. Applicants may be graduates of accredited high schools, high school students, or post secondary students,. Rolf T. Hammer passed away on March 17, 2013. Rolf was a retired innkeeper, who owned and operated The Homestead Inn in New Milford, CT for 18 years. He was a past president of NEIRA and a Life Member. In 28 years of membership with NEIRA, Rolf never missed an Annual, Spring or Board of Directors meeting. The NEIRA Board of Directors is honoring his dedication to NEIRA and the hospitality industry with a scholarship in his name.
Past Recipients of the Rolf T. Hammer Scholarship can be found below.
|
Year |
Recipient |
|
2014 |
Garrison Dominguez, University of NH |
|
2015 |
Jamie Villeneuve, White Mountain Community College |
|
2016 |
Ashley Jarrett, Culinary Institute of America Madeline Sterns, University of NH |
|
2017 |
Marissa Stone, Nichols College |
|
2018 |
Alana Mendez Rincon, Johnson & Wales University |
| 2019 |
Alexander Pinkham, Johnson & Wales University |
| 2020 |
Maxwell Pfeiffer, The Culinary Institute of America Christopher Coyne, Plymouth State University |
| 2021 |
Sadie Fiddler, New York University Brittany Wright, River Valley Community College |
| 2022 |
Caterina Bucellato, UMASS Amherst Bethany Desrosiers, University of Southern Maine |
About The Lavin Family Scholarship Fund
The Lavin Family Scholarship is awarded annually to a New England student (any age) pursuing a career in the lodging or hospitality field. Applicants may be graduates of accredited high schools, high school students or post-secondary students. Joe and Jill Lavin bought the Norwich Inn in Norwich, Vermont in 2006. They immediately became active in New England Inns and Resorts Association (NEIRA). Joe was president in 2014, remains a board member and has served on the Rolf T. Hammer Scholarship Committee since its inception in 2014. The Lavin Family Scholarship was established in 2021 and was inspired by successful fundraising and identification of the many worthy applicants by the Rolf T. Hammer Scholarship.
Past Recipients of the Lavin Family Scholarship can be found below
| 2021 |
Jose Diaz, North Shore Community College Nima Mehregan, Culinary Institute of America |
| 2022 |
Emily Huang, Boston University Katrina Clark, eCornell |
Scholarship applications are open annually during the month of May. For more information please contact the New England Inns & Resorts Association at 603-964-6689.