César Ritz Colleges graduate Mathilde Lang loves nature and hiking in places like Caux, Switzerland, on a beautiful day.
Courtesy Mathilde Lang

Mathilde Lang Taps WSU/César Ritz Colleges for Food & Beverage Training

By Sue McMurray

As the daughter of a business owner and an accountant, Mathilde Lang could have easily followed a similar career path. But at 15, while working a summer job in a restaurant, she realized her professional calling lay in hospitality.

“I really liked the contact with the clients and providing service. I developed a passion for it before I finished high school.”

Lang hails from Poissy, a small city near Paris, France, where some of the world’s finest cuisine and wine can be found. She earned a bachelor’s at École Notre Dame Les Oiseaux in Verneuil sur Seine. While there, she researched Swiss Education Group (SEG) schools for her next step. SEG is the largest private educator in Switzerland and operates four of the world’s top hospitality schools, including César Ritz Colleges Switzerland.

César Ritz Colleges/WSU joint hospitality degree provides unique perspective

César Ritz, Lang’s pick, has offered a joint bachelor’s degree program with the WSU Carson College of Business since 2012. Students may simultaneously earn a bachelor of international business in hotel and tourism management from César Ritz Colleges and a bachelor of hospitality business management from WSU.

“Everything in the program relates to real-world business,” Lang says. “The American teachers bring a different perspective and practical advice—something we need for the workforce. Having an American hospitality degree is a definite career advantage.”

When the pandemic hit, she found online classes challenging. “Professor Dipra Jha made communication easier during this time,” she says. “But I really preferred in-person classes.”

Internships are the stepping stone to Lang’s future food and beverage career

During the pandemic, Lang persevered with a positive outlook. She says business law classes, diverse guest speakers, networking, and innovative teaching approaches were the most valuable experiences.

But a six-month food and beverage internship at the Royal Plaza Montreux topped the list.

“The internship absolutely confirmed I want a career in food and beverage,” she says.

In addition to food and beverage training, she completed several rotations in hotel management at the Royal Plaza.

Currently, Lang is completing an internship at the Mark Hotel in New York. Next, she says she’d love to go to Costa Rica for work experience.

“Someday I’d like to be a general manager of a food and beverage business and later open my own restaurant there,” she says. “You can learn so much from international culture.”