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Sisters share 800-mile journey to the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management at USC

Sisters Meredyth and Hillary Boaz can both tell you the exact distance it takes you to get from Bloomington, Illinois to the University of South Carolina. "It’s 800 miles," explains Meredyth, "or about 13 hours if you’re driving," adds Hillary.

"Our decision to each leave home and go to school 13 hours away surprised a lot of people, including our parents," says Hillary, "but I don’t think anyone is too surprised to find out that we’re both studying hospitality."

"For as long as we can remember, we’ve both always been into events and figuring out what makes people smile," adds Meredyth. "And that’s what hospitality is all about, right?"

Meredyth and Hillary, aged two years apart, are sisters both enrolled at the University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management. Meredyth is a senior majoring in tourism management with a concentration in event and convention planning while Hillary, who joined her sister at USC in 2010, is a sophomore majoring in retail with an emphasis in retail management and a minor in HRTM.

Meredyth has her eyes set on a future working in the event planning business. "My dream is to one-day be working on a huge event like New Year’s Eve in Times Square or the Oscar’s," Meredyth explains. "I get excited about all the smaller behind-the-scenes activities that go into putting on a really successful event. But I don’t mind being out front either."

Younger sister Hillary is interested in the retail side of hospitality. She explains her dream job as becoming a stylist for the stars or a professional buyer for a major retailer. "Have you ever seen the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’?" Hillary asks. "Well, I’m fascinated by that entire scene: the fashion shows, the constant buzz and, of course, the clothes."

On and off campus at USC, Meredyth and Hillary have both created quite a buzz of their own. In just a few short years, the sisters have combined to successfully study abroad in eight different countries, intern with five different companies, and hold membership with 15 different student-run organizations. Hillary was named to the President’s list with a 4.0 GPA for two consecutive semesters while Meredyth was recognized recently with the South Carolina Governor’s Award for her work in promoting local and state tourism. Both sisters have become active in Greek life, as well as shared leadership responsibilities with USC’s Homecoming Committee.

"Any college would be delighted to have either Meredyth or Hillary," says Collin Crick, director of recruitment at the College of HRSM. "But to have these siblings both starting their careers at the same college and at relatively the same time -- that’s a situation you don’t see all too often. Each has been enormously successful here at USC."

University 101 program supervisor, Rico Reed, is someone who’s witnessed Meredyth mature into a leader on campus over the last four years and someone who also sees great potential in both Boaz sisters. "I remember Meredyth coming in as a freshman and you could tell immediately that she was ready for big things. As a campus mentor, there’s nothing more rewarding than watching a student like Meredyth get involved, make a positive impact on others, and do things to really connect with the USC campus. I have no doubt that Hillary will do the same thing and leave her own mark before graduating."

So what’s next for the Boaz sisters? Hillary is getting ready to complete the second of two college-required internships and will be interning at Kohl’s this summer. Meredyth is preparing to graduate in May 2012 and looking to jump immediately into her career as an event planner. Where exactly Meredyth and Hillary go after their careers at USC is entirely up to them. But what’s for certain is that they’ll do it together.

Meredyth and Hillary’s parents, Pauline and Kirk, say college life has helped their daughters discover their bond as sisters. "An exciting part of this bond going forward will be their similar careers working in hospitality," says Pauline. "These last few years at USC have brought our daughters closer as friends -- not just sisters -- and prepared them to be successful young adults. As a parent, what more could you ask for?"

To learn more about Meredyth and Hillary Boaz, check out this video interview on the HRSM YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/USChrsm or watch it below.

Meredyth Boaz
Major: tourism management (HRTM)
Internships: Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Center for First-Year Experience and Students in Transition National Conference
Student Leadership: USC Homecoming Committee; Eta Sigma Delta International Hospitality Honor Society; Gold Key Society; Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society; National Society of Collegiate Scholars, U 101 Program  (6)

Hillary Boaz
Major: retail (RETL)
Internships: Robert Redding Menswear
Student Leadership: USC Homecoming Committee; American Red Cross Go Red for Women Campaign; USC Fashion Board; Tri Delta Fraternity; International Golden Key Society; Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Sigma Alpha Lambda Scholastics Fraternity, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, U 101 Program (9)