Carissa Hunter Finds Her Place in Hospitality Management

Hospitality is fast-paced, unpredictable, and full of moving parts, and for Carissa Hunter, that’s exactly the appeal. After graduating from Cape Fear Community College’s Hospitality Management program in Spring 2023, Carissa is now the Operations Manager at Tru by Hilton in Wilmington.

“I definitely chase chaos,” she laughed. “That’s what drew me into hospitality in the first place.”

Carissa initially thought she’d build her career in restaurants. But one class shifted her path.

“During my Hospitality Law class, we studied all these different cases, and I remember a lot being hotel lodging-related. It really struck my curiosity.”

That curiosity led Carissa to her first hotel job as a front desk agent.

“It was right after COVID, so we were still facing a lot of challenges,” she explained. “Being at the front in the face of all that, and with this being my first hotel experience, it was quite a wild ride, but I loved it.”

Turning to CFCC for Support

By her last semester at CFCC, Carissa had stepped into her first leadership role.

“Was I ready for it? Absolutely not,” she laughed. “Ironically, I was taking a leadership and a human resources class at the same time. Those classes were incredibly helpful. I don’t know what I would have done without them.”

The challenges came fast. “We’re slammed for spring break. A pipe bursts. We’re oversold. Staff are calling out. I’m training new people at the desk, and suddenly, I’m the manager on duty. I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off,” she said.

“I was so used to being an expert at my job. Going into this leadership role was the first time I felt like I was falling flat on my face.”

That’s when Carissa leaned on her instructors and classmates, who helped her navigate those new challenges.

“I turned to my instructors for advice, especially on tough conversations with staff. I bounced ideas off classmates. Having that kind of guidance made a huge difference.”

Advice for Future Hospitality Students

Carissa’s biggest advice to students is not to wait to use their resources.

“Use Cape Fear as your biggest resource,” she said. “Ask questions. Ask for help, and don’t wait until your last semester.”

Those lessons prepared her for her current role as Operations Manager at Tru by Hilton in Wilmington, which opened in July 2024. Looking back, Carissa credits CFCC with giving her the foundation to lead.

“Not all the time, but most of the time, all departments can run while I’m gone. And as a manager, that’s a big win in my book.”

Her advice for students entering the field is to be adaptable and take initiative. “In hospitality, it’s so fast-paced. You’ve got a million things coming at you at once. You could be slinging eggs and bacon in the morning, scrubbing toilets, checking people in, and rolling out the red carpet, so be adaptable. And once you have an idea of how the operation runs, don’t wait to be told what to do. Just take initiative.”