Lambda Chi Alpha - Epsilon Psi Zeta, South Carolina

The reception was held at the Four Seasons Biltmore in the La Pacifica Ballroom.

After a wedding trip to Isla Mujeres, an island off the coast of Cancun, Mexico, the couple will live in High Point, NC.

With a degree in hospitality and a job with his family?s furniture business, Epsilon Psi Zeta member and USC graduate Carson Norcross is turning two of his passions into a successful career. Carson graduated in 2002 with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management and is now proudly working as the director of brand sales for Mark David, his family?s furniture manufacturing company.  Carson and his family donated much of the furniture that is located on the first floor of the chapter house.

Carson originally planned to go into the hospitality field, and USC?s College of HRSM seemed like a good fit. "I visited a few schools, but USC really caught my attention," says Carson. He explains that the members of the faculty that he met were one of the reasons he chose to study at USC.

After graduating from USC, Carson worked in the hospitality field in various hotels, including the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C., and the W Hotel in Times Square.

"Although at first I felt the hospitality industry was my future, it just seemed right to go into furniture manufacturing," says Carson of his career switch. "I am a third generation furniture family member."

As director of brand sales for Mark David, Carson now directs the sales initiatives of selling various brands of furniture to international hotel brands including Disney and Marriott. Carson says that although his work is not directly part of the hospitality field, his HRTM degree has greatly prepared him for his job.

"I manufacture and sell to the hospitality industry," explains Carson. "Also, having the HRTM training helps me with the functionality of our product. Because I worked in the Four Seasons and the W Hotel, I better understand guest trends and activities. This equips me with knowledge that can add value to our furniture," he adds.

Carson says that his father Mark, CEO of Mark David, has served as both a role model and a mentor. "I am very fortunate to be working for him, as he has taught me so much," says Carson.

As for students currently in the HRTM program, Carson says that getting as much experience as possible is crucial. He says that there is nothing like an internship to gain experience and knowledge about the field. He also advises students to take advantage of their time in college but to keep looking ahead.

"Use this time to learn a lot, experience a lot, and have a great time doing it," Carson says. "However, there are plenty more experiences to be had!"

Carson spent four years living in China and the Philippines, but he is now back in High Point, N.C. and says that he is happy to be home. "I couldn't think of a better place to live than in the South," he says.

Upper Photo:  Skip Imgrund (951), far left, Jon Simmons (947), far right