Students from The Collins College of Hospitality Management transformed their reflections into powerful essays inspired by Cal Poly Pomona’s 19th annual Common Read.
The Common Read program unites the campus community through a shared reading experience, encouraging thoughtful discussions across different viewpoints. At the keynote, attendees had the opportunity to hear directly from the author, ask questions and get their books signed.
This year’s selection, “I Never Thought of It That Way,” by Mónica Guzmán, explores the challenges of navigating difficult conversations. Drawing from her experience as a Mexican immigrant and the daughter of conservative parents, Guzmán offers insight into bridging divides through curiosity and understanding.
A Common Read Essay Contest followed the Common Read keynote announcing the winners. Among the winners were hospitality management students Celeste A. Chavez, L Lopez and Tomoe Neo.
To first-year student Chavez, Guzmán’s book aligns with her passion for creating open-minded conversations.
When engaging in a conversation with others Chavez thinks to herself “How can I express my opinions while still respecting what other people think, even when I don’t agree?” Inspired by this, she wrote her essay on ways students can gather to share opinions and concerns while maintaining respect for differing perspectives.
First-year student Lopez was also inspired by Guzmán’s open conversations which further inspired her to keep an open mind during conversations.
At the time she was reading the book, she visited the L.A. Live, where she met the executive assistant manager at the Ritz-Carlton and J.W. Marriott. Although her passion lies in the food and beverage side of hospitality, she applied the book’s idea of active, curious listening — asking follow-up questions based on what he said. She wrote her essay on this interaction, where she said, “We both have that same passion for the industry, and if you take that passion with you, you can go anywhere.”
