By Mark Muckenfuss

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, one of the world’s premiere auto shows, was two days away and Joanne Rivera-Arce had the butterflies. 

“I was a nervous wreck,” said Rivera-Arce, who comes from Apple Valley and graduated in May from CSU Monterey Bay with a degree in sustainable hospitality management. She was to be responsible for overseeing the hospitality patio for the Aston Martin group, providing food, drinks and a relaxed atmosphere for company executives and their guests.

“This was my Goliath,” she said. “I was intimidated. I wanted them to have a positive experience.”

In the end, things went well, and she became one of many CSUMB veterans of an internship program with Pebble Beach Resorts that began in 2018. And, like many of those veterans who return year after year, she was back again this year. 

While the thousands attending the Aug. 20 event were primarily focused on the glisten of the roadsters, the flash of the racecars and the sparkling curves of classic automobiles – Ferraris, Porsches, Mercedes, McClarens, Bentleys, Packards, Rolls Royces and on and on – in the background, CSUMB interns, such as Rivera-Arce, helped ensure the hospitality operation was as smooth as the nearby putting greens.  

Rivera-Arce’s initial nerve-racking experience was in 2021. Since then, she has participated in the program every year. This time around, she managed a pavilion that served 90 guests an array of salads, sushi and seafood, shepherding a staff of ten. 

Paige Viren, executive director of CSUMB’s Sustainable Hospitality Management program, said Rivera-Arce and other program interns have gained important experience, and that the attention the high-profile event attracts helps increase the university’s exposure. 

“The prestige and global recognition of Pebble Beach can significantly enhance a student's resume,” Viren said. “Having experience at such a renowned destination signals to potential employers that the student has been exposed to high standards, rigorous training, and a commitment to excellence. It also elevates the university's profile, showcasing its commitment to providing students with exceptional learning opportunities in a real-world, high-stakes setting.” 

CSUMB Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Andrew Lawson attended the show and was impressed by the Otters he saw in action. 

“The guests at this prestigious car show witnessed the talent of CSUMB’s Sustainable Hospitality Management students,” Lawson said. “It’s an example of how we provide career-focused learning opportunities that allow our students to gain real-world experience and that is only possible with excellent partners such as the Pebble Beach Company."  

The Pebble Beach Special Events Management Team, the official name of the internship program, was established by the resort’s director of special events, Beat Giger, in 1991, with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. That partnership lasted through 2005. The following year, San Jose State began participating and continues to do so.

Pebble Beach’s special events manager, Gretchen Melvin, said the internships are not only a way for students to get on-site hospitality experience, but also to make important industry connections. She said 65 CSUMB students have taken part over the years and six of those now have full-time jobs at the resort. 

One of those is Taylor MacDonnell, who graduated from the SHM program in December 2022. She is in the midst of the resort’s 18-month team leader program that trains new workers for management roles. She said the Pebble Beach Concours internship helped prepare her for the training program. Last year, she managed the Cadillac patio and had to problem-solve on the spot.  

“The florist brought the wrong flowers,” MacDonnell said. “The guest had requested no roses and all the florist brought was roses.” 

After securing the right flowers, she faced another challenge. 

“I had two guests get wine spilled on them from the balcony above,” she said. Both of their suits were stained, but she reached out to housekeeping, secured some Tide sticks and remedied the situation. 

Working the event, she said, “set me up for success. It really got my foot in the door.” 

Caroline MacDonald, the executive vice president and chief operating officer for Pebble Beach, said the Otter interns serve an important role. 

“We’re really grateful to have CSUMB in our backyard,” MacDonald said. “The students come in and they are given a big leadership opportunity. What I’m so impressed with is that these young students take on this responsibility and do it with enthusiasm and confidence. They blend in very well with our existing management team.”

The program, she said, is somewhat unique in the hospitality industry in that it is a direct partnership with two universities, rather than a program open to any applicant. She said it helps develop new leaders in the industry, provides students with hands-on experience, and benefits the community by generating job opportunities for the students.

Dana Leyva, a senior in the SHM program, is already working for Pebble Beach. She bartends at the Del Monte Golf Club in Monterey part time. She got that job after working the car show last year.

“It’s a good way to meet the right types of people and do that networking,” she said of the internship, “and it definitely extends my leadership capabilities.”

That leadership was on display during the Concours when she oversaw a team of 10 servers taking care of 300 guests at the participants patio. 

For Rivera-Arce, the event has been transformative. She recalled starting her first year at CSUMB afraid to talk to people or speak up in class. She was uncertain that she was in the right major or that she’d be able to complete the program. And even though, as a car enthusiast  – “I’m a Porsche girl” – she had jumped at the opportunity to participate in the internship, as it approached, she worried that she might not be up to the task. 

“This event changed everything,” she said. “It gave me a newfound appreciation for this field. After I received my review, and my supervisor said, ‘You did fine,’ I thought to myself, ‘I can do it.’ I got more involved with school. I became chair of the Hospitality Club my senior year. I gave myself a chance.”

Recently, she was accepted into a Master of Entrepreneurship and Hospitality Management program at the César Ritz Colleges in Switzerland. It puts her one step closer to her dream.

“I want to be a manager, an executive,” she said. “Because of the confidence Pebble Beach gave me, hopefully, one day I can be that person.”