2015-2016 Annual Report
2015-2016 Annual Report
As a junior at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, I aim to be an active student both inside and outside of the classroom. As someone who was raised by a family of medical professionals, I have been made very aware of how precious human life can be. I am honored to be named the inaugural ambassador for the FIU HEART program.
The FIU Hospitality Emergency Alert & Response Training (HEART) program, established by the Analise Dlugasch Memorial Endowment, stands as a true testament of resilience. Analise was an alumna of the Chaplin School and a dedicated employee of the University Advancement team. During dinner one evening in November of 2014, Analise fell into a coma after a choking incident at a restaurant. None of the staff members were familiar with the lifesaving tactics to help save Analise’s life. She passed away on February 27, 2015 from complications.
The FIU HEART program encapsulates humanity’s profound ability to respond to a tragedy by creating something positive and beautifully meaningful. FIU HEART is a pragmatic program that can be broken down into three phases and will equip our community with simple, yet lifesaving hands-only CPR and choking relief skills. It begins here at FIU’s Chaplin School, then expands to the entire FIU community, and will ultimately serve as a mainstay program in South Florida’s hospitality industry. With tremendous support from the Dlugasch family and the American Heart Association, 2,000 hospitality students will be trained this year alone in CPR and choking relief. In due time, FIU HEART intends to equip every graduating FIU student with these lifesaving skills.
According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, over 3,000 adults die each year from choking on food. Thankfully, with programs like FIU HEART, my classmates and I are now prepared to take action when these emergencies occur. Pursuing a career in hospitality management, I stand in solidarity with the Dlugasch family and seek to further promote this meaningful and effective program.
Thank you!
Vivek Somani
The FIU HEART program was established from funding provided by the Analise Dlugasch Memorial Endowment. Analise’s bright light fueled a passion for learning and bringing together groups of people. As both an undergraduate and graduate student in FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, she learned and practiced skills that made her a perfect fit for an event coordinator role within the university. This program will operate in the hope that students in the same programs that Analise completed will add a lifesaving and invaluable skill to their repertoire and the hospitality industry in its entirety – as Analise did and would have continued to do.