2022 Philippus Miller III ‘83 Legacy Award Winner – Caleb Trieu ’23
In 2019 the Cornell Hotel Society established the Philippus Miller III ‘83 Legacy Award. The award was designed to recognize and celebrate Phil Miller’s legacy as a builder of networks and relationships. For decades Phil was the heart of the Cornell Hotelie for Life® that is the foundation of the Cornell Hotel Society (CHS). The award is given to students that demonstrate an understanding of the spirit of Phil Miller – the importance of connecting and giving back.
The winners of the award in 2022 were Caleb Trieu ’23, Hailey Nelson ’23, and Jason Ling ‘23. Below we share Caleb’s story.
About Caleb Trieu ‘23
Growing up in Bakersfield, CA it was only natural that Caleb would consider a STEM career in the oil or agriculture industry. Accordingly, most of his college applications were for industrial engineering programs. Ultimately Caleb was accepted to the prestigious engineering program at the University of California, Berkeley.
Caleb always enjoyed exploring the world beyond Bakersfield. He held a deep-seated love for travel and found the Nolan Cornell Hotel School (SHA) as a highly attractive alternative to studying engineering. After being accepted to Cornell, Caleb had to make the difficult decision to follow the traditional route and attend UC Berkeley or follow his passion for travel and enroll at SHA.
It was at this point in life that he got his first taste of the Hotelie network. Professor Sean Rogers connected with Caleb and ultimately convinced him to travel across the country to Ithaca, versus upstate to Berkeley. Caleb was so impressed that Professor Rogers would take the time to speak with an applicant and help him with one of the most important decisions he would make in life.
Caleb’s experience at SHA has served to boost his passion for the hospitality industry. While Caleb entered school thinking about a career in the airline business, multiple classes have exposed him to all facets of the hospitality industry. His summer and COVID gap year experiences reflect the diversity of his interests. Away from Ithaca Caleb has worked at United and American Airlines, HREC in Denver, Hilton in San Francisco, and EY in Miami. Outside of the classroom Caleb is a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Board, has served as a leader of the Cornell Real Estate Consulting Club and the Air & Sea Hospitality Club, and follows his faith by joining The Chesterton House, a Christian residential community.
While Caleb has yet to decide on his career path after graduation, he wants to show his gratitude and appreciation for all the relationships he has made that have contributed to his exceptional Hotelie college experience. He is amazed at the commitment Hotelie alumni have to help each other, students and faculty and aspires to be an active alum that gives back after graduating.
Picture below: Caleb (center) spends time with friends during his night managing at Establishment.
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The Cornell Hotel Society and Cornell Hotel Foundation congratulate Caleb, Hailey, and Jason, and welcome them to the Hotelie for Life® network. These interviews were conducted by Robert Mandelbaum ’81.
