NBA Hall of Famer, philanthropist and U.S. Naval Academy graduate David Robinson's nickname has long been “The Admiral.” The name even marks his real estate investment firm, Admiral Capital Group.
Now he is lending the name to a new program for high school juniors, the Admiral Hospitality Scholars, to expose them to careers in the hospitality industry. The program is funded by Hilton Worldwide and Admiral Capital Group, with educational support from the University of Houston's Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, and hotel developer and manager American Liberty Hospitality.
Twenty-four students, all from Houston, were chosen for the yearlong program, which starts with a three-day “boot camp” in July. Beginning in the fall, the students will rotate through various jobs at different Hilton hotels in the Houston area, explained Daniel Bassichis, co-founder and managing partner in the New York office of Admiral Capital Group.
The program is part of the Austin, Texas-based firm's plan to donate 10% of the general partners' profits on their real estate assets to charitable programs in the cities in which the properties are located, Mr. Robinson explained. Admiral manages a real estate fund in partnership with USAA Real Estate.
