2026 Philippus Miller III ‘83 Legacy Award Winners

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 2026 are Sophia Marangoudakis ’27 and Robert-Ray Carvajal ’28.

           About Sophia Marangoudakis ’27

As the daughter of Armenian and Greek parents, Sophia grew up in an environment of caring for others. At an early age, she became active in the local Lion’s Club and participated in community service activities.

After her junior year in high school, Sophia had the opportunity to spend the summer in Greece. There, she met a lady that owned and operated a small boutique hotel, which served as her first direct exposure to the hospitality industry. It also served as the inspiration for her high school senior year capstone project.

During her senior year, Sophia developed a business plan for buying a boutique hotel in Cape Cod. The capstone document addressed the steps needed to develop and manage a boutique hotel property. To guide her efforts, Sophia sought out a mentor who owns boutique hotels. She connected with Mrs. Anne Hajjar, a parent of a Hotelie alum, who served as her mentor for her capstone project. Sophia was able to spend two weeks shadowing at one of her hotels, The Cliffside Inn (16 rooms) located in Newport, RI observing everything it takes to operate a boutique hotel.

In the Fall of 2023, Sophia arrived in Ithaca wanting to ultimately own and operate her own hotel, not realizing the plethora of avenues available through studying hotel administration. While at the Nolan Hotel School, her interests have expanded as she has learned about hotel development, asset management, design, and the various ways companies can own and operate hotels.

There were a few experiences at Cornell that have exposed her to this area of the industry: helped change her thoughts regarding her potential role in the hospitality industry. 

·       Fundamentals of Hospitality Development and Management Course (Professors Lisa Chervinsky and Jeanne Varney): - This course exposed Sophia to the hotel development process and highlighted the immense efforts to maintain a hotel.

·       Design Courses in the HumEc School: - Due to her interest in interior design, Sophia took classes to explore what it is like to develop floor plans, work with different design platforms, and create a program for a space.

·       Cornell Real Estate Club: - Sophia participated in the Hotel Asset Management Intensive where she completed a case study asset management of the Hotel Bel-Air.

Outside of the classroom, Sophia is a manager in the housekeeping department of The Statler Hotel via the HLDP program. As a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Board, she serves as the philanthropy chair and helps coordinate the Statler After Hours lecture series, a program that provides students an opportunity to hear from faculty who provide general personal and professional advice.

In addition to winning the Phil Miller Legacy award, Sophia has been selected to serve as a Student Assistant to the Dean during her senior year to the newly appointed Dean Ceridwyn King.

During her summers, Sophia has enjoyed a diversity of experiences. After her first year, she worked at the Marriott Hotel in Yerevan, Armenia as an operations intern. Following her sophomore year, Sophia found a job with RevPAR Media developing social media for their hotel clients. During the summer of 2026, Sophia will be working in the global development department at Marriott International’s headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.

In the spirit of the Legacy award, Sophia served as Donor Relations Assistant Director for HEC 100 during her sophomore year, gaining her first opportunity to connect with alumni. In April, she received the Legacy Award and, in recognition of this honor, attended the CHS EMEA Regional Meeting in Athens, Greece. While there, she had the opportunity to engage with EMEA alumni, expanding her exposure beyond the alumni network she had met in Ithaca. Alumni shared stories about how their careers had evolved over time, leaving a lasting impression on her.

When asked for her definition of Hotelie for Life ®, Sophia provided four thoughts:

·       To live a life of service

·       Bring good into the world

·       Have a positive attitude

·       Smile in the hallways of Statler

           About Robert-Ray Carvajal ’28

Robert-Ray’s first exposure to the hospitality industry came through the Bridge Golf Foundation of New York City.  The foundation is designed to help the young men of Harlem close gaps in achievement, learning, and opportunity; to improve their college readiness; and to help them graduate from college and move into the workforce.

Through the auspices of the Bridge Golf Foundation, Robert-Ray found a job at The Bridge golf course on Long Island.  There, he worked in all departments.  In addition, to working at The Bridge, Robert-Ray grew up watching Master Chef, which gave him a love for food.

While looking at traditional business schools for college, Robert-Ray discovered the Nolan Hotel School.  This institution instantly matched his appreciation for food and hospitality that he learned through his time at the Bridgehampton Golf Club. 

Robert-Ray entered the Hotel School thinking about working in operations upon graduation, but has now shifted his focus to real estate and financial analysis.  The influence was Professor Robert’s Introduction to Hospitality course which was very enlightening.  During the course, Robert-Ray was exposed to all facets of the greater hospitality industry, including real estate and finance.

Fortunately for Robert-Ray, he received an introduction to the professionals at Rithm Capital through the Bridge Golf Foundation.  He first worked with Rithm as a junior in high school and will be returning as an intern during the summer of 2026.  During his internship, Robert-Ray will gain knowledge about the investment side of the industry.  Furthering his knowledge of hotel real estate and finance is his participation in Blackgen Capital, a nationwide investment club focused on Black, Hispanic, and Asian college students.  The club was founded at Cornell.  Clubs from colleges around the country compete by pitching various investment opportunities.

Advancing his experience with food, Robert-Ray has served as both steward and health & wellness chair at his fraternity, Delta Upsilon.

To take full advantage of all Cornell has to offer, Robert-Ray plans is to intentionally take three courses within the Hotel School each semester, plus two courses elsewhere on campus.  So far, he has taken an oral communications class outside of Statler, as well as a class entitled Disability in Literature.

As a sophomore, graduation is still two years away.  However, Robert-Ray plans to join an investment team upon leaving Ithaca.  He would prefer to work in a major city such as New York, Los Angeles, or Miami.

The Phil Miller Legacy award is given to Hotelies with an appreciation for the Hotelie alumni network.  During his first two years at the Hotel School, Robert-Ray met David Givens ’82, General Manager of the GM Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii.  This relationship yielded an internship at the property during the summer after freshman year.  Further, while acting as F&B Service Manager during HEC, Robert-Ray met Stephanie Perrone Goldstein ’01, Partner with Deloitte.  Stephanie left a great impression on Robert-Ray and exposed him to the world of hotel consulting and research.

As a reward for winning the Legacy award, Robert-Ray earned a trip to the 2026 CHS EMEA Regional Meeting in Greece.  In addition to enjoying the tours, restaurants, and shows, Robert-Ray appreciated the one-on-one time with the diverse group of alumni in attendance.

For Robert-Ray, being a Hotelie for Life^® means all your moves in life should be intentional and provide others with a special memory.  This is very natural for Robert-Ray and fits his personality perfectly.

The Cornell Hotel Society and Cornell Hotel Foundation congratulate Sophia and Robert-Ray, and wish them the best of success on their journeys as a Hotelie for Life^®. This interview was conducted by Robert Mandelbaum ’81.