SHL Alumni Spotlight: Nicholas Carter '11 & '22

SHL Alumni Nicolas Carter stands amongst a buffet spread.

SHL alumni Nicholas Carter is a two-time graduate of ECU’s School of Hospitality Leadership. He graduated with a BS in Hospitality Management in 2011, and in 2022, he graduated with a graduate degree in Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality from the Thomas D. Arthur Graduate School of Business. Carter currently serves as the director of dining services at Brevard College in Brevard, NC. While at ECU, he served as a student manager for Aramark and catered several events on and off campus. After graduation, he worked in the restaurant industry until the pandemic. During the pandemic, he was furloughed from his position and then turned to the casino industry at the casino in Cherokee, NC, working in the beverage department until he got offered his current position.

During his career, Nicholas witnessed and weathered many trends in the hospitality industry, quickly adapting to them to ensure the success of his businesses. He attributes his success to ECU’s SHL program by thinking outside of the box, being able to predict changes, and reacting to an ever-changing industry. Throughout his time in hospitality, he has managed sports and entertainment, lodging, restaurants, casinos, and higher education.

Nicholas states, “Without the fundamentals of the SHL program, I would not be where I am today. Without a doubt, the SHL program at ECU has offered me experiences I would not have had the chance to embark on otherwise. What really brought it all together was going back to school during the pandemic and using the Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality program curriculum to apply those fundamentals to new ideas for the hospitality industry post-pandemic.”