{"id":2836,"date":"2025-08-12T09:05:03","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T16:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=2836"},"modified":"2025-08-12T09:05:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T16:05:03","slug":"online-hospitality-management-lori-lerwill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-hospitality-management-lori-lerwill\/","title":{"rendered":"A dream delayed, not denied: Online hospitality management degree helps student reinvent her career"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For Lori Lerwill, getting a degree seemed like a dream \u2014 one she could never manage to achieve. Between homeschooling four children and keeping the books for her family\u2019s business, she just never had time. She got the chance she\u2019d been waiting for when she enrolled in Oregon State University\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/undergraduate\/hospitality-management\">online hospitality management bachelor\u2019s degree program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Lerwill was motivated to enroll when an injury derailed her family business. \u201cWe started talking about what&#8217;s next, what&#8217;s our next step,\u201d she said. A career in hospitality was the answer.<\/p>\n<p>Oregon State\u2019s innovative program is designed to prepare students like Lerwill for real-world work in resorts, restaurants and casinos. A strong connection to industry partners means students can practice their skills and make key connections.<\/p>\n<p>A dedicated student with plenty of talent, she quickly captured the attention of her Oregon State professors. Soon, she was invited to participate in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ps8s4-NSX_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip to Alaska<\/a> to study the impact of tourism on the local economy.<\/p>\n<p>Lerwill is already thinking about how she\u2019ll use her online hospitality management degree to advance her career. \u201cI&#8217;ve always said I would love to either work or live in an old building. I would love to have multiple revenue streams in an old building. Some place that&#8217;s a community gathering place,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Hear Lerwill discuss her education \u2014 in her own words \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ps8s4-NSX_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in this video<\/a> produced by OSU-Cascades.<\/p>\n<div class=\"intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"744\" height=\"419\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ps8s4-NSX_0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> &lt; 1<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>For Lori Lerwill, getting a degree seemed like a dream \u2014 one she could never manage to achieve. Between homeschooling four children and keeping the books for her family\u2019s business, she just never had time. She got the chance she\u2019d been waiting for when she enrolled in Oregon State University\u2019s online hospitality management bachelor\u2019s degree program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":2839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1,677,8],"tags":[107,526],"class_list":["post-2836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-students-and-alumni","category-students","tag-college-of-business","tag-hospitality-management"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/lori-lerwill-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-JK","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1225,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/hospitality-management-instructor-spotlight\/","url_meta":{"origin":2836,"position":0},"title":"Hospitality management instructor shares his passion for creating engaging experiences online","author":"Joel Gustafson","date":"July 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Todd Montgomery's hospitality management courses range from vacation property management to online marketing and reputation management, and with the use of a diverse mix of engaging and interactive content, Todd says his unique methods cultivate a more humanized learning experience and ultimately will lead to a greater return on investment\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Todd-Montgomery-hospitality-management.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Todd-Montgomery-hospitality-management.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Todd-Montgomery-hospitality-management.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Todd-Montgomery-hospitality-management.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1711,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/best-online-business-degrees\/","url_meta":{"origin":2836,"position":1},"title":"Oregon State ranked #4 for best online business bachelor\u2019s degrees","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"January 31, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State delivers eight business bachelor\u2019s degree programs online, and according to U.S. News & World Report, they are among the very best in the nation. The 2022 list of Best Online Bachelor\u2019s in Business Programs ranks OSU Ecampus No. 4 overall, a distinction that solidifies the university\u2019s reputation as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A city skyline viewed from below, showing modern glass office buildings reflecting older stone buildings along a downtown street, with tall skyscrapers rising against a clear blue sky.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ug-business-administration-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ug-business-administration-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ug-business-administration-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ug-business-administration-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2303,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/oregon-state-unmatched-online-student-experience\/","url_meta":{"origin":2836,"position":2},"title":"What&#8217;s the Oregon State online student experience really like?","author":"Elena Moffet","date":"July 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Learn what makes Oregon State's online student experience stand out from the rest These days, almost every university offers online degrees. When you can attend nearly any school, from anywhere, it can be difficult to know how to choose the best option for you.\u00a0 One thing you definitely want to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Samantha Diaz, and Oregon State Ecampus graduate","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/B23001-Broad-Utility-article-Student-experience-News-800x450-230602-v1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/B23001-Broad-Utility-article-Student-experience-News-800x450-230602-v1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/B23001-Broad-Utility-article-Student-experience-News-800x450-230602-v1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/B23001-Broad-Utility-article-Student-experience-News-800x450-230602-v1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2582,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/engineering-management-masters-employer-tuition-benefits\/","url_meta":{"origin":2836,"position":3},"title":"Engineering master\u2019s degree is a long time coming, and employer tuition benefits helped","author":"Tim Edwards","date":"July 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Had I enrolled in a traditional in-person program, I would not have achieved the success that I now enjoy.\u00a0The flexibility of Oregon State\u2019s online program allowed me to achieve honors in the engineering management program and now graduate with my master's degree.\" \u2014 Tim Edwards, OSU graduate","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A man wearing a black graduation cap and gown smiles in a selfie in an arena filled with other graduates.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/800x450-ge.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/800x450-ge.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/800x450-ge.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/800x450-ge.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1298,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-master-of-public-health-student\/","url_meta":{"origin":2836,"position":4},"title":"Online Master of Public Health program helps health systems administrator advance his career","author":"Becky Barrett","date":"December 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Zach Harris can see himself working in the executive-level management of a healthcare system. He\u2019s an administrator in charge of ambulatory services at Queen\u2019s Health Systems in Honolulu, Hawaii. To make it to the C-suite, Harris is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree online from Oregon State University \u2013\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Zachary Harris, Master of Public Health student with Oregon State Ecampus, stands in front of the Queen\u2019s Physicians Office Building II in Honolulu, Hawaii.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/zachary-harris-master-public-health.jpg?fit=744%2C483&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/zachary-harris-master-public-health.jpg?fit=744%2C483&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/zachary-harris-master-public-health.jpg?fit=744%2C483&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/zachary-harris-master-public-health.jpg?fit=744%2C483&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2035,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/2022-graduation-feature-story\/","url_meta":{"origin":2836,"position":5},"title":"On five continents, a record 1,680 Oregon State students earn their degrees online","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"June 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Nearly one in four members of the Oregon State University graduating Class of 2022 completed their degree requirements online through Oregon State Ecampus. Among them is Zak Evans, a former OSU wrestler who supplemented his on-campus undergraduate studies several years ago with some online classes during wrestling season. That experience\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Someone at a graduation ceremony with a decorated graduation cap that says 'adventure is out there'","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/out-there-graduation-cap.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/out-there-graduation-cap.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/out-there-graduation-cap.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/out-there-graduation-cap.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2836\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}