A lifelong love of hospitality brought Niharika Adhikari to Virginia Tech

Niharika Adhikari has been passionate about the hospitality industry since she was a child.

Currently a master’s degree student in business administration with an emphasis on hospitality and tourism management at Virginia Tech, she grew up in Kathmandu, Nepal, and always enjoyed meeting tourists. While at her boarding school, she took part in volunteer activities associated with hospitality. “I tell people that hospitality chose me,” she said. “I never chose it. It was always in me.”

Adhikari, is in the first year of her master’s program based in Academic Building One in Alexandria. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management in 2022 and worked in the field for a few years before considering an advanced degree. She researched several universities and settled on Virginia Tech because of its program and reputation and its proximity to Washington, D.C. She said the program has more than met her expectations.

Adhikari likes her program’s emphasis on the international nature of hospitality and has discovered she enjoys studying finance associated with the field, something she did not expect. “It’s important to understand the trends and how things are affecting restaurants and tourism and things like that. A lot happens.”

Excitement and a positive vibe

The university’s Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church housed the program until December, when it was moved to the Alexandria location. She said she loves the new campus and its location.

“It’s lively here, I feel like this is my home away from home, and I think a lot of international students can relate to it.” she said. “Everything is new with all the events going on. Being a hospitality student, to get the opportunity to volunteer for those events, is fun and exciting. It gives me motivation and a positive vibe whenever I come here.”

She became a student ambassador and is involved with the Washington, D.C., area Graduate School Assembly, helping to plan social events. And she spends time at the campus between classes. The study spaces and the library provide places to focus on coursework and research, and the eighth floor offers views of the Potomac River, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C., making it a popular spot for students to take a breather. “You are motivated to come here every day, even when you don’t have a class.”

"Every week, there is something"

She said her days are full at the new campus, between classes, studies, and activities and events available for students. Cranwell International Center houses an international café for students to meet each other and try different cuisines. The Cook Counseling Center offers walks and activities, and several informal student groups have developed and started meeting. “Every week, there is something,” she said.

When she finds herself with free time, Adhikari heads to the eighth floor with a cup of tea and a friend. “It’s pretty and super exciting,” she said. “It is my favorite activity."