Jeremy Kraft Alumni 2007

Laura Mills Alumni 2007

Davina Sheard Alumni 2007

Nick Van Der Werff Alumni 2007

Four of last year’s school leavers are on the way to joining an elite band of professionals at the top end of the hospitality industry, in hotel management.

Since January, Nick Van der Werff, Jeremy Kraft, Davina Sheard and Laura Mills and have been at the International College of Hotel Management (ICHM) in South Australia, studying for the Swiss Hotel Association International Hotel Management Diploma and the ICHM bachelor degree.

There have been students from Kristin at ICHM in the past, but this is the first year with four in one year. Nick Van der Werff says he compared ICHM to other hotel schools, including Switzerland, but ICHM, which honed in on the business management aspects, had a better story to tell. And after a month on campus he’s thrilled to report that the story is a reality. “Get here soon!” is his advice to Kristin’s up-and-comings with a hospitality bent.

“It’s the best decision I could have made; I love it—the lecturers work hard to push you along and I’m really motivated. I’m also enjoying the excitement of the international environment and people from all nationalities on campus together”, says Nick.

Nick’s ambition is to be a general manager in an international hotel chain. Jeremy, his best friend from Kristin, is heading in quite a different direction, following a passion for cooking and food. “The food and beverage side of the industry fascinates me and I’ll go wherever that takes me”, he says.

ICHM had been in the back of his mind, but he decided only a week or so before the course started to join Nick and he too, is pleased he did. “It’s really exciting”, he says.

Davina Sheard’s intention is to head into event management, but she acknowledges it’s early days. “I know ICHM can lead me in so many directions, so I too might head for a general manager role.”

She too had looked into studying in Switzerland, but says she hates the cold, and a $25,000 ICHM entry scholarship, based on her academic achievement at school and drive to work in hospitality, was an added incentive. Davina had worked in her parents’ restaurant near Auckland for the past six years, and was sold on ICHM’s balance of academic work jam-packed into six months followed by six months as an intern in industry.

Laura, who loves to travel, is pursuing a dream to work and travel internationally. She says she glimpsed the world of hotel management while still at school when she went to Europe with her parents. “I love the industry; it’s always different. And I love ICHM; it’s really different. There are students here from everywhere and I’m learning a lot from them apart from the study.” Laura, like Davina, is looking to a career in either event or hotel management.

Formed 15 years ago, ICHM is the only hotel school outside Europe that can issue the world-famous Swiss Hotel Association Diploma, and it provides a Bachelor Degree as well. The Swiss Diploma course is renowned for its hands-on training as well as the rigour of its business training. Each year students spend six months studying on the campus, and six months working in industry in Australia or around the world. The website for ICHM is www.ichm.edu.au

Greta Lawson Alumni 2007