TAFE Western Sydney Institute’s top industry achievers

TAFE Western Sydney Institute has recently celebrated its top student achievers in events, hospitality and tourism at the Student Excellence Awards, an annual event celebrating the most outstanding students at TAFE Western Sydney Institute (WSI).

Among the 140,000 plus enrolments in 2013 at WSI in 2013, Amy Holzberger was named Travel, Tourism and Events Student of the Year.

After 12 years in the banking industry, Holzberger enrolled in the Diploma of Tourism, following her passion for travel and experience in planning holidays for family and friends. She studied tourism by distance through the Open Training and Education Network while on a working holiday in the UK and dreams of starting her own business in the future, creating and designing tailored holiday experiences, which connect travellers to local communities and cultures.

The Student Excellence Awards also named Natalia Taumatauka as top TAFE achiever for Western Sydney - the 21 year-old from Doonside having studied hospitality supervision at Mount Druitt College and beingsingled out for the Institute Medal.

The medallists were among 26 students presented with awards at the annual event, held at Panthers World of Entertainment.

Commenting on the Awards, WSI Director Susan Hartigan stated “our high achieving students have resolutely set about to achieve, working tenaciously towards their career and study goals.”

Western Sydney has pockets of unemployment in excess of 20%  and the Awards are a chance to spotlight the exceptional students creating opportunities for themselves and trying to change the statistic for the better.