Local wins hospitality scholarship

Sudima Lake Rotorua manager Atalo de la Rocha, Te Waiwakaata Kingi-Tait (Wai) and Sudima HR adviser Karley Benham. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Passionate young local Maori students have been given a hand up to the hospitality industry since 2014, through the establishment of a scholarship programme with Sudima Hotels & Resorts and Ngati Whakaue Education Endowment Trust Board.

Te Waiwakaata Kingi-Tait (Wai), 23, is the 2016 recipient of the sought-after scholarship and is embarking on a career she says will enable her to proudly represent her tribe to a global audience.

Born and bred in Rotorua, Wai left school in Year 12 and began working in restaurants and motels where her love for the hospitality industry flourished. She heard about the scholarship through family friend Awatere Douglas, who happened to be the scholarship programme's inaugural recipient.

"Pertinent to local Maori culture, looking after our people is a matter of great pride. And, with Rotorua's strong tourism industry, we have the opportunity to showcase this pride and truly value our guests. Locals are inherently proud of their heritage, and we all want to share it with others.

"For a lot of youth, the kind of opportunity this scholarship offers does not come around often. I'm so grateful to represent my tribe in this way, and I know this scholarship is going to greatly benefit my future."

Wai has been a part of the team at Sudima Lake Rotorua for one month, and loves it.

The scholarship programme was established to encourage locals into leadership roles within the hotel industry in and around Rotorua and Bay of Plenty.

It offers formal qualifications through the successful candidate's chosen New Zealand-based tertiary institution as well as a paid 12-month placement with Sudima Lake Rotorua. The tertiary study has a monetary value of up to $7500, not including the opportunity for employment with Sudima Hotels & Resorts in the future post study.

Going forward with her studies would mean leaving her hometown, but Wai aims to return to Rotorua to pursue her dream career of hotel management in Rotorua.

Sudima Hotels & Resorts director of human resources and a co-panel member in the judging of scholarship applicants, Maree Judd, said being hospitable and a champion for your region were vital attributes for anyone working in hospitality.

"Wai stood out to us because of her brilliant people skills and her clear passion for hospitality. Her drive to showcase her culture, of which she is immensely proud, will take her far in her new chosen career path."