Anh Huynh (Gary) Tuan

A part-time job in a High Street caf� has taken Tuan Anh Huynh (Gary) in an unexpected direction.

The friendly 23 year old moved here from Saigon, Vietnam in 2001 to study. He'd already completed high school and was keen to improve his English and then gain a business qualification.

However once Gary set foot behind an espresso machine he discovered a whole new passion.

"I really enjoyed making coffee at work so I decided to look into doing a hospitality course," he says.

"I looked around lots of different hospitality schools and then a friend suggested I go and check out NZMA because the tutors were so experienced. I was very impressed with what I saw and started my diploma shortly afterwards."

Now three-quarters of the way through his course, Gary says he has learnt an enormous amount about hospitality and feels excited about pursuing a career in what is one of the world's leading growth industries.

"Everything I've learnt at NZMA has been so useful. All the tutors have real industry experience and learning about their experiences has helped me a lot in my work."

Since his humble hospitality beginnings in that High Street caf�, Gary has gone onto work for Esquires Coffee Houses and is now employed full-time at Skycity's Deli Restaurant.

"Working is a lot different for me now than it used to be. In the beginning, when I didn't know anything about hospitality, it was very difficult. But now that I know how to do things properly, it's a lot easier.

"Admittedly I am very busy, studying at NZMA as well as holding down a full-time job, but it's all about managing my time effectively and time management is one of the things we are taught at NZMA!"

Once Gary graduates from NZMA later this year he plans to start working his way up into a managerial role within the industry and eventually hopes to open the doors to his own caf�.