Kana Hamamoto
Student Stories Profiles
Kana Hamamoto
Name: Kana Hamamoto
Born: Japan
Age: 21
Locations: Auckland
Discipline: Hospitality
Ordering a meal at a restaurant, asking for headsets on an airplane, checking into a hotel... all these are things that most of us take for granted. We do them without even thinking about them.
But as an NZMA hospitality student Kana Hamamoto points out, getting what you want isn't always that simple.
Both Kana's parents are deaf. The vivacious 21 year old has grown up experiencing first hand how hard communication can be, especially considering the majority of people are not familiar with sign language. Her experiences have had such a profound effect on her that she has decided to pursue a career in hospitality. She hopes by working in this service industry she can make a difference to the lives of people like her mum and dad.
"My dad travels around the world a lot because he's a volleyball coach for the deaf society," says Kana, who comes from Hiroshima in Japan.
"He always has difficulties communicating overseas because not only is he deaf, but he also doesn't speak English. Last year when I joined him in Melbourne for the Deaflympics, I saw first-hand the problems that he and his team-mates have. To make things easier I ended up ordering meals for them at restaurants and getting information for them from their hotel. I really enjoyed it. It was then that I decided I wanted to do something to do with foreign countries and helping deaf people."
Kana was already living in New Zealand she came out here in 2002 to go to high school and study English. When she returned from Melbourne she began looking into hospitality courses and NZMA was recommended to her. She's now more than halfway through the two-year National Diploma in Hospitality Management...and more passionate about her choice of career than ever.
"Since I started my course I have changed so much. I was so shy when I started but my tutors have taught me heaps and I have really come out of my shell."
In fact Kana has come out of her shell so much that she recently competed in front of hundreds of people at the New Zealand Culinary Fare. She did exceptionally well, winning gold medals in the Classic Cocktail (junior) and Wine and Beverage Service (junior) classes as well as a silver and Best in Show in Caf� Beverages (junior) and a bronze in Table Setting (junior).
Not that hospitality competitions are anything new for Kana. At last year's New Zealand Culinary Fare she won Best in Class and a bronze medal (no silvers or golds were awarded) in the barista competition and then at this year's Junior Auckland Culinary Fare she was awarded the silver medal and Best in Class for her wine and beverage service.
She says without the efforts of her tutors she wouldn't have been so successful.
"I really appreciate what everyone at NZMA has done for me. The tutors really go out of their way to help you. For example, when I was training for the 2005 national competition my tutor would come into school especially early in the mornings because I wasn't able to train with everyone else in the afternoons because I was working."
Kana works part-time as a Food and Beverage Attendant at Auckland's Stamford Plaza.
She says her experiences both in the work place and at NZMA have had a profound impact on her.
"What I have been doing for the last one and a half years has been very meaningful for me. I have learned how to communicate with people and that was a real weakness for me in Japan. My supervisor at the Stamford has taught me a lot about the hospitality industry and my NZMA tutors have inspired me to learn as much as possible too. I have made the most of these opportunities."
Kana is set to graduate from NZMA next year with a double diploma under her belt. For just ten extra weeks of study, students who complete the National Diploma in Hospitality Management can go onto gain their National Diploma in Business from NZMA. It's an NZQA-accredited qualification that usually takes one year to complete.
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But as an NZMA hospitality student Kana Hamamoto points out, getting what you want isn't always that simple.
Both Kana's parents are deaf. The vivacious 21 year old has grown up experiencing first hand how hard communication can be, especially considering the majority of people are not familiar with sign language. Her experiences have had such a profound effect on her that she has decided to pursue a career in hospitality. She hopes by working in this service industry she can make a difference to the lives of people like her mum and dad.
"My dad travels around the world a lot because he's a volleyball coach for the deaf society," says Kana, who comes from Hiroshima in Japan.
"He always has difficulties communicating overseas because not only is he deaf, but he also doesn't speak English. Last year when I joined him in Melbourne for the Deaflympics, I saw first-hand the problems that he and his team-mates have. To make things easier I ended up ordering meals for them at restaurants and getting information for them from their hotel. I really enjoyed it. It was then that I decided I wanted to do something to do with foreign countries and helping deaf people."
Kana was already living in New Zealand she came out here in 2002 to go to high school and study English. When she returned from Melbourne she began looking into hospitality courses and NZMA was recommended to her. She's now more than halfway through the two-year National Diploma in Hospitality Management...and more passionate about her choice of career than ever.
"Since I started my course I have changed so much. I was so shy when I started but my tutors have taught me heaps and I have really come out of my shell."
In fact Kana has come out of her shell so much that she recently competed in front of hundreds of people at the New Zealand Culinary Fare. She did exceptionally well, winning gold medals in the Classic Cocktail (junior) and Wine and Beverage Service (junior) classes as well as a silver and Best in Show in Caf� Beverages (junior) and a bronze in Table Setting (junior).
Not that hospitality competitions are anything new for Kana. At last year's New Zealand Culinary Fare she won Best in Class and a bronze medal (no silvers or golds were awarded) in the barista competition and then at this year's Junior Auckland Culinary Fare she was awarded the silver medal and Best in Class for her wine and beverage service.
She says without the efforts of her tutors she wouldn't have been so successful.
"I really appreciate what everyone at NZMA has done for me. The tutors really go out of their way to help you. For example, when I was training for the 2005 national competition my tutor would come into school especially early in the mornings because I wasn't able to train with everyone else in the afternoons because I was working."
Kana works part-time as a Food and Beverage Attendant at Auckland's Stamford Plaza.
She says her experiences both in the work place and at NZMA have had a profound impact on her.
"What I have been doing for the last one and a half years has been very meaningful for me. I have learned how to communicate with people and that was a real weakness for me in Japan. My supervisor at the Stamford has taught me a lot about the hospitality industry and my NZMA tutors have inspired me to learn as much as possible too. I have made the most of these opportunities."
Kana is set to graduate from NZMA next year with a double diploma under her belt. For just ten extra weeks of study, students who complete the National Diploma in Hospitality Management can go onto gain their National Diploma in Business from NZMA. It's an NZQA-accredited qualification that usually takes one year to complete.
"My dream is to eventually become a flight attendant but befor�def50(I� �mes1\(I�ineH1\(I�EMES!2006-12-27 20:40:00pro1!�������P�IMG1'��!1oY|���������curh1u�ying\�Name1�|4� ��������sqle)!1 �elor of Artsrce!���\'pusD��tNameP��to!���elor of Commerce�!�����tName!P�sundharosothP��!HS��X�@�1�R�T����5o11=z|"�H����row'1�Name�~�yingNameA�t�RT INTO StudentProfiles VALUES (458,0E)A��ificate in Sports Science )�X��118,'ka1 �X�"����5o 1��J�'Tran Huu 'a! (S�oma in BusinessW�8!@Z��(1H�xJ�'Uday Singh','18�[�,����5o(1pT�xJ�'Tran Ba Tuoc','9(R�'31','','','','1(9[�pT�fei Dronov','161'!( f�l (Microbiology)9!'v�RT INTO StudentProfiles VALUES (389Q�9y��v�An�RT INTO StudentProfiles VALUES (234,13Axb�Name������''ath1�Z�����ss!10��onte de Almeidah�@!(z�P��01P\�@j�'Alessandra nQ0i�pg�!@�j�shkina Nursing��!n�Ha�9a�'85','','','','389���l�ah Nakabayashi','ab�X��!80{�en Nhat Linh�t�8!����(1���t�'Bui Vinh Nguyen'4618�\�D����5o 1�x�'h
Auckland
Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city, with 1.3 million people.
