Minhee Jung

After a bumpy start, Minhee Jung finally feels like she knows where she's heading.

The bubbly 20 year old came here for a holiday in 2002 and she loved it so much she never went home! Initially her parents, who live in O-San (near Seoul), thought she was "crazy" but now they are happy with Minhee's choice.

"I was quite naughty in Korea and got into trouble at school so my parents were worried about me staying here," says Minhee, who lives with relatives in Mairangi Bay.

"But for me it was the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to find a new lifestyle."

After studying English at an Auckland language school, Minhee attended Massey High School and then St Dominic's College.

"I graduated in 2004 and spent the next year totally confused. I didn't know what to do with my future. Originally I was going to do design but I really like to talk to and meet people. I worked in a Japanese restaurant for a while. I really enjoyed it and decided to change from design to hospitality."

Since then, Minhee hasn't looked back. She's transformed from a confused teenager with little direction to a determined, motivated student carving out an exciting career path for herself.

Not only does she spend each day studying for her National Diploma in Hospitality Management at NZMA, but she spends many of her evenings waitressing at Fortuna Buffet Restaurant, one of SKYCITY's busiest dining spots or bartending at the adjoining Atrium Bar.

"I'm really happy with my choice. I was going to go to hospitality school in Australia but then I found out about NZMA and decided this would suit me better. By studying here I can still live with my relatives."

Minhee started her diploma in October last year.

"It's even better than I expected it to be. I can enjoy many different experiences at this school and meet people from lots of different nationalities."

And she's equally enthusiastic about her job.

"I just love it! I'm only allowed to work up to 20 hours a week but I always spend a lot of time, even when I'm not working, hanging out with my friends at SKYCITY just because I love it so much! Hospitality people are really funny and nice and someone is always partying!"

Minhee says the combination of studying at NZMA and working at SKYCITY is a good one.

"Everything I learn at NZMA I can put into practice at work. I'm lucky because they also do lots of training at SKYCITY so I'm learning heaps."

Minhee, who hopes to eventually get permanent residency in New Zealand, plans to stay working at SKYCITY until she graduates in October 2007. She's then tossing up working there full-time or heading across the Tasman to gain some work and life experience in Australia.

With a well-respected qualification and work experience under her belt she'll have plenty of options.

"I want to do heaps of different jobs within the hospitality industry during my career. I want to be a bartender, a barista, a manager.

"That's what I love about the industry it's so diverse, and it's good because you can work anywhere in the world."