Double Delight for ICMS Besties

A pair of best friends each earned a prestigious International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) scholarship and are currently in the same classes for their first year of an ICMS Bachelor of Hospitality Management degree.

The besties, Alexandra (Alex) Hely and Genevieve (Viva) Rigney, were both Loreto Kirribilli Class of 2019 students.

Unbeknown to each other, they both applied for an ICMS scholarship as part of the ICMS Professional Scholarships Program, and only found out they would be sharing their college experience when discussing where they would study further.

“When ICMS called me to say I had received a scholarship, I tried so hard to contain my excitement over the phone, I believe I did this well but the people on the street were staring as I was jumping around. When I heard Viva had received one too, I was so proud of us and we were going crazy over the phone,” Hely said.

“We have been lucky enough to have been put in all the same classes for our first two trimesters at ICMS. Being in all the same classes with my best friend has made adjusting to ICMS a lot easier and definitely enjoyable.”

Rigney added: “I’m excited that my best friend and I will share our preparations for future careers. I was also grateful that ICMS had been impressed with both me and my best friend.”

Having undergone the rigorous scholarship process and come out on top, both Hely and Rigney are a step closer to achieving their respective dreams in the hospitality industry. ICMS’ reputation for giving students a head start on their future careers, with Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and placement within industry before graduation, attracted the pair to study at ICMS.

Both would like to one day head up their own hotel, and reckoned ICMS’ Hospitality Management degree was the pathway to success in this energetic and varied industry.

“My goals within the hospitality industry have not changed since year 11 when I chose to undertake a Bachelor of Hospitality Management at ICMS,” Hely said.

“One of my electives at school was a hospitality subject and for this subject I had to complete 75 hours of work experience which I undertook at the Novotel Manly Pacific. Whilst undertaking work placement at the hotel, I discovered my passion for the hospitality industry. I admired the ‘castle on the hill’ from Manly beach and on realising that they offered a hospitality course, I had the desire to study there one day.”

ICMS’ main campus is located in the ‘Castle on the Hill’ in Northern Beaches, Sydney, NSW, overlooking nine beaches, including Manly. The higher education institute also has a campus in Sydney’s CBD .

“When I graduate from ICMS, I aim to work within the human resource department at an ACCOR hotel, then will go onto become a human resource manager. After that, in a few years’ time, my dream is to become a hotel general manager. I currently work at Bistro Manly within the Novotel Manly Pacific, I absolutely adore my job there, causing my desire to continue working within the company.”

Rigney has similar ambitions. “Ever since I was a young girl it has been my dream to run my own hotel, so I wanted to join a course that would prepare me for the ins and outs to a career within hotel management,” Rigney said.

“I knew that ICMS offered this exact course, along with relevant subjects, real-life experiences and various connections within the hospitality industry. Not only this but I knew that ICMS’ Hospitality Management degree would suit my personality and learning style due to their small tutorials rather than busy lectures, which would allow me to personally communicate with teachers and freely ask questions. ICMS has a great reputation for placing their  students within the workforce by the end of their degree. This is just one of the many reasons I chose ICMS – due to their work placement opportunities and many connections that I feel will genuinely prepare me for my future. I was always a very sociable and energetic person, I continue to be today, and I felt ICMS would be well-suited to these attributes.”

Both Hely and Rigney believed teachers and the career advisor at their school, Loreto Kirribilli, had helped them with their decision-making when it came to post-school study options.

“Many of the Loreto teachers suggested ICMS to me, especially my careers advisor who knew about my aspirations and ICMS’ values. I also went to a few career expos where I found ICMS students there where I could ask them a few questions about student life” Rigney said.

Hely added: “My amazing hospitality teacher in Years 11 and 12, Ms Corinne Coleman, had a large influence on my decision to pursue a hospitality career. She made the classes so interactive and enjoyable and allowed me to complete my full 75 hours of work placement in Year 11 at the hotel I currently work at and love. …  Two of the most beautiful and caring teachers that I still miss having around to this day were part of the reason I chose ICMS as the college, like LK, offers individual academic support.  Mrs Michele Langdon and Mrs Julie Zwar supported me individually all the way through my six years in high school. LK is such a supportive community, with specialised learning, adoring teachers and endless opportunities. I wanted to attend a higher education institution that offers worldwide recognised bachelor and masters degrees, that mirrored the facilities and opportunities LK offered, and to find out that ICMS offered specialised learning help, pal support, individual support from your lectures, I knew it was the perfect place for me.”

• Receiving an ICMS Professional Scholarship involves submitting an application including a written essay, past and present leadership roles, community contributions, other relevant certificates and high school achievements, most recent academic transcripts and curriculum vitae. Once the application is assessed the student attends a panel interview in the ICMS Board room with a Deputy Vice Chancellor and senior management of the College.  Following this stage students are then selected for the finalist panel interviews.  It is a competitive field. The final panel interview generally includes ICMS President & CEO, a Senior Executive or Executives from our Corporate Scholarship Sponsor Partners, and Scholarships Chair, Ann Whitelock-Courtney O’Connor. Hely impressed the scholarships panel with her commitment to her extracurricular sporting achievements in the area of fencing. Alex is on the Australian Fencing Team and a Commonwealth medallist. She narrowly missed out on getting to compete in the upcoming Olympic Games due to injury. Alex is now a Bachelor of Hospitality Management student – an area of study which is ideally suited to her bubbly personality and warm nature. Genevieve Rigney, known to her friends as Viva, has an enthusiasm, love of life and determination which shone through in her interviews. These young aspirants are outstanding, even to manage such an experience. They impressed with their level of maturity and focus, even at this stage of their lives is exemplary.

For more about ICMS, click here: https://www.icms.edu.au/

For more about the ICMS Professional Scholarships Program, click here: https://www.icms.edu.au/scholarships

For more about the ICMS Bachelor of Hospitality Management, click here: https://www.icms.edu.au/course/bachelor-hospitality-management-ICMS