International alumna's journey to becoming a learning facilitator

Zangi Dinh discusses studying her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees with Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School and how her sense of belonging and growth developed throughout her study journey. The connections and influence made as a student-led Zangi to return as a learning facilitator to help shape student experiences in Australia.

Zangi Dinh is a Vietnamese international student, who grew up in the Czech Republic before coming to Australia to study. “People often ask me why I moved to Australia and I have to say that I was always attracted to the multiculturalism, and having the opportunity to study alongside students from many other countries.”

Moving to Australia in 2015, Zangi chose to study a Bachelor of Business (International Hotel and Resort Management) at Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS) due to its unique approach towards learning. “The industry-focused classes allow students to integrate theory with meaningful work practice and being taught by industry experts it gives students insight into real hotel work.”

With the unique opportunity to live and study on at BMIHMS' Leura campus, which is a residential campus, Zangi immersed in the hotel experience, working closely with her learning facilitators and having the ability to explore the beautiful Blue Mountains and Sydney whenever she desired. “What more could you ask for, the nurturing experience allowed us to learn in a hospitality environment whilst having fun with classmates making beds, coffees and cooking. The applied training classes were my favourite, being able to test out our freshly learned skills with the best applied-training facilitators.”

The skills I gained during my time at BMIHMS were incredibly valuable and applicable to the industry, giving me an incredible competitive advantage as a fresh graduate.

Australia’s high standard of living for international students

Moving somewhere completely unfamiliar is a daunting prospect for many students but Zangi found the experience enjoyable, being able to become resilient through her journey. “Australia has a high standard of living for students with many career opportunities and support available. Due to its multiculturalism, anyone can find a piece of home here and learning from others and being on my own helped shape me into the confident individual I am today.”

Once graduated, Zangi worked in hotels across Melbourne and moved up in her career to manage projects within the business. “I love the dynamics of projects and how the transformation can bring efficiency into an organisation's operations and make it more successful.” This led Zangi to pursue a Master of Global Project Management with Torrens University. “I wanted to become better at managing projects and to have the ability to apply concepts in a practical setting to develop my skills and knowledge. Course fees can be high for an international student however, as an alumna I had the privilege of accessing the alumni scholarship to reduce my overall tuition fees. This helped to support me on my study journey.”

Torrens University created the opportunity for me to learn and connect with industry experts.

Her experience studying at Torrens University created real and relevant training that developed her knowledge to apply in the workplace. “I was able to introduce a new project methodology at my workplace, which overhauled our entire reporting system for the better. I felt so accomplished and eager to learn more from the experience.” Zangi had a new perspective on her career and how to leverage her experience and skills in the workplace.

This led to Zangi returning to Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School, taking the opportunity to develop and shape students' learning experience. “Sharing knowledge and seeing people grow has always been a joy for me and I wanted to help students gain confidence and skills in Australia to set them up for future success.” Taking inspiration from her previous learning facilitators Zangi remembers, "They gave me a sense of belonging, and cared for my wellbeing and success which greatly influenced my student experience for the better.”

“Studying at BMIHMS gave me a competitive advantage when it came to employability due to the university’s well-established reputation.”

Reflecting on her study journey Zangi learnt that although the world is big the hospitality industry is quite small, having met many BMIHMS alumni throughout her career. “It is a social network that creates instant human connection and I’ve built many relationships both personal and professional thanks to my time studying there.”

When asked to give any advice to other international students Zangi shared “At BMIHMS and Torrens University you will get to create memories and connections that will last a lifetime. Not every university will give you the opportunity to discover your hidden talents whilst building your career and establishing a network. Enjoy the journey to discover yourself and know that Torrens University is there to support you the entire way.”