Sarah Wallen
3rd-year student, Bachelor of International Tourism Management in Sustainable Tourism Management & Travel Management
She really valued having the chance to complete workplace experience in the final year of her degree, says Sarah Wallen who is about to graduate with a Bachelor of International Tourism Management in Sustainable Tourism Management & Travel Management.
“Completing workplace experience as part of my studies meant that I could apply the theoretical knowledge to a practical setting in the industry. I was very fortunate to be able to do my workplace experience with Tourism New Zealand.
“From this work placement, I gained many new skills, experiences and achievements. However, the biggest thing for me was that I got to extend my knowledge of the tourism system, specifically around destination management, regenerative tourism and stakeholder partnership. A few highlights for me were the opportunity to present my project to Tourism New Zealand's executive team and leading a major project in collaboration with the regional tourism organisations.”
With graduation just around the corner, Sarah already has a good idea how she would like to see her future.
“I’d love to be involved in the corporate side of tourism in a role that delivers on strategic destination planning and partnership at a global sustainability level.”
The right choice
Sarah says she decided to study tourism because of her passion and love for travel and tourism.
“I wanted to learn more about the tourism sector and gain specialised knowledge on all aspects of the industry. I also liked the idea that with this degree I’d also gain some management understanding, and learn about tourism at both a domestic and international level. I chose AUT because I liked that it’s a lot more practical than other universities, it has smaller classes that enable you to build deeper connections with your lecturers and classmates, and it has an awesome organisational and student culture.”
She wouldn’t hesitate to recommend AUT’s tourism degree to other students.
“By studying tourism at AUT you’ll gain such a wide range of knowledge and could really go anywhere with your degree. All of my teachers have been very supportive the whole way through my degree, and have been dedicated to helping their students achieve the best possible academic and professional development. I also liked that the degree included more presentations than exams – with tourism being a people-facing industry, it was so important to develop the confidence to present.”
Advice for other students
Expecting to graduate at the end of the year, Sarah has some great advice for other students.
“Don’t let anything hold you back – if you work hard and are passionate about something, everything will fall into place. It’s really about trusting the process and enjoying your tertiary studies because before you know it you’ll be graduating!”
It's a good idea to get some industry experience outside of your studies too, she adds.
“It will help you to start building up a network of contacts, and a range of different skills and experiences; all of which will be so relevant to your future career.”
