One last catch up with the PIHMS Student President!

I am Lachlan Kettlewell, a 20-year-old PIHMS student and I am in the final year of my degree. Hailing from Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand’s sunshine capital, I would say that growing up my life has always steered me into a career in hospitality.

Growing up I spent my school holidays working in my father’s restaurant, so hospitality has always been a part of me and I’ve grown to love the industry and what it represents. I learned from a young age that the hospitality industry has a way of connecting people from different backgrounds like no other industry can. In my short time in this industry, I’ve had the privilege to work alongside some amazing and talented individuals that have helped shape who I am. And I know that the connections I’ve made at PIHMS and the skills I have been taught will allow me to go far in this industry.  

Lachlan’s PIHMS journey

Before I came to PIHMS my view of the hospitality industry was very narrow and PIHMS has shown me that this industry has so many career pathways and has the opportunity to take me around the world and work in some amazing destinations. I still remember coming to a PIHMS career week back in 2018 and seeing the students working in the kitchen alongside the chefs and meeting the lecturers and I just remember thinking “wow everyone is so good at what they’re doing”. Hearing the students tell us about their industry placements and the jobs that they had and the people they met were one of my favorite parts of the experience.  But what really sold me on PIHMS was that I would have the opportunity to have paid employment while I study and that I would finish my degree with experience in the industry. When I first started at PIHMS I never would have thought in a million years that I would have the opportunity to be the school’s president but three years later here we are, and I now get to work and study alongside an amazing group of people. And here at PIHMS, you aren’t a number in class here our lecturers know each and every one of us. To us students our lectures aren’t just our teachers; they are our mentors and our friends. The family dynamic at this school is one of a kind and you won’t find it anywhere else in the world.  

A selection of photos from Lachlan’s time during PIHMS

The Future…

After graduating from PIHMS I plan on moving down to Queenstown to pursue a career in bartending and perhaps work for one of the wineries in the Wanaka region to develop my wine knowledge.  

I plan on staying in Queenstown for a year or two before moving to Australia for another year to continue developing my bartending knowledge and skills before moving overseas and settling in either Canada or the UK.  

Last set of wise words from the President!

To anyone that is thinking of making hospitality their career, always remember that in this industry we may be from different countries, speak different languages, and have different faiths but one thing that unites us all is a love and passion for hospitality.