After her dream of becoming a pilot was grounded, Cape York Leaders Program (CYLP) scholarship student Koreena Minniecon is using her tertiary education as a springboard to travel the world.
The Mossman Gorge local spent her younger years growing up in Far North Queensland, before joining CYLP in Year 8 on a secondary scholarship to attend Stuartholme School in Brisbane. Wanting to be closer to home, Koreena then transferred to The Cathedral School in Townsville at the end of Year 9 with Student Support Officer Sharon Phineasa providing regular check-ins and support.
After graduating high school in 2019, she moved to Queensland’s southeast corner and started university but, after discovering Brisbane wasn’t the right fit, she took a leap of faith and moved to Adelaide in 2022 to study a Bachelor of Business (Hotel Management) at the International College of Hotel Management (ICHM) in Adelaide.
“Originally I was going to do piloting but that didn’t work out because of my height, and I used to get sick from flying,” she said.
“I decided I was going to make the change and do what I wanted to do.
“I was scared but it has been a good experience and allowed me to become my own person.”
While her degree is technically a Bachelor of Business, her major in Hotel Management sees her course work focused on hotels and its many operations and different departments, including food and beverage, front office, HR, housekeeping and more.
The Bachelor gives graduates the skills necessary to go out and run hotels, with many alumni now general managers of major hotels.
As Koreena is in her third year of study, her ambition for her third practical placement is to travel overseas to the UK where she hopes to gain employment and continue working overseas for a time.
While she is nearing the end of her course, Koreena admitted she has struggled at times but was able to keep pushing through thanks to her CYLP tertiary support officer Kylie providing regular check-ins and support through her third year. She also looked to family for support, including her older sister and CYLP alumni, Courtney.
Courtney has explored several degrees, including and completing a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy supported by CYLP. She is currently studying for her Masters, which inspired Koreena.
“I look at her and think if she can do it, I can do it too,” she said.
Another role model of Koreena’s is ICHM alumna Miriam Stevens. Miriam helped Koreena adapt to living away from home. She was also her supervisor on her very first placement in Adelaide.
“Even though I’m not working there anymore we stay in contact so I can go back to her and get advice if I need to,” she said.
Koreena wishes to one day run her own hospitality business and believes that the skills she is gaining from her degree will set her up for success.