205 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29401, United States. Here, on the doorstep of the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by low-country marshes, is where nine BA Honours in Tourism Management students from the Mahikeng Campus of the North-West University (NWU) will call home when they embark on a journey of a lifetime on 21 November.
Their destination is the five-star Charleston Place hotel, and their stay in the Palmetto State – a nickname acquired from its most famous tree – will last four exciting months and is a paid internship facilitated by Awesome Travel.
Awesome is a cultural exchange, work and travel company.
The nine students were chosen after an extensive selection process, which saw hundreds of tourism and hospitality candidates from across the country apply for the coveted internship. After being shortlisted for personal interviews, the students impressed interviewers enormously and secured their flights to the other side of the world.
If there is one person who knows what an invaluable learning experience the internship will be, it is Dr Walter Wessels from the School of Tourism at the NWU. Not only did he introduce the students to the programme, he had also completed the same internship after completing his undergraduate degree in Tourism Management at the NWU in 2008.
“This programme is a wonderful way for our students to gain industry experience from one of the best tourism providers in the world. The experience will not only ensure that they learn from the best, but they will also gain a competitive advantage when applying for any tourism or hospitality position when they return to South Africa. This is proof that NWU Tourism honours-degree graduates are in high demand not only in South Africa, but also internationally,” said Wessels.
A treasure trove of opportunities awaits these students, and with the commitment they have already shown, there is no doubt that bright futures beckon upon their return.
Bon voyage! The exceptional group is from the back: Bathabile Mdluli, Alton Molefe, Philani Ngcobo, Lesego Gamedze, Dr Walter Wessels and Shalton Mahosi. In the front is Mirra Mathabela, Brenda Mauku, Resego Modise and Zandile Morakaladi.
