Georgia Breeze
3rd-year student, Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts with a minor in Te Reo Māori
Her dream is to work as a chef on a superyacht one day, says Georgia Breeze who is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts with a minor in Te Reo Māori.
“I have a passion for cooking and creating exciting new meals, and I enjoy lots of practical work, creativity and learning new recipes. Studying culinary arts will bring me a step closer to my career goal of being a super yacht chef, or potentially work in the wedding catering industry.”
When she looked into where to go to study culinary arts, she soon found herself at AUT.
“I found AUT provided the best culinary programme in New Zealand, and covered the widest range of different cuisines. I also chose AUT because of how welcoming the staff and other students were. There was a motivating and exciting environment as soon as I entered the building for the first time, especially in the whānau space and at Te Ara Poutama, AUT's Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Development, which offers the minor I’m studying.”
Creative and practical
Georgia says the creative and practical work in her classes is what she is enjoying most about her studies.
“I’ve enjoyed making new dishes every week, creating new plating ideas and experimenting with different recipes. It makes each week and each lesson something new and exciting.”
Now in the final year of her studies, she has already had a number of highlights throughout her time at AUT.
“I’ve made some of my closest friends through Tītahi Ki TUA, and I’ve loved being able to indulge in my culture and be part of some amazing events. The support, friendship and guidance we’ve given to each other and the social events we’ve been involved in have been a highlight.
“My second year was filled with lots of exciting opportunities. I was asked to be part of the new Amokura Vice-Chancellor’s Leadership Programme, which involves fortnightly sessions on group work, information on different leadership roles and advice on how to be the best leader. It includes meetings with some highly respected leaders across Aotearoa. In the second semester I was also fortunate enough to be given a partial scholarship towards an exchange semester in France. I got to study at Institut Lyfe, one of the top culinary schools in France, which was an incredible experience. I learned an insane amount of new French techniques, and got to work in one of the campus restaurants where I learned about how a French restaurant runs.”
Advice for other students
Georgia has some great advice for other students.
“University isn't as scary as you may think it is! There are so many people there to support you
whenever you need and everyone is in the exact same boat as you, so don't be shy to reach
out.”
She certainly knows what she is talking about and has made the most of the supportive environment herself.
“The biggest challenge I’ve faced while studying at AUT was my first in-class exam, as I didn’t realise how different it would be from my high school exams. My lecturers helped explain the exam conditions in detail, and gave my peers and I lots of time to work and practise together.”
