Cput Hotel School stars get more than R1m in bursaries

The glitzy ceremony was held at the Cape Town Hotel School this week and saw the school’s academic giants bagging bursaries to the value of R1 445 550, as well as R32 550 in vouchers for books and weekend getaways at local hotels.

The bursaries are funded by successful establishments in the industry including Tsogo Sun Hotels, Cape Liquor and Catering Trade Educational Trust as well as Protea Hotels by Marriot.

Thembisile Molose, the hotel school’s director, said the monetary value of the bursaries is a vote of confidence in the school’s work by industry captains and expressed his gratitude to the school’s advisory board.

Prof Paul Green, Dean of Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, said other departments should take a leaf from the school’s management and learn how to attract such financial and other support from industry.

The biggest winner of the evening was a third-year student, Jonathan Prithiviraj, who was awarded a scholarship to study abroad.

Jonathan clinched the very prestigious University College Birmingham Scholarship to complete his fourth year of study at the college in Birmingham. Valued at approximately R350 000, the scholarship is awarded to the best academic student that can succeed in the overseas environment.

Jonathan will commence his studies in Birmingham in September and he says he is nervous and excited about his upcoming stay overseas.

“I hope to learn and develop personal skills,” he said.

He added that since hearing about the scholarship during his first year, it had been a goal that he had been aiming to achieve.

“I was Head Student Representative for three years, which I used as a stepping stone to craft my leadership skills as I worked as liaison between the lecturers and staff,” he said. “I always gave 100% of what I could in whatever I did.”

The school’s alumnus Prince Chirwa, who is now Guest Experience Manager at the Twelve Apostles Hotel, advised the students to be alert to the opportunities presented to them by the industry and make most of them.