Industry scholarships giving students opportunities

Last week for the first time Silk Skin Spa awarded two scholarships and two highly commended awards that recognised excellence to WITT Beauty Therapy students.

The scholarships were designed to help students heading into their second year of beauty therapy or their first year of employment. 

The scholarship recipients were Tina Kingi and Diana -Leigh Martin, and the highly commended awards went to Kate Richards and Maddie Davis. All the students are currently studying the New Zealand Certificate in Beauty Therapy Level 4 or 5.  

Diana-Leigh said that she was very shocked when she heard her name read out for the scholarship.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting to receive it, there are so many others in my class that I think deserved it just as much as me, after watching them and their efforts this year” she said.

“It’s been a tough journey for myself, and there were definitely days where I second-guessed myself and whether I would make it to the end.”

“Being awarded the scholarship is amazing and I am so lucky! It’s a feeling of accomplishment but also a feeling of recognition for all of my hard work. It just proves that although things will get hard you can do it and you never know what rewards may just pop up for you along the way she said.”

Diana-Leigh is about to graduate from the New Zealand Certificate in Beauty Therapy (Level 5), which means her journey with WITT for now has come to a close.

Diana-Leigh said it has been a pleasure to study at WITT.

“I am looking forward to the future. I will miss the people I’ve met along the way, especially those who helped me on my journey, including my support network at home. I’ve met people that have come in as clients and are now wanting to follow me wherever I land next. My plan is to work in the industry when I leave” she said.

Diana would like to say thank you to her tutors, her support team and most importantly her mum who, without her none of this would have been possible.

The scholarship was administrated and funded by Silk Skin Spa, a local day spa and skin clinic. Owner of the clinic Charlotte Ward said her motivation for giving out these awards was simply to give back to the community.

“I have been a Beauty Therapist for 30 years, and I really wanted to give back to my own industry. What better place to start than our future therapists.” She said.

“I just wanted to make it a little bit easier for a couple of students who show potential and are fully committed to their studies,” she said.

Pictured: Tina Kingi and Charlotte Wood (Silk Skin Spa Owner)