Secondary School At Pymble, we pride ourselves on employing not only the most knowledgeable and experienced teachers to give our students the best chance at academic success, but also the most passionate.
And for the past two years the College has been fortunate to have Karina Olsen within its ranks, a hospitality teacher who brings a wealth of industry experience straight into the classroom, creating a dynamic and engaging environment for her students.
When asked what inspired her to become a hospitality teacher, Karina said, “I love that hospitality finds the perfect balance between a theory-rich subject and an engaging, fun and practical one,” and that she values “being able to play a part in teaching students skills that they will use throughout their lives,” whether that’s learning how to make the best piccolo latte, prepare the best lunch on Mother’s or Father’s Day or simply how to effectively work in a diverse workplace.
“Hospitality provides a relaxed atmosphere to build meaningful relationships with students, which enriches the learning environment for all,” Olsen said.
Although Karina has been at the College for a relatively short amount of time, she has already made a big impact on her students and says that one of the most memorable moments of her teaching journey at Pymble was when her Year 12 students launched the inaugural Hospitality Café earlier this year.
With little prior experience in service, the students displayed exceptional resilience and skill, stepping far beyond their comfort zones to serve several of their teachers who stopped by for lunch.
“Their hard work and dedication over many months not only brought our café to life but also turned it into a celebrated success within the community,” Olsen recalled proudly.
For Karina, hospitality is more than just a subject; it’s a gateway to essential life skills.
“Hospitality is an amazing subject for instilling essential interpersonal skills in students, such as teamwork, communication, responsibility, autonomy and customer service.
“These skills are initially introduced as theoretical concepts and then brought to life through a variety of hands-on experiences, including practical lessons, work placements, school events and excursions,” said Olsen.
Creativity and innovation are at the core of Karina’s hospitality classes; students are encouraged to design innovative beverages, develop trending recipes and plan and implement diverse café menus. She then supports them in making connections between their hands-on experiences and in-class theory, helping them gain a deeper understanding of the industry.
When asked to pitch the course to students potentially considering choosing hospitality as a subject, Karina highlighted three main benefits:
- Engaging learning environment: You will enjoy a fun, hands-on learning experience with small class sizes and passionate, experienced teachers.
- Practical and versatile skills: You will learn concepts that are regularly applied in practical settings and can be transferred to other subjects and real-life situations.
- Career opportunities: You will gain valuable skills that can help you secure part-time employment either during or after school.
Karina’s passion and enthusiasm for hospitality is evident for all to see, but she’s not the only one who sings the praises of the course – students, too, have found their hospitality experience rewarding and transformative.
When we asked a few of Karina’s Year 12 students what they thought about the course, Yvette Volk said she enjoys “the different practical skills you learn throughout the course and how close you become with your classmates and teacher,” Giaan Jackson said she’s “loved learning to make a variety of food and beverages that I can take outside of class” and Georgia Phillips said the skills she’s obtained have led to her being offered a part-time job as a barista next year.
Hospitality is more than just a subject – it’s a journey that equips students with the skills, creativity and confidence to succeed in the real world, regardless of what line of work they choose to pursue in the future.
And from all accounts, our students are extremely lucky to have someone as dedicated to the subject as Karina to lead them on this journey.
