I wrote this last night as i could not sleep really well..

Why not just post it out to share with everyone.. It's the thank you speech that i'm going to read out if i win tonight for the International Student of the year..

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I would like to take this time to firstly, thank everyone for coming here today to the award ceremony.

Before I came here today, I told myself this, that regardless of whether I win tonight or not, I will still continue to work hard and give my best and continue to be an ambassador of Polytechnic West in the industry and within the campus, not just locally, but overseas in the future as well.

My name is Benjamin, and I’m turning 19 mid this year. I was born and raised in Singapore and came here after my GCE O levels examination. I first started out my studies in Swan TAFE, the former polytechnic west in 2008 from Commercial cookery, Food and Beverage Service in Cert 4, Diploma of Hospitality Management and currently doing my Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management.

Firstly, I would like to take this time to thank Heather Jones, coordinator of International Students studying Hospitality, for taking me into the school, when I was just an under-aged student and constantly looking after me when I was doing my studies here.

I would like to thank my mum, for sacrificing so much just to send me here to a foreign country to study. Thanks for all the love, care and support for me throughout all my life.

Thank my step-dad for looking after me, when my mum is not around, working so hard to provide for everyone in the family. Thanks for giving me money to get my 1^st set of uniform and tools for classes.

I would like to thank all my friends and family back home in Singapore, for always constantly sending their love and support all the way back home to me here. Thank you for always believing in me and keeping me strong and motivated for my work and studies here.

Thank my classmates, especially diploma group 1, for all the fun and joy and making my study experience here a fun-filled one.

Thank all my colleagues and ex-colleagues in Tony Roma’s and 399 Bar for teaching me so much and molding me into a better cook and bartender as the days go by, as well as always believing so much in me to progress on.

Thank all my lecturers, Angela Schlegel, Angela Lee, Kylie, Eugene Ursula for their time and hard work and their patience. Not forgetting all the baby-sitting when I was still and under aged student. Thanks for showing me what the hospitality industry is all about and making me fall in love with it deeper as I progress on in my studies here. Not forgetting Shaun Roetheli, for nominating me for this award, as well as his constant effort into spending lots of time, to mold me into preparation for World Skills State Waiter of the Year Competition, which I got 2^nd position in.

Thank my Father in heaven, Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Saviour.

Lastly, to me, Polytechnic West is not just about a place where we learn and gain knowledge and additional skills about a certain industry, it is about education only. It’s about building lives, as this place has indeed shown everyone what love, passion about doing something is all about, just like what everyone, especially the lecturers here are demonstrating. Polytechnic West over the past few years has given people like me a chance to learn and grow, as well as gain a life-long skill that gave me a dream, to believe and strive on to fight for what I really want to achieve. Thank You Polytechnic West.

Thank you everyone.

Labels: no turning back, random, Thoughts and Feelings