Meet Laura Blechner, who has worked at Southport Sharks for over five-years as a Commis Chef and was recently awarded a scholarship taking her to Iceland for a semester. We spoke with her about this exciting opportunity.
“I am so thankful to Southport Sharks for understanding and supporting my life as a university student and as a chef. Sharks has provided me with the flexibility of working hours that allowed me to work whilst studying” – Laura Blechner
Tell us about your journey as a chef?
I always loved traveling trying local food – I was fascinated how this impacted on my senses. In 2007, when I moved to Australia I started dish washing in a local restaurant, and from watching the way the chef worked, my interest developed. The chef let me try cooking dishes and I loved it! I became a chef in 2010 and have been one ever since.
What is the scholarship and how did you come to be awarded it?
I am studying a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Griffith University — Gold Coast. Toward the end of 2017, I received an award for academic excellence and for performing in the top 5% of Griffith University students. This has landed me a semester scholarship at the University of Iceland, known as a leading teaching and scientific research institution in the field of molecular biology and medical science.
What are you hoping to learn from the experience?
I am hoping to gain life experience and further knowledge in the Molecular Biology and Biochemistry field. Hopefully, this experience will help me stand out when pursuing a job and help me achieve the career I want.
Southport Sharks Human Resource Manager, Ann-Maree O’Neill believes it’s important for the business to be supportive of team members learning and upskilling.
“Sharks prides itself on supporting the community, and our involvement in the Health and Knowledge precinct. Due to our locations, we are fortunate to have a lot of team members working with us while studying a diverse range of degrees. We want to see our staff follow their career aspirations and we support them by offering, for example, flexible working hours or relevant experience for their course” explains Ann-Maree O’Neill.
If you are interested in finding out about career opportunities at Southport Sharks, visit our careers pages.