1. Edge FoundationAmbassador – Edge Hotel School
Name: VivienSchaper
Hometown: Lincoln
Place ofwork: Wivenhoe House Hotel
Job title: Trainee Manager/StudentPractitioner
Qualifications: BA Honsin Hotel Management,Edge Hotel
School – completing2016
4 A-levels,PrioryAcademyLSSTandFortPitt
Grammar School for Girls
15 GCSEs, Fort PittGrammar School for Girls
Vivien’sstory
WhenVivienfoundthe Edge Hotel School she wasstunned.Ithadexactlywhatshe waslookingfor-
a Hotel linkedtoa Universityin whichshe couldlearnaboutall departmentsacademicallyand
practically.The course durationof twoyearswas the icingon the cake forVivien,notonlydue tothe
large financial savingcomparedtoathree year degree but because itwouldallow hertocatchup to
heryear group,makingupfor the year she lostwhenshe movedschools.
Aftervisitingthe Edge Hotel School onone of theiropendays,Vivien’smindwasmade upand she
appliedimmediately. Vivienwas awardedthe SavoyEducational TrustScholarship tohelpfundher
studiesandthishasallowedhertosecure additional workexperienceatExclusivesHotel’sPennyhill
Park Hotel inMay 2015.
So far she has lovedeveryminute of herdegree.She findsherworkinthe hotel excitingasnoshiftis
everthe same. The course itself hasgiven herthe opportunitytomeetlotsof people inthe industry
and she’sbeenable tosupplementherlearningbyattendingconferencesandevents.She has
discoveredaparticularinterestinmarketingandhasevensetupan Instagram accountfor the
course,givingpeopleaninsightintothe life of anEdge Hotel School student. She hasalsoperfected
hertime managementskills,quicklylearningtojuggle shiftsin the hotel,assignments, deadlinesand
extracurricularactivities.
As the course involvesaperiodof time ineachdepartmentof the hotel Vivienfeelswell prepared
for the worldof work.But there isone thingin particularthatshe believessetsthe Edge Hotel
School apart fromotherdegrees;the humanside of hotel life,the side thatcannotbe taughtin a
lecture hall.
She says:“Every guestis differentand working in the Hotel, we learn how to read and assess
situationsto makesure thatwe create the bestexperience forthemby making sureourguestsare
alwaystreated withthe greatestrespect and care.”
At the moment,Vivien’sambitionistobecome amanager of a four or five-starHotel,specialisingin
marketing.She isalsokeentotravel and explore otherpartsof the worldand aftermovingfrom
Germanyto Englandas a child,she isnot dauntedbythe prospectof workingabroadif it’sthe right
stepfor hercareer.