Student success stories
Read about the experiences and successes that Metropolitan South Institute students have had.
Henrietta Dups - Diploma of Textiles, Clothing and Footwear
Kaylene Clayton - Adult Tertiary Preparation
Prue Abrecht - Double Diploma of Horticulture/Conservation and Land Management
Stacey Cotter - Advanced Diploma of Textiles, Clothing and Footwear
Cindy Sadler - Certificates II and III in Hospitality
Adrian Castelli - Tertiary Access at Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE
Sharon Knight - Certificate III in Business Administration
Ori Lissner - Diploma of Horticulture
Jodi Baker, Designer, Bright Bots - Fashion
Jeni Wycha - Certificate III in Information Technology (Networking)
Yudith Pardon - English as a Second Language
Paula Wardrop Certificate III in Aged Care and Diploma of Nursing
Henrietta Dups - Diploma of Textiles, Clothing and Footwear
Henrietta Dups is no stranger to the fast paced world of high fashion and style. Completing the Diploma of Textiles, Clothing and Footwear in 2000, Henrietta moved to London ready to conquer the fashion world, one A-list celebrity at a time through her role at London based Harper's and Queen (presently Harper's Bazaar).
"Honestly, without the course at Metropolitan South TAFE, I would never have got anywhere near as far as I did or been as successful as I was in London. The skills and knowledge it gave me were really invaluable and in the end it is what set me apart from the thousands of other girls who apply to Harper's Bazaar every year," Henrietta said.
Dups has attended many red carpet events including Elton John's white tie AIDS benefit ball and covering the Cannes Film Festival for Tatler.
Kaylene Clayton, PhD student - Adult Tertiary Preparation
Despite not completing senior studies, Kaylene found the Adult Tertiary Preparation (ATP) course at MSIT has helped to set her up for a career in IT.
"I hadn't studied in 17 years and the thought of returning to a classroom was terrifying.
"What I learnt through the ATP course and from the fantastic teachers at Metropolitan South TAFE gave me the confidence to believe in myself and a strong foundation to embark on further study," Kaylene said.
Kaylene has since completed an undergraduate degree at Griffith University with first class honours and recently won the 2007 Smart Women Smart State award for postgraduate students in the Information and Communication Technology category.
"The ATP course gives you a great grounding to prepare for the academic writing, skills and language you will face at university and a broad base to build upon very quickly.
Prue Abrecht, Landscape Designer
Double Diploma of Horticulture/Conservation and Land Management
"When I first left school I wanted to gain knowledge of garden construction and design with career aspirations to design unique gardens and living space for the private homeowner.
"I now have a number of qualifications in Nursery, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management, experience within the garden and nursery environment and am currently designing and overseeing the construction of gardens I've designed.
"The technical nature of the course has given me the depth of knowledge in plant species I would not have gained in other institutes.
"I have found people respect my opinion more because of my training and qualifications," Prue said.
Stacey Cotter - Advanced Diploma of Textiles, Clothing and Footwear
"In 2005 I won the Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE's scholarship to study fashion for six months at the world-renowned Polimoda Institute in Florence, Italy. This opened so many doors for me.
"My skills learnt at TAFE have proven to be as good as, and often better than, many of my European counterparts. I am indebted to the training provided by the teaching staff at Metropolitan South."
Cindy Sadler - Certificates II and III in Hospitality
"My hospitality training at Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE gave me the skills and confidence to carry out my work experience and now my job, knowing that I was highly capable of the tasks involved.
"Metropolitan South has their very own training restaurant so I was able to learn many practical skills in restaurant and bar service, financial transactions, presentation, and barista duties.
"It is my aim to run my own hotel one day and completing my training at Metropolitan South has been the perfect start."
Adrian Castelli - Tertiary Access at Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE
"My High School grades were not satisfactory to gain entry to university so I studied a tertiary access program at Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE.
"My results from TAFE saw me being accepted into Griffith University's Bachelor of Biomedical Science program. I'm now in the second year of my degree and have just spent a month as a research assistant on Herron Island in the Great Barrier Reef studying sharks. It was an amazing experience!
"Without my TAFE qualification I would not have been able to further my university education."
Sharon Knight - Certificate III in Business Administration
"I completed the Certificate III in Business Administration through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.
"I have learnt many business skills over the years, but I didn't have an official qualification to prove I was competent in those areas.
"Gaining the formal qualification has given me an advantage in the workforce as there is a lot of competition out there and I can now prove to employers that I am capable of doing the job."
Ori Lissner - Diploma of Horticulture
"People in Queensland use their outdoor space as an additional room. It is therefore imperative for people working in the landscaping business to be able to provide specialist advice to clients in everything from choosing suitable plants to constructing the perfect garden space.
"My Diploma of Horticulture from Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE taught me this knowledge and gave me the most up to date training in what the Australian public wants and what the industry has to offer."
Jeni Wycha - Certificate III in Information Technology (Networking) 
IT student Jeni Wycha said when she began the Certificate III in Networking course she had no knowledge about computers and although initially intimidated has enjoyed the challenge and the confidence she has gained.
"When I first walked in the door there was a group of boys who seemed very clever with computers and I used to look at them in awe. Now I can do just as much as they can," Jeni said.
"The best and scariest moment in the course so far was picking up a screwdriver for the first time and taking a computer apart. I have built nine computers from scratch since February and am keen to start my own business."
Jodi Baker, Designer, Bright Bots - Fashion 
Jodi Baker is currently working as a designer for local children's couture label Bright Bots and said completing fashion design through Metropolitan South gave her the skills and an appreciation of what the fashion industry had to offer.
"It opened my eyes to the variety of jobs relating to fashion that were available and gave me the confidence to enter the cut-throat and competitive fashion industry with the right skills, ability and knowledge," Jodi said.
"MSIT offers a lot of hands-on and practical elements of design and fashion as it gives students a better understanding of the finer details and complete design process," she said.
Bright Bots has been available in the Australian market for ten years and the company enjoys a solid reputation of delivering durable, good quality clothing in fun designs across Australia, New Zealand and internationally.
"I started out as a production assistant and have since been promoted to designer which allows me to travel twice a year to Paris, London and Los Angeles for product sourcing and inspiration."
Yudith Pardon - English as a Second Language
"I am originally from Venezuela and took the opportunity to study English as a Second Language at TAFE.
"In 2006 I won the inaugural TAFE Queensland Cultural Diversity Scholarship at the Women in Technology awards.
"Winning the award means a lot to me. It will help me re-establish my career. In the future I want to undertake further study at TAFE to update my ICT knowledge so I can work in computer programming or as a system analyst."
Paula Wardrop Certificate III in Aged Care and Diploma of Nursing
"I worked for 18 years in the Banking industry and decided it was time for change.
"Through studying at Metropolitan South I have learnt so much about the aged care and nursing industry. With everything that I learn comes a confidence in my ability to be able to work effectively with all the latest skills needed in the industry.
"My children have told me that I am an inspiration to them. They now know that you are never too old to learn. All you need is the determination and the help of the very supportive teaching staff at Metropolitan South."
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