PANDA, PANDA, PANDA, PANDA?! ....NOPE, WILLIAM WIDJAYA
William (AKA Panda) is much loved by his peers at QTHC and he showcased just WHY he is so popular through his speech at the most recent NSW Graduation Ceremony.
"Think about how far we have come, individually, and as a team.”
Panda reflected back on his first day at QTHC. So much optimism and excitement filled the commencing class:
“We all had thoughts about the day after we graduate, when we graduate we will be commencing new jobs and will be a Head Chef! We all dreamt of a transformation, progressing from a student who could not cook into a talented culinary professional. Our placements challenged us, however, in spite of the long hours, struggles and fatigues we faced, we never lost our passion for cooking. We studied hard and worked harder. We attended theory classes in the college campus and practised our cooking skills in the fantastic Sydney Seafood School. We were always supported by the wonderful trainers and staff at QTHC.”
“Now that we have graduated, I think we can all appreciate the work done by our mothers in the kitchen and at home. We now know how hard it is to prepare hearty and delicious food.”
“We love working WITH food and we love working AROUND food. The difficulties that we face: grill cleaner ruining our fingernails, hot oil blistering our skin and cutting our hands thousands of times whilst working with crustaceans, never deterred us from learning in this industry.”
“I will never forget the day that I saw the movie Thor: Ragnarok at the cinema, I had only just landed on Australian soil in November 2017. After the movie I said to my friend, “when I live and study here, I want to get as ripped as Chris Hemsworth. He is Australian and I am sure the atmosphere down here in Australia will help me to become as ripped as he is.” She looked at me and said, “Panda, be real, after only a week in Australia you have already gained 3Kgs!”.
“Mr Richard Finlayson should pat his back for putting together an institution that is professional and has such care for its students. I would recommend QTHC to anybody.”
“Almost all of us students are newcomers to Australia. We have never experienced some of the things we survived through, an Australian drought, hail storms and not getting killed by our Head Chef for being late to shift due to the horrific Sydney traffic!”
“The fact that we made it here to our graduation is a testament to our perseverance and commitment.”
Panda ended his powerful, enlightening and amusing speech with: “Class, strive to be the best version of yourself. Fly through the turbulence and live life because you are a warrior. Be phenomenal or be forgotten.”
“I want to thank all of my trainers and the staff from QTHC for supporting me through my studies and the chefs from my workplaces for their continued encouragement. I would especially like to thank all of my friends and classmates for the unforgettable memories.”
Picture - William Widjaya (graduating student of QTHC)