Maxine Lee - 2008 Tourism Scholarship winner
Meet Maxine Lee, a 2008 Tourism Scholarship winner and mother of two studying for a Diploma in Tourism Management.
As a 9 year old girl visiting the UK for the first time, Maxine Lee got her first taste of travel and a passion was born. “I knew since that trip that I wanted to do something with travel,” says Maxine, now 37 and living in Nelson. “I was hooked. I would always have my nose in travel books, dreaming about places I could visit when I grew up.”
When she finished school, Maxine bid farewell to the sunny shores of Nelson to explore Europe for 18 months. Upon returning to New Zealand, she decided to turn her love for travel and passion for people into a career, and became a flight attendant.
“It was the perfect fit between travel and customer service. I loved the opportunity to meet a fresh set of faces every hour. Each flight gave you a new group of people to interact with. It was exciting to travel so often, and was so different from any other job,” says Maxine.
Maxine was a flight attendant for two years before falling pregnant with her first child, Lachlan, at age 23. This welcomed news meant trading the job of high flyer for a new role: stay at home mum. She gave birth to her second boy, Austen, almost two years later.
Going back to work as an airline reservation sales consultant when her sons were 3 and 1, Maxine quickly learned that it was too early to be working full time again. “It was a challenging time,” she confesses. “I had moved to a new city and didn’t have the support of family and friends around me. Along with my then husband, I was caring for two boys under the age of three and so I just had to reconsider what would work best for all of us.”
Determined to make the most of her time at home, she decided to continue her learning through studying for a Diploma in Travel, and soon returned to flight attending as a casual employee at first. “The flexibility of the travel industry meant that I had some choice over the hours that I worked. If extra shifts were available, I had the opportunity to pick them up. It was perfect for my situation.”
“The transition between raising a young family and returning to work isn’t easy,” she concedes. “But you have to keep working towards your dreams. If your children see you working hard and achieving, you are setting the example for them to set their sights high too.”
In her new role of single mother, Maxine continued to fly full time for over 7 years, during which time she was able to purchase her first home to renovate. But the motivated mum soon found herself itching for a new challenge.
“Working as a flight attendant was wonderful, but after a while I felt I needed a change, a new direction. I sold my house, resigned from my job, and moved back to my home town to study full time. I have always wanted to do my own thing, build something of my own.”
“My wonderful new partner is a builder and part owns a family farm in a beautiful setting. It is surrounded by native gullies with deer and cattle on the hills, and together we have an idea to build cosy holiday cottages and host tourists around the property. We would have them participate in fishing and farming and make it something really unique.”
To help make this dream a reality, Maxine is currently enrolled in a Diploma in Tourism Management, with the aim of gaining more skills in marketing and management.
“I found that the skills I already had from travel; a passion for meeting people, patience and experience with different cultures, easily transfers to the tourism industry. I love the challenge of learning how tourism businesses operate and the environmental aspects of tourist visitation in New Zealand. This is the sort of knowledge I can use to help build my own business.”
Maxine is now one step closer to her dream, being a recent recipient of a 2008 Aviation, Tourism and Travel Organisation (ATTTO) Scholarship, receiving $3,000 towards study costs.
The Scholarships support people of all ages in their career development, and reward role models like Maxine who are determined to find their ideal career path and put in the hard work to succeed.
“I feel very honoured to receive this award,” says Maxine. “Finances can be restricted when you are studying with kids, so it will certainly help.”
With a new baby girl due in September, there are no signs of Maxine slowing down.
“It’s certainly a juggling act, but it is possible to manage work, family and study all at the same time. It’s about having a balance, and figuring out what works for you,” she says.
Scholarship presentation, Thursday 29 May, 2008.
L - R: Maxine Lee's son Austen, 2008 Tourism Scholarship winner Maxine Lee and course coordinator and tutor Karina Marwick.
