Paris hotel welcomes Brisbane student

Patisserie student Aurora Hsu is living her dream in France with a 6-month Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement at luxury hotel Intercontinental Paris. “Paris is my dream and my Le Cordon Bleu qualification is going to fast-track me there,” she says.

Aurora Hsu always dreamt of being a pastry chef, and happily moved from Taiwan to the Gold Coast to study at Le Cordon Bleu Brisbane. After completing an exciting 6-month Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement at Intercontinental Paris, she is set to graduate with an Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management (Patisserie) in 2021.

I am now on work placement at the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand in Paris, France - 16,547km away from home and absolutely loving it. I believe that none of this would have been possible if I had attended any other culinary school.

Delighted with her student experience, Aurora is fond of her teachers, saying: “No students were left behind or got lost while learning, which can be attributed to the amazing teaching staff. The teachers are just as supportive as they are strict and disciplined.”

Blessed with the support of her family, Aurora says her family are always eager to test her creations. “My Dad doesn’t even like sweets, but he eats everything I make with gusto. We learnt how to make a traditional Austrian Sachertorte cake in class, and I made it for his birthday. He devoured the entire thing.”

Aurora’s passion and drive has been recognised by Study Brisbane who were so impressed they offered her a place in their Student Ambassador Program, she says: “As a Brisbane International Student Ambassador (BISA) I have the opportunity to attend a wide variety of networking events and meet many students from all over the world.”

There is no doubt that this Le Cordon Bleu student will achieve everything she sets her sights on – including her cherished dream of owning a patisserie in Paris.

Learn more about Aurora's patisserie programme at Le Cordon Bleu Brisbane.

When I first dreamed of doing my work placement in Paris, I knew that the idea was crazy and almost impossible to achieve. But I discussed it with my Le Cordon Bleu Industry Engagement Manager, and my childhood dream of working in France suddenly became reachable.