Blayze Rooney - Diploma in Beauty and Spa Therapies

Elite is known in beauty circles for providing talented, work-ready graduates to the industry and Blayze Rooney is no exception. In 2013 she graduated with a Diploma in Beauty and Spa Therapies and two years later went on to win New Zealand’s 3rd Most Promising Therapist award at the New Zealand Beauty Awards.

Blayze made the decision to move to Auckland and study at Elite after working at her grandfathers factory for a year after graduating high school. She was attracted to the beauty industry for many reasons including the hands-on nature of the job, the ‘people factor’, and the varied nature of the industry.

“A beauty career is exciting because there are multiple fields within the industry…beauty essentials will always be around but new treatments and products are always being created.”

Having found a job directly after graduating, Blayze spent time refining and practising the skills that she learned at Elite before embarking on her next challenge – starting her own business! She currently owns and operates the highly successful clinic My Skin & Beauty in Oamaru.

“I found achieving awards while studying made everything a lot easier in terms of finding employment…my biggest success to date is starting my own business which I could not have done without a lot of hard work and the support of my family members, who also own their own businesses.”

Elite offers students the chance to sit international exams, including CIDESCO, and this is something which most Elite students make sure to take advantage of. Blayze was awarded top CIDESCO student in 2013 and believes that Elite helped her get to where she is today.

“With specialised teachers for each field of beauty therapy, the tutors at Elite are able to offer the best training, and they pass on their knowledge and experience gained from working in the industry...Elite's purpose built facilities offer clinic-like settings which help prepare you for the workforce.”

Blayze's advice for students looking at studying is simple. Take the time to ensure you enrol at the best possible school, study hard, and ensure you are willing to work hard after graduating.