

Asia Manzi awarded the Johan Groothuizen Scholarship for academic achievement
This year's Johan Groothuizen Scholarship Award event took place on 21 June on campus The Hague to celebrate a student who achieved the highest propaedeutic result in the first year. We are pleased to announce that this year the Johan Groothuizen Scholarship was awarded to Asia Manzi.
After a lively networking session filled with congratulations and excitement, the evening continued at Le Début for a delicious dinner. Here, amidst great food and cheerful conversations, they celebrated Johan Groothuizen's legacy and toasted to Asia Manzi's outstanding achievement with enthusiasm.
The Johan Groothuizen Scholarship, established in recognition of Johan Groothuizen's exemplary career in maritime hospitality, represents a prestigious honour at Hotelschool The Hague. This scholarship, jointly founded by Holland America Line (HAL) and DE LIJN, commemorates Groothuizen's 45-year tenure as Vice President of Marine Hotel Operations at HAL. The scholarship not only celebrates academic excellence but also inspires recipients to uphold Groothuizen's standards of innovation and dedication in the hospitality industry.
Read more about the Johan Groothuizen Scholarship and other scholarship opportunities here.
“This award is a big personal recognition”
Asia Manzi
Originally from Lake Como, Italy, Asia discovered her affinity for hospitality during a high school internship, where she explored the industry's dynamics and found her calling. Inspired by her travels and encouraged by her mother's mention of Hotelschool The Hague, Asia enrolled with a desire to immerse herself in the diverse aspects of the hospitality industry. As she progresses through her studies, Asia has developed a keen interest in areas such as sales, marketing, and revenue management. Post-graduation, she aims to apply these skills in a hotel office setting, contributing to the operational and administrative functions while continuing to foster exceptional guest experiences. Asia's passion for hospitality extends beyond operational excellence; she envisions a career in the luxury sector.
Reflecting on her first-year highlights at Hotelschool The Hague:
“Moving to Amsterdam and settling into Skotel was a significant milestone for me, because it was my very first time living abroad. Another significant milestone was the internship at Bulgari Resort in Bali where I could develop my skills in the Front Office and Guest Relations department and how to deal with guests in a luxury environment. I’m happy with my choice to study at HTH, where I've gained valuable insights into managing, administrative roles, and fostering creativity. HTH has deepened my passion for hospitality, and I am eager to continue my journey within this dynamic industry.”
Balancing academics and personal life
Despite being very dedicated to her studies, Asia places a lot of value on finding enough time to engage in different activities such as sports or hanging out with friends. She is a very organised person and keeps an agenda that she updates at the start of each week, scheduling both her academic and extracurricular activities. Asia believes it is important to dedicate time to personal hobbies and take care of one's mental and physical health. She attends sports classes three to four times a week and schedules regular hangouts with her friends.
Advice for future students
We were interested in what advice Asia would suggest to future students. She said:
"My number one tip would be to stay organised and stick to your schedule and plan. To succeed in the courses, I recommend starting right from the beginning of the block instead of leaving everything until the end. This way, you spread the workload evenly, feel less stress, and have more time to focus on other activities as well."