Over the October school holidays, Anahera finally got to try out a STAR course to learn some Barista skills. She has tried different activities through the year, however, Anahera has also been keen to get a part-time job where she can use service skills in the Hospitality industry. On the Barista course she made six types of coffee for the practical component of the assessment. While it is a hands-on course, it is critical to realise there is a lot of theory to explain to get NCEA credits. Anahera summed it up by saying that she learnt from the tutor using open-book methods and can now tell someone where coffee is grown, and how to store the beans/grinds. She also said it was great to be in a new learning space and she enjoyed the way the assessments worked. Her final words are: ‘The STAR course makes me want to attend Hillmorton and Ko Taku Reo even more as it is all about the opportunity to learn skills that will help you to develop your learning back at school’.