Brandon Gamutan, CIA

Brandon’s passion for food and the culinary arts stemmed from cooking at home with his grandma as a child and helping with dinner while his mom was at work. The decision to attend the Culinary Institute of America was not only because of this passion for cooking, but because Brandon fell in love with the science of it all and how food makes its way to the shelves in the supermarket. After completing his bachelor’s degree in culinary science, he hopes to pursue a career in research and development in food science. Brandon also aspires to further his education with either a master’s in food safety and toxicology or a food science and business MBA. Whatever career journey he takes, the Jones scholarship has inspired Brandon to one day give back to future culinary students. 

Nakera Hughes, CIA

Food has always played an important role in her life. According to Nakera, it was food that was a way for her family to come together and bond, and it’s the reason why she became interested in pursuing a career in the foodservice industry.  She reflects that a good meal can bring people together and make memories that last a lifetime. Upon completing her degree in culinary science with a focus on culinary arts, and an externship at McCormick & Company, Nakera wants to go into the field of research and development, one day owning and operating a test kitchen of her own.

Melissa Whipple, CIA

Melissa’s love for food began in high school, when she first had the opportunity to try new restaurants, foods and cultures. It was also the time she started culinary classes and participating in culinary competitions which to this day have been some of her favorite times in the kitchen. Melissa loves food because of how it makes you feel. It allows us to forget hard moments and hard situations to just enjoy what’s right in front of us. To Melissa, food can be liberating, and her passion is to help people escape those moments and enjoy what’s presented right in front of them. As a young mother and wife to an Army Ranger, Melissa hopes her education allows her to trail-blaze a path for women living the same lifestyle, creating something so impactful that it helps the military community and the spouses that must continuously change jobs at each duty station. Melissa previously received a bachelor’s degree in restaurant and foodservice management from University of Central Florida.

Amanda Herrera, CIA

The best word to describe Amanda’s inspiration behind her journey to the CIA is “growth.”  She not only wanted to grow but also make a change in her life and become a better version of herself.  Amanda loves food, and enjoys cooking and feeding people, helping them make nourishing and delicious affordable meals. That’s why she enrolled in the associate degree program in culinary arts at the CIA’s San Antonio campus.  Amanda is learning how to cook nutritional foods so she can educate others to do the same.  Focusing on nutrition and affordability is the direction she wants to take her culinary career after graduation.  A busy mother of two, Amanda is excited to take these newfound skills and knowledge back to her community, allowing members to take more control over their health and diet.  Amanda is well on her way, recently completing an internship at Botika in San Antonio’s history Pearl Brewery under the tutelage of Chef-Owner Geronimo Lopez, also a former Executive Chef & Instructor of Culinary Arts at the CIA.

Shanika Patterson, CIA

Shanika’s passion for food is what motivated her to pursue a culinary education, but it was a hunger for knowledge and success that led her to the CIA to pursue an associate degree in culinary arts.  Her choice to make foodservice her career also was rooted in the love and an unwavering belief that she will succeed and accomplish great things in this industry. Shanika believes if you have passion for what you do and are willing to work hard towards your goals, you can and will accomplish them. She is excited to learn as much as she can during her time in culinary school, which includes her participation in her Intrapreneurship, “Driving Innovation from within an Organization,” allowing students to pitch, develop, and run a foodservice concept. Shanika predicts that her drive and leadership skills combined with the knowledge of culinary arts will allow her to succeed in this industry and she plans to work tirelessly to achieve her goals.

Jorge Flores, CIA

Growing up in a Mexican household, where both parents and an older brother worked, Jorge learned values, ethics and hard work at a very young age. He understood if he really wanted something, he would have to work hard to obtain it. However, it was Jorge’s mother Maria who has had the biggest impact on his life. Diagnosed with cancer when Jorge was only 7, Maria and Jorge would bake and sell cookies in the park across from their home. Of course, selling cookies would not help cover the medical expenses, but as Jorge understood later in life, his mother wanted to teach him life lessons, cooking, and spending as much time together. Although she lost her battle five years later, Maria also made sure Jorge knew that food, connections and relationships would always be part of his life. One of her favorite expressions was “your world contains everything you need.”  Jorge is excited that a young kid from El Paso, Texas who sold cookies in the park has the opportunity to learn from the very best at the CIA and ultimately open a restaurant in his mother’s memory. 

Arturo Perez, CIA

Seeing his family cook and experiencing the ambiance that food creates, has inspired Arturo since he was a child to become a chef. But the long path to becoming a chef has not been easy…from moving back to Mexico while working to obtain U.S. citizenship, to helping support his parents and siblings make ends meet financially, to creating a good life for his wife and two dogs. However, he believes attending the Culinary Institute of America will go a long way to help make his dreams come true. Arturo chose the culinary career path because he wants to not only create a pleasant experience to the five senses for each customer, but also aid the community by feeding those who are hungry. While growing up, food was not always a commodity but a luxury for Arturo’s family and having the power and resources to aid the community by ensuring other families have full stomachs and happy hearts, will truly fulfill his purpose as a Chef. Arturo’s future career goals also include owning a quaint bistro that represents his Mexican culture.

Jonathan Larscheid, Fox Valley Technical College

Jonathan has always loved making people smile through food, whether it was cooking for family and friends, developing recipes or simply baking.  After rediscovering his passion for cooking up something incredible, he decided to attend Fox Valley Tech in 2019. His dream was to become a professionally trained chef and entrepreneur which is why he decided to double major in culinary arts and hospitality management. Jonathan also discovered an affection for smoking. He began experimenting with different recipes from the more traditional ribs and brisket to branching out to the more exotic like smoking apple pies and cold smoking cheeses. After graduation, Jonathan has set his sights on opening his own restaurant or food truck on Washington Island.

Jaydin Sturm, Fox Valley Technical College

Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, Jaydin not only loved the outdoors and nature but also developed a passion for food at a very young age. To help out the family, Jaydin learned how to cook and would be in charge of making dinner every night. She started introducing new recipes and foods into their meals and she really enjoyed experimenting with new recipes, new ingredients, etc. Although a self-proclaimed picky eater, Jaydin has been exposed to many new foods going to Fox Valley Tech. Jaydin plans to graduate with an associate degree in culinary arts and baking and plans to keep an open mind to all options and all experiences. 

Chelsie Leslie, Madison College

Chelsie is a self-professed “continuing learner” born and raised in northeastern Wisconsin. She previously graduated from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire with a degree in graphic design and communication studies. Fresh garden produce and good home cooking from both her mother and grandmother helped Chelsie discover her love of food at an early age. After moving to Madison post college, she began working in kitchens, first in simple shops, with no real intention of cooking. However, as she continued to learn more about food, she began to become passionate about being in the kitchen. That’s when she decided to enroll in the Madison Area Technical College culinary program to round out her overall knowledge of the foodservice profession. Chelsie has continued to work in multiple restaurants around the Madison area, holding numerous positions including prep cook, line cook and kitchen manager. 

Sierra “Sia” Devereaux, Madison College

Eager to start her culinary career, Sia graduated high school a year early and completed an internship at a local fine dining restaurant. She chose the culinary program at Madison college because the high quality facilities impressed her during multiple high school visits. Sia has always enjoyed the art of cooking and the creative outlet that it offers. Even as a kid she was always trying different savory and sweet creations and having her family taste each one. Sia explained that the entirety of her dad’s side of the family, especially her great grandmother, expressed love through cooking and that played a huge role in why she enjoys cooking so much. Sia hopes to be able to share her passion for cooking with her guests, bringing a bit of happiness to their culinary experience. She also plans to expose people to interesting new food ideas that they never thought of before or tried elsewhere.

Fatoumata Diallo, Fox Valley Technical Institute

A native of West Africa, Fatoumata Diallo has always loved to cook especially for her three children. Some of her favorite African foods include many different varieties of fried rice as well as stews and soups made with cassava leaves and/or peanut butter. After she finishes her degree, Fatou plans to work in the foodservice industry to learn the intricacies of the business before she starts her own enterprise. Fatou’s ultimate goal is to bring the taste of African foods and introduce them to the Fox Valley. 

Michael Bargender, Fox Valley Technical College

Michael shifted his educational path from safety engineering to culinary arts. Although the food business was always a dream, Michael was hesitant to follow that course because of the uncertainty involved in pursuing a career in foodservice. Ultimately, he decided to finally take the leap because of his fascination with the art and science of pizza making. In fact, he currently produces his own dough and sauce and has a strong interest in small batch mozzarella production. While he considers pizza making already a specialty, Michael is thrilled to be pursuing a culinary arts degree because he is forever curious about gourmet food preparation and hospitality.  He has already served his pizza to more than 100 people and has found that the fulfillment and affirmation of his work with pizza is realized through the joy shared by those he serves. Michael’s goal is to not only become an expert in the field of food and hospitality but to ultimately open his own pizzeria. 

Albert Warnaar, CIA

Albert had a variety of interests growing up including music and baseball. However, it took two college experiences (one to study jazz drums and one to play D1 junior college baseball) and a job at Sodexo working at a college basketball and football stadium to find his true passion. While attending his second school, Albert was balancing work, classes, homework, workouts and life, and would relax by cooking and watching cooking content. That’s when he discovered his real passion, cooking. Albert met a CIA Alumni at Sodexo and from there he did research and decided to take the leap to the CIA to receive culinary and business training. The CIA had the most balanced curriculum of both. After completing his degree in Food Business Management with the Culinary Arts track, Albert hopes to change the way we source ingredients to a more local/regional and seasonal culture. More than just farm-to-table, he wants to help build an infrastructure where people have more knowledge, access to local ingredients, and know what to buy and what not to buy based on the season.  

Jay Forrest, CIA

Jay Forrest has been immersed in food and restaurants his entire life. As long as he can remember, Jay was helping out at his family’s restaurant, even if it meant reluctantly busing tables. Jay is the third generation to take part in his family’s restaurant that his mother currently runs along with his uncle and grandfather. Growing up around the family business has helped instill in him what hard work and dedication leads too. Throughout his life, Jay’s focus has been to learn everything he can about the culinary arts, which is how he ended up at the CIA.  Jay is thrilled with his education that includes a concentration on farm-to-table and sustainable practices as well as an externship at the San Antonio Country Club. That's why upon completion of his program in San Antonio, Jay plans to continue his education at the CIA’s Hyde Park campus by earning his bachelor’s degree. Jay’s ultimate goal is to one day become a restaurant owner of his own and share what he has learned with his hometown of Houston.  

John Aleman, CIA

As the first member of his family to attend college, John is inspired by both his single mom, who has worked so hard to get him to where he is today, and his uncle, who helped develop his passion for cooking and food. John remembers the many delicious meals that his uncle prepared during family get-togethers and celebrations. One of his fondest memories was creating a meal along with his uncle. The meal was made from scratch from very few ingredients, but when it came together, it was like magic. John was amazed at how good it felt and thought that’s what he wanted to do one day as a career. John is working on an associate degree in culinary arts with a concentration on Japanese cuisine. John’s long-term goal is to become a well renowned chef and possibly open his own restaurant one day. Short term, John is hoping to support his family that has given so much support back to him. 

Eva Farid, CIA

Eva Farid grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico with a Spanish mother and Egyptian father which opened her palate at a very young age to many different flavors. She has always found happiness in food and loves everything from the comfort she gets from eating it to the athleticism required to prepare it at a professional level. That’s why she made a career change at 27 to work in the foodservice industry to arm herself with the skill and knowledge to finally attend the CIA three years later. With this deep-seated passion already entrenched, it’s not surprising that Eva has excelled in all her kitchen classes and her talent has been recognized by both peers and chef instructors. Like many students, Eva aspires to someday own a restaurant. Her focus would be a farm-to-table concept where she’d work with farmers who have a direct connection to the land and their animals. Eva also aspires to be able to help future cooks reach their potential and feed not only the privileged but the hungry.

Adrian Flores Jr., CIA

As a first-generation Mexican American college student, Adrian is excited to continue to breakthrough obstacles and stereotypes but also feels the weight and pressure from family and friends that want to see him achieve his goals. Adrian’s culinary vision is to continue to create and expand authentic Mexican food and other Latin cuisines available in this country. He looks forward to immersing himself in the many different cultures around the world to gain exposure to new ingredients and fresh ways of preparing dishes. His CIA education will prepare Adrian, the future restaurateur and well-trained chef, to learn how to make a variety of dishes and cuisines, properly use and take care of kitchen tools, and manage people to work as a team and achieve the daily goal of satisfying customers with delicious dishes.

Marian Garcia de Alba, CIA

For Marian, food has always been a passion. Born into a big family of cooks and bakers from a small town in west Mexico, she remembers spending summers in her grandmother’s restaurant helping the cooks make tortillas, and evenings at the family bakery helping her dad decorate cakes. At 14, she got a job at a bakery and committed vacations to go around the country finding externships. She has been developing and working on her skills ever since. However, making the decision to attend the CIA involved more than just buying books and uniforms. It came with the commitment of moving to a new country. But Marian made the dream a reality. Marian completed her first goal of graduating from CIA’s San Antonio campus with an associate degree in baking and pastry arts with high honors. Goal two, Marian has worked with several Michelin Star Chefs including Jordi Roca, Roberto Ruiz and Montse Estruch as well as Jesus Escalera, the former best pastry chef in Latin America. Goal three, Marian is currently on track to receive her bachelor’s degree in food business management at CIA’s Hyde Park campus in August 2021.

Josue Harmon Feliciano, CIA

Born in the small town of Enterprise, Alabama, Josue’s road to the culinary arts took many twists and turns, including stints welding to street performing, before he landed at the CIA in San Antonio. Cooking was a real eye-opener. For the first time Josue felt alive, and he loved the idea that you could pour dedication and hard work into something that could also be shared and enjoyed by so many others. Attending the CIA also has opened many doors. Never in his life did Josue expect to learn to make the five mother sauces, peel shrimp, poach fish, or tie a roast. After completing his externship at the Cookhouse in San Antonio, Josue looks forward to finishing strong and learning as much as he can with this amazing opportunity.

Audrey Holcombe, CIA

Audrey has always loved food and creating new things through problem solving and trial and error. She felt pursuing a culinary science degree at the CIA was the perfect fit to combine this fascination of food with her knack for finding solutions. She’s also excited to become the first member of her family to pursue a career in the culinary profession. With the intention of earning an associate degree (in San Antonio) and bachelor’s degree (in Hyde Park) at the CIA, Audrey ultimately plans to find a job in research and development and work with companies who are producing high quality and well-made products to make them even better. Audrey is extremely hard working, dedicated and determined to make her culinary dreams come true.

Riley McKinney, CIA

Riley has always loved food and enjoyed cooking for others. Finally, after working in the food and beverage industry for nearly ten years, primarily in front of house positions, Riley decided it was time to move to the kitchen to officially pursue her passion for cooking. Her years working in the service industry taught Riley invaluable lessons about hospitality, hard work, and the beauty of good food. She is currently pursuing an associate in culinary arts at the San Antonio campus and looks forward to continuing a life-long pursuit of culinary knowledge. Riley is certain that the education she’ll receive from the CIA will be an unmatched foundation for the beginning of her culinary career and is grateful for the opportunity to study at such a lauded institution.

Luke Huschitt, Madison College

Whether it’s cooking in the kitchen or playing basketball in the gym, Luke is a happy guy which is why he decided to focus on both passions at MATC. Currently Luke is working on earning his degree in culinary arts and plans to join the Madison College Wolf Pack basketball team this fall. Adding to Luke’s busy schedule is his Assistant Manager position at Mission BBQ in Madison, where he works up to 60 hours a week. Luke is a firm believer that the busier you are the more productive you are. He also believes expending energy on the basketball court will be a huge stress reliever, which in turn will help his focus in both the classroom and workplace.

Brianna Johnson, Madison College

As a first-generation college student, earning high achievements means a great deal to Brianna and her family. That’s why her involvement with the MATC chapter of Tri-Alpha Honor Society, a National Honor Society for First-Generation College Students, is so important. Brianna has also been active in TRIO/Student Support Services, a federally funded, comprehensive support program created to increase student retention, graduation rates and employment post college. Brianna has been taking classes and working as much as possible through the pandemic to finish up her degree in the culinary arts program.

Amber Keenan, Madison College

Amber grew up on a small dairy farm with her three older siblings and two very hard-working parents. As a result, she was instilled with a strong work ethic at a very young age. In fact, Amber got her first job at 15 and hasn’t stopped working since. Amber has already earned a Technical Diploma in Baking and Decorative Arts at Madison College and is currently working on her Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts and Related Services. During school, she has also worked part time as the Kitchen Manager at Fat Jacks Sports Bar & Grill in Whitewater. After graduation, Amber’s ultimate goal is to open a full-service wedding catering company.

Waraphorn Phosri, Madison College

A native of Thailand, Waraphorn earned a law degree in her home country a few years ago. Although her family was thrilled, Waraphorn did not have passion for the law so she moved to the United States to begin a new career in the foodservice industry. Becoming a culinary arts student was the biggest decision of her life. However, it wasn’t a hard choice because spending time in the kitchen makes Waraphorn truly happy. Working in the restaurant kitchen doesn’t feel like work because Waraphorn feels like she is cooking for her friends and family. Waraphorn is confident that earning a degree from Madison College will help her follow her dreams and achieve her goals.

Evan Rank, Fox Valley Technical College

Evan chose the Culinary Arts program at Fox Valley because he has always loved to cook and has always enjoyed watching the Food Network Channel. The chefs featured on TV inspired him to go into the culinary field because he wanted to be just like them. While attending classes, Evan also works as a Food Service Aide at Fox Valley and Prep Cook at Texas Roadhouse. Both experiences are helping him learn valuable culinary skills. Evan has already earned a Technical Diploma in Kitchen Steward at Fox Valley. After completing the Culinary Arts program, Evan hopes to open a restaurant in his hometown, Gillett, WI. He plans to create a family friendly atmosphere and employ people with special needs.

Courtenay Lace, Fox Valley Technical College

Courtenay Lace knew the decision to leave the medical field after more than 20 years to pursue her dream of becoming a chef was the right one from the very beginning. She found cooking to be therapeutic and rewarding, and decided life was too short to not follow your passion. According to Courtenay, her adventure at Fox Valley Tech has been really amazing. Courtenay has loved every semester and is blown away by the vast wealth of knowledge that has been passed on to her by the Chefs. However, in light of COVID-19, the program hasn’t been easy. But Courtenay feels fortunate that the instructors have been willing to help the student population with the altered learning situations that resulted due to the pandemic. Courtenay’s future is bright, and she can’t wait to begin the next half of her professional career as a chef, where she will cook delicious food and hopefully open a restaurant one day.

Megan Pagliarulo, Fox Valley Technical College

Megan has always been interested in the culinary arts and the opportunity to use her imagination and creativity productively. However, once she started baking, Megan knew she found her passion and something she was really good at doing. She loves the interaction with the customer and recognizes the joy and happiness food and baked goods provide. Megan’s ultimate goal is to move somewhere warm and open her own bakery to make sweet treats like cakes, cupcakes and really anything that makes your mouth water. According to Megan, if she is to do nothing more for the rest of my life, she would be more than happy knowing that her work and art has made others smile and able to indulge in something really delicious.

Kevin Apolinario, Madison College

Kevin was an introverted teenager who loved playing World of Warcraft at home in Louisiana and had no exposure to food.  After taking a leap of faith with friends to move to Madison, Wisconsin when he was 20, Kevin got his first taste of the foodservice industry at the fast casual health food restaurant Freshii. The move and job helped break Kevin out of his shell.  After a quick stint as a welder, Kevin not only found the culinary program at Madison College but also has had the opportunity to work with leading Madison area chefs like Dave Heide at Liliana’s and Charlie’s on Main and currently with Dan Fox at the Heritage Tavern.  Kevin has become obsessed with not only food preparation but working with a restaurant team and pleasing the customer.

Matthew Kinel, CIA

After more than 15 years working in kitchens, catering and event management, Matt decided to leverage this experience to attend the CIA to learn what on-the-job training will never teach.  And he took full advantage graduating with honors as part of the Eta Sigma Delta National Honors society.  Matt’s first foodservice job was in a 14-seat restaurant outside Boston called Sweet Basil.  He started doing prep work when he was only 13.  Matt spent nine years there, eventually becoming sous chef before he turned 18.  Matt was fortunate the owner did not see age as most would and gave him the opportunity and guidance to grow into the restaurant industry.  Matt first learned about the CIA when he worked as an in-house catering manager for Aramark’s Fenway Park account. He had several externs from various culinary schools that worked with him. However, the externs from CIA were a cut above the rest, which inspired his decision to attend.  The CIA has given Matt such a rounded education and added to his skill set.  He plans to remain in the foodservice industry by supplying restaurants with the products and equipment they need to do business.

Edward Ohara, CIA

For the first time since finishing his four years in the Marine Corps, Edward feels “alive” and owes it to the CIA.  Cooking is therapy for Edward, a Purple Heart recipient, and it helps him in more ways than one can imagine.  Edward already has a plan in place once he graduates, and that’s to open a BBQ restaurant that brings people together for a family, friendly experience with amazing food.  He touts himself a BBQ purest because he smokes all his meats low and slow over real wood.  In fact, Edward has always enjoyed eating brisket, pulled pork, and ribs.  However, once he started cooking for others and seeing how happy it made them, he was hooked!  Edward plans on giving back to the community by serving others and providing excellent food to people that can’t afford it. He will always help and support first responders, military members, police officers, and anyone else in need.  Edward is excited to show his daughter that her father can do anything he puts his mind to.  In doing so, he hopes to provide her with a solid foundation for future success.

Logan Sharp, CIA

Although school has never come easy, Logan developed a love of culinary early on when he attended the Northland Career Center’s American Culinary Federation Certified Program.  The culinary world became the priority, focus and highlight of his high school career.  It was also during this time that Logan set a goal to attend the CIA.   He not only made his dream a reality but he is very proud of his 3.48 grade point average.  Logan recently completed an externship at Rye KC in Leawood, Kansas, a restaurant celebrating Midwestern recipes, traditions, and culture using local Kansas & Missouri flavors and farmers. He learned a lot about how a kitchen and business run as well as responsibility, teamwork and work ethic.  This experience will come in handy if Logan decides to open a restaurant one day. Chinese food and/or seafood are two areas that currently interest Logan.  However, teaching culinary to other students is very intriguing to him too.  Bottom line, Logan is doing what he loves.

Miranda Martin, Fox Valley Technical College

Miranda’s path to pursue both a Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management degree at FVTC was a natural one  She has always been interested in earth and the resources it provides.  Miranda started out years ago as a Natural Resources major but decided that she was more interested in the agricultural and social aspects of human interaction with the planet. One of her favorite quotes from Frances Moore Lappe is, "The act of putting into your mouth what the Earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the Earth."  Miranda believes that, and wants to show people through food and hospitality, that the fruits of nature are gifts given to us. They're to be respected and protected and shared with one another as we grow as individuals and as a world community.  She is looking forward to growing her career in her home state of Wisconsin after graduation.

 

Gabrielle Davis, Fox Valley Technical College

Ever since an 8th grade field trip to Fox Valley Technical College, Gabrielle knew what she wanted to do.  The culinary program spoke to her in ways that other places haven't.  Since then Gabrielle hasn’t entertained any other idea than going for her Culinary Arts degree at FVTC.  She believes the culinary industry is great because it has so many jobs in an array of places. In addition, there are so many different experiences you can have in the same industry. There is also something new every day. It keeps Gabrielle on her toes and she likes that variety in a workday. Her favorite thing is that she never has to stop learning.  Even when she graduates from the culinary program, Gabrielle has so much more she can learn about culinary and the industry. She always wants to be hungry for more and FVTC and the culinary industry has nursed and brought that love of education out.

Amanda Chandler, FVTC

Feeding people good food is Amanda’s passion and she wants to share that passion with as many people as possible. A degree from FVTC will help Amanda attain this goal by giving her the tools and knowledge of how to properly prepare dishes, hone her creative abilities and teach her how to efficiently and effectively run and manage a commercial kitchen. A mother of six, Amanda’s goal is to initially work in Northeast Wisconsin to develop and refine her kitchen and baking skills. Once she earns her degree, Amanda plans to work at a local hotel, working her way up to head chef. Eventually, Amanda’s ultimate goal is to transfer her family to the warmth of Orlando, Florida, get a job at one of Disney’s many resort restaurants as a chef or pastry chef, and cook for as many families as possible to bring smiles to kids’ faces.

Misty Schroeder, FVTC

Misty Schroeder has always had a love of cooking. So it wasn’t a big surprise when she left her previous career in the nursing profession to start her own business called Wild Eats & Treats, a bakery known for pies, cakes, cookies, bars and more. After her youngest child graduated high school and other family obligations were met, Misty made the decision to attend culinary school at Fox Valley Tech. Her plans for a post-school career are already in the development phase. Misty plans to start a small farm-to-table operation on her 40-acre farm in Wild Rose, Wisconsin. The dream includes Misty’s husband becoming a full-time farmer and fulfilling her youngest autistic son’s aspiration of becoming a chef. The family business would allow him to learn and grow in a safe, social environment. Misty also intends to continue donating meat to her church for those in need after each slaughter. Once her fully functional farm is up and running, she also hopes to donate to the local food pantry to provide healthy, organic food to individuals who normally cannot afford it.

Gyu Eon (Jerry) Kim, CIA

Jerry came to the United States from Korea with his mother and brother when he was only seven. He always enjoyed helping out in the kitchen so when it came time to go to high school, he was thrilled to be able to attend a culinary tech school to pursue his interest in becoming a chef. His instructor was a CIA alumnus, which was the impetus to continue his education at the Hyde Park campus. Jerry has already completed the culinary program at the CIA and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration with a beverage concentration. His plans are to pursue a path of food and beverage management in a luxury hotel chain and eventually open hotels globally. In addition to culinary arts, he has been focusing on improving his service and beverage knowledge. To that end, Jerry recently received another wine certification called the “certified specialist of wine” from the Society of Wine Educators. The CIA’s extensive network of alumni and faculty has already helped Jerry land an internship at the Four Seasons that begins after graduation to help launch his career.

Andrew Gildersleeve, CIA

Andrew grew up spending summers in high school working on a produce farm in Massachusetts and fell in love with the world of farming. From growing tomatoes to beets, according to Andrew, the plants each have their own personality. Like any farming business, the hours were long and the work was tough. It wasn’t until years later that he developed an interest in connecting his love for cooking with his love for agriculture. Although he started his career working as a data analyst in the solar energy industry, Andrew decided a cubicle life was not for him so he decided to devote himself fully to a career in cooking and enrolled at the CIA. A fun fact about Andrew is that he has acquired and read through more than 200 used cookbooks, some that are almost 100 years old. These cookbooks have contained an incredible number of inspiring recipes and he’s always on the lookout for interesting cookbooks to read through. Andrew is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Culinary Science.

Benito Rios, CIA

Benito grew up around food his entire life. Both sides of his family are enormous, with many aunts, uncles, and cousins. This means big family gatherings on the holidays, and birthday parties throughout the year. Everybody has to eat, and his family always went all out. After graduating high school, he wanted to go to culinary school, but ended up getting a business degree. However, when he moved away from home for college, he began to experiment with food so he wouldn’t have to eat ramen noodles every day. As he got more and more involved, Benito knew that he had to go to culinary school after completing his undergraduate degree. Now at the CIA in San Antonio, he is finally following his dreams and doing what he loves. Following graduation, Benito aspires to have his own business and keep it in his family. He would like to use recipes or dishes that he grew up eating until this day. By doing so, Benito can keep family traditions alive and share a piece of his life with others.

Maria Jose Martin del Camps Hernandez, CIA

Maria Jose has wanted to become a chef as long as she can remember. That’s because her entire family loves to cook and they have always had a great time together in the kitchen. Maria Jose’s mom and grandma have inspired her most by sharing recipes and cooking techniques since she was a child. Having moved from Mexico at a very young age, Maria Jose struggled in school due to the language barrier as English was not her first language. However, since arriving at the CIA, Maria Jose now loves attending classes every day and realizes how big of an opportunity this is. After graduation, Maria Jose hope to start her own business in the hospitality industry. Maria Jose is living her dream at the CIA and can’t wait to become successful so she can give back to her family who has been so supportive her whole life.

Carson Moreland, CIA

Carson grew up in the foodservice world working for his parent’s restaurant in Virginia Beach, VA. However, his very first job away from the family business was at a restaurant named Terrapin. At 16, he started working a couple days a week under CIA graduate and James Beard recipient, Rodney Einhorn. Carson began his culinary education at the Virginia Beach Career and Technical Center under Chef Patrick Reed, also a CIA graduate. Chef Reed advised Carson that the CIA would be a great fit for him because it included some of the best instructors in the industry. At the CIA, Carson has learned much more than fundamental cooking skills. His education includes a significant amount about personal finance and accounting which is vital knowledge for becoming and staying successful in the foodservice industry. He has also participated in multiple competitions including ProStart, FCCLA, C-CAP and the Ment’or Young Chef & Commis competition in Las Vegas. Carson’s ultimate career goals are to own and operate a restaurant, catering operations and develop retail products back home in Virginia Beach.

 

Bonnie Huse, Fox Valley Technical College

Bonnie has always loved to cook, bake, and serve people. She grew up helping her mom in the kitchen from the time she was big enough to sit on the counter and stir for her. Bonnie’s love of cooking and serving only grew from there. Her family loved hosting dinner parties and Bonnie would spend hours coming up with the menu, grocery shopping, and preparing the meal. During freshman year of high school, she started working in the kitchen at Covenant Point Bible Camp in Iron River, Michigan, helping with retreats on the weekends. She spent three summers working in the kitchen as a prep girl, and then an apprentice. Finally, she made the decision to attend the culinary program at Fox Valley Tech and started working at All Seasons Coffeehouse in Appleton as a prep cook/baker. She went back to Covenant Point for a summer internship and trained under their full-time Head Cook to fully run the kitchen. Now in her third year, Bonnie has moved up to become the Head Baker/Kitchen Manager at All Seasons. Bonnie’s dream is to one day open a coffeehouse ministry back home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Grace Ganser, MATC

Grace was sold on Madison College the moment she heard about the culinary arts program her sophomore year of high school.  What brings her joy is experiencing firsthand how really good food can change lives.  That’s why her favorite saying is, “food is a universal language, one that brings happiness and joy.”  In addition to finding pleasure from cooking and baking for her family, Grace also loves singing and painting.  After graduation, Grace hopes to give back to the community by opening a coffee shop and hiring future Madison College culinary arts students as team members.

Ni Marshall, CIA

Growing up in Bali, Indonesia, Ni had a very different upbringing then most Americans.  Her father was a fisherman and her mother sold t-shirts to tourists.  They lived on the beach and ate fresh fish and fresh ingredients. Ni’s first culinary experiences were visits to her grandmother’s restaurant where she would help prepare food for customers.  After high school, Ni attended hospitality management business school where she learned essential skills of taking care of the customer and restaurant service.  She did everything to learn how to speak English and saved money to move to Hawaii at the age of 21. Her first job there was Pizza Bob’s on the North Shore of Oahu.  Now at the CIA, Ni is on her externship at Ming’s Thing, a small catering business that has a noodle shop and farmer’s market stand in San Antonio.  She is obtaining great experience working both back and front kitchen with a small team of chefs. Ni’s dream is to own a small restaurant back in Bali, as well as to help train the staff of local orphanages on proper hygiene and food sanitation.  She is scheduled to graduate with an Associate degree in Culinary Arts in December 2019.

Hailey Everard, CIA

From becoming an accomplished competitive swimmer to making the National Honor Society, Hailey has always pushed herself and worked hard.  Born and raised in Casper, Wyoming, Hailey first discovered her love of food by helping her parents prepare family meals.  In high school, she signed up for culinary classes and grew her passion for cooking and baking even more.  During junior year, Hailey took part in the SkillsUSA Commercial Baking competition which challenges contestants to scale, mix, prepare and bake six products (including breads, rolls, Danish, cookies and pies).  Hailey placed third and was thrilled.  After graduation, she flew to Louisville to compete in the SkillsUSA National Culinary Arts contest after finishing first in Wyoming.  Although she didn’t place near the top, it was a fantastic learning experience.  Hailey is living a dream by attending the CIA and could not be more grateful to her parents for their love and support.  Following graduation, Hailey plans to own and operate her own restaurant but is still deciding on the perfect location. 

Isaac Huerta, CIA

Even at the young age of 18, Isaac understands that he owes everything he has right now to his hard-working mother, an inspirational figure who raised him as a single mom.  He also is not afraid of hard work, as he rises early almost every morning to fit in both work and school responsibilities.  Isaac has loved food for as long as he can remember and knows that won’t change anytime soon.  In fact, every job he has ever had has been food related and he’s excited to improve his skills to help him succeed in the foodservice area.   As an overweight child who lost 65 pounds as an adolescent, Isaac learned a tremendous amount about health and nutrition and wants to share and inspire others to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet.  Isaac believes his curious, adventurous, independent and witty nature are all great attributes to have to help propel his career in the culinary profession.  

Orlando Pinner, CIA

It’s not surprising the Indianapolis-native Orlando enjoys adventures and new experiences.  Orlando already has many accomplishments to his name including earning a bachelor’s degree of management in only three years, serving in the United States Airforce and traveling to three different continents within two years.  His latest achievement is attending the CIA’s San Antonio campus.  Orlando believes one cannot put a price tag on the knowledge he has already gained.  Beneficial cooking techniques and knife skills, along with gaining a better appreciation for his food and where it comes from, have all been worthwhile in his progression as a culinarian.  With a business management degree already under his belt, Orlando has set his sights on opening a quick service pasta restaurant within a few years. 

Lara Rotharmel, CIA

Lara’s first love has always been food. Her first restaurant job was as a hostess at Garcia’s in Scottsdale, Arizona. At just 15, she was given the responsibility of seating a 275-person capacity restaurant. She was hooked and ultimately decided to follow a foodservice career path. At the CIA, Lara is thriving. She recently completed her externship at Bernardus Lodge and Spa in Carmel Valley, California. Chef Cal Stamenov was very generous with his time and afforded her the opportunity to work in all areas of the kitchen including Garde Manger, Bakery and Pastry, Banquet and Catering, Sauté and Grill. Lara takes nothing for granted. In addition to a rigorous class schedule, she is a student worker, logging more than 30 hours per week at a local restaurant. Once her studies are complete, Lara would like to work with small, independent farmers and ranchers to make their products more accessible to the general public. She is inspired by her parents, who both grew up on farms, and made sure their city-girl daughters understood where food comes from and to honor and respect nature.

Derrick Bradley, CIA

Derrick has always been fascinated with food. Looking back through his most memorable moments in life, food has been a big part of the equation. Derrick’s first job was at Langosta Lounge located on the Asbury Park Boardwalk in New Jersey. It was also his first exposure to the behind-the-scenes workings of a restaurant. Derrick worked during the busy season washing dishes and occasionally doing food prep. He credits this experience for helping build his strong work ethic and communication skills in the kitchen.  Once at the CIA, Derrick completed his culinary externship in Paris at Chef Eric Frechon’s Epicure, a Michelin three-starred restaurant. Derrick’s experience ran the gamut from peeling potatoes and tourneeing artichokes to working with the butcher and plating food during lunch. Having the opportunity to learn and grow from such a respected chef was a true honor. Derrick is set on opening a small restaurant of his own one day and believes the idea of taking different culinary adventures and experiences from his life and applying them to a restaurant concept would be amazing.

Silas Bonczyk, CIA

Silas made the big jump from working in food science and technology to becoming a student at the CIA. His aspirations now include using his skills to work at an international food brand in culinary product development. Although Silas came to the CIA with limited culinary experience, the school has already taught him the basics in cooking as well as how to build upon the basics with ingenuity and creativity. Silas also has learned to both speak and think like a chef, which will be invaluable in his future career. His first foodservice job was working for Little Caesars in product development. He gained valuable culinary experience from producing pizza for projects and events and learning the importance of consistency and attention to detail. Silas completed an externship at the R&D Kitchen of Frito-Lay in Plano, Texas, and also had the opportunity to study abroad in Singapore. He is scheduled to graduate with a bachelor’s in culinary arts with an Asian cuisine concentration in December 2019.

Emilie Hujet, Fox Valley Technical College

Emilie spent many years simply going through the motions of a job, never feeling like she had a career or long-term goals.  She grew up baking with both her great-grandma and grandma, and the kitchen always felt like home.  Therefore, it wasn’t a complete surprise that once she started working in a professional kitchen, Emilie finally knew exactly what she should be doing.  She loves the foodservice industry, including the chaos, people and guests.  Emilie also appreciates the ability to reach people and give them the opportunity to get to know her on a personal level via the dish she sends out.  She longs to make a difference in her community and to actively live out her dream of becoming a great pastry chef.  Emilie can’t imagine doing anything else.

Jonah Lotter, Fox Valley Technical College

Jonah is enrolled in the Culinary Arts program and currently works 25-to-30 hours a week as a chef at a local restaurant while attending school full-time.  He chose the culinary field simply because he has an extreme passion for cooking.  Jonah believes that finding your passion is one of the most important things in life.  Without it “you just go to some job every day” and he would much rather do something he loves.  Jonah plans to travel the world, learning different cuisines from the people who prepare them best.  He then hopes to absorb all that knowledge and combine the techniques he’s learned into his own cuisine and open a restaurant that will make a mark of its own.

Emily Caron, Culinary Institute of America

Emily knew from a young age that she wanted to become a baker and credits her father for the inspiration to follow her dreams.  It’s why she attended a vocational-technical school (vo-tech) where her class served out of an industrial kitchen and working dining room open to the public. Everything at the vo-tech school was done by the students under the guidance of the chefs. Emily also worked as a server in a country club during that time.  In fact, she has been in and out of a kitchen since the age 15 and has loved every minute.  So far at the CIA, Emily has learned that with hard work and determination you can get what you want. Emily completed her externship at the Mountain View Grand Resort in Whitefield, New Hampshire. She worked directly with the head pastry chef and learned so many invaluable tips and tricks of the trade. Her responsibilities included prepping and plating desserts for two restaurants and room service, and prepping pastries and baked goods for the gift shop. Emily hopes to one day own her own event planning company or join an already established event planning business.

Madison Giacherio, CIA

Madison already has gained a vast amount of well-rounded, hands-on culinary experience. Her first foodservice job was working the dining room and production kitchen of a retirement home. Initially she learned the basics of food safety, inventory, the cooking of proteins, and plating. Later, she worked as a prep cook and learned basic knife skills, kitchen terms and butchery. Madison was also taught how to adjust for different dietary needs (low salt, NSA, pureed diet, vegan, etc.). At her externship at Macrina Baker in Seattle, she had the opportunity to work all shifts. Often the first in the building to make the biscuits and muffins, Madison found the opening shift as the ultimate “we’re trusting you” test. Mid-day found Madison in charge of creating the croissant doughs, all forms of butter cream, cakes and cookie doughs. Transitioning to closing shift, Madison formed the croissants, sticky buns, pastry creams, tart shells, and more. Based on her love of science and “playing with food,” Madison’s post CIA graduation plans include joining a research and development team for a restaurant group or large corporation.

Anesiea Winright, CIA

One of Anesiea’s favorite memories growing up was spending time in the kitchen with her father. He also gets the most credit for helping her undercover her passion for baking. When her family moved to San Antonio nearly 10 years ago, her parents made a point of taking her on a tour of the CIA. Anesiea immediately fell in love with all of the possibilities the school had to offer to help her achieve the dream of opening up her own cake shop one day.

Her first job in the foodservice industry was working at Chipotle Mexican Grill. Although not glamorous, Anesiea learned basic knife skills and the real importance of mise en place. Over the course of her studies at the CIA, Anesiea has learned not to sweat the small stuff. She also realizes how important communications is in the kitchen. Anesiea is excited about her upcoming externship at Croissants Bakery & Bistro in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Currently pursuing her AOS in Baking & Pastry Arts, Anesiea expects to complete her studies at the CIA in September 2018.

Vanessa Vela, CIA

Vanessa’s love of cooking was formed early on at home. Her mother was her inspiration to become a chef. Whether it was breakfast, lunch and dinner, her mom put so much effort into making all family meals incredibly delicious.

When Vanessa’s family settled in San Antonio, she decided the CIA was the place she wanted to learn how to become the the best chef possible. Although she had no formal foodservice training before attending the CIA, Vanessa now prepares lunch for 30-50 students on campus as a student worker. Currently on her externship at the Four Seasons in Vail, Colorado, Vanessa has upped her game and has learned to produce food for banquets that cater up to 200 people per event.

Her plans after graduating with an Associates in Applied Science (AAS) degree are to travel the world cooking the food from different cultures and learning as much as much as possible.

Serena Quintana-Patterson, CIA

From her very first foodservice job as a hostess at Chick-fil-A at the age of 16, to her experience at a restaurant catering off-site events, Serena has been on a mission to become a culinary professional. Her plan was simple. Combine her enthusiasm for food and people with the technical skills obtained through culinary school to create a successful private chef and catering business. Serena loves creating pleasant and lasting experiences for people through food, which is what inspired her to attend the CIA. Although having only completed her first semester, the CIA has not disappointed. Serena has learned critical techniques in the kitchen as well as the importance of maintaining the tradition of professionalism and standard of excellence established by the CIA. Serena is currently enrolled in the CIA’s Associates Degree in Culinary Arts program and is expected to graduate in September 2019. She hopes to continue her studies by obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Science at the CIA’s Hyde Park campus.

Samantha Fischer, Fox Valley Technical College

Samantha loved being in the kitchen with her mom and grandma growing up. They showed her the value in using your gifts as a way to serve and be hospitable towards others. They also helped Samantha realize her love for culinary arts could become career rather than just a hobby. The culinary mentors that have had the most influence have been Sally Heuer, her high school culinary teacher, and Wes Krimmer, the owner and head chef at the fine dinning restaurant she worked at during high school. Mrs. Heuer taught her the basic fundamentals of cooking, and Wes showed her the ropes of running a business. It was also in high school when Samantha became a member of the ProStart Culinary Invitational. She learned how to work clean, efficiently, and think creatively. She loved that there was no limit to what she could create.

After graduation, Samantha plans on working in the industry while also improving her culinary photography and styling skills. Samantha’s dream is to open a cafe and bakery that helps build and give back to the community it's located in.

Kali Grable, CIA

A culinary education wasn’t always on the top of Kali’s to do list. For 12 years, Kali pursued a PhD in the field of Roman History, intending to become a professor. However, part of her early education included archaeological digs in Europe. There, she experienced cuisine in an entirely different light and the idea of a new career path was formed. Kali felt connected to food more than ever and tasted the freshest produce at daily markets, smelled the aroma of fresh baked bread, and became intimate with the artistry of meats and cheese at local butcheries. Kali’s time in academia equipped her with research and teaching skills that she knew could transfer to a career in the food industry, and the CIA was the place to get her there. Her externship as a culinary intern for the research and development division at C.H Guenther & Son in San Antonio, solidified her current career path. She hopes to turn her current part-time internship there into a permanent career in a field that is cutting edge and exciting.

 

Parker James, CIA

Parker started his journey into the foodservice world like many others before him, at the bottom of the rung as a dishwasher. However, working his way up to where he is today was a great learning experience to better understand how all the pieces of the restaurant puzzle come together. When he started at the CIA all he wanted to do was cook. Parker was set on working in the kitchen and making a name for himself through time and hard work. That goal changed after he took his wine course while pursuing his Bachelor’s degree. He was attracted to the ever-evolving nature of the wine world including the soil, grapes, bottles, and, of course, tasting the wine to be able to describe it. As a result, his new goal has changed to working in the front of the house, starting as a lead server or captain and advancing his wine knowledge. After graduation, Parker plans to move to the Boston area where he hopes to become an advanced sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers with the possibility of becoming a Master Sommelier if it all works out.

 

Ashley Knipschield, MATC

A native of the small town of Orangeville, Illinois, Ashley moved to Madison, Wisconsin to further her culinary education and grow as a person.  She always wanted to become a chef and has been actively working toward that goal since high school.  While studying Culinary Arts at Madison College, Ashley is also working at Graft on the Square in Madison and gaining great experience.  Outside of cooking, Ashley also loves to sing and considers herself a theater girl at heart. 

Kathleen McIntyre, MATC

Kathleen is going into her second year of the culinary arts program and she couldn’t be more excited.  That’s because she has always had a passion for cooking and loves what good food does for people.  Kathleen recently left a desk job so she could attend culinary school and rediscover her love for cooking and baking.  The culinary profession has given Kathleen her sense of purpose back and she hasn’t looked back.  In her spare time, she loves sharing meals with friends because food has a magical way of bringing people together.  If not in the kitchen, you can find Kathleen riding her bike to the different markets around Madison to discover ingredients to try out at home.

Gabriella St. George, CIA

Although Gabriella became interested in cooking from her mother and grandmother at a young age, she didn’t think to explore culinary arts in high school. It wasn’t until her first foodservice job at Nature’s Pantry in Fishkill, NY working in a gluten free, nut free, soy free and vegan kitchen that she began to experiment and teach herself the basics of cooking. Gabriella has been a very involved student at the CIA. Examples include volunteering for the National Leadership Awards, the Trustees Dinner, and Run for Your Knives 5K as well as being an active member of Eta Sigma Delta, and the school’s honor society. Gabriella completed her externship at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash, Colorado, and was chosen to participate in a design residency with RDG design group in Des Moines, IA. After graduation, Gabriella plans on pursuing a Masters degree in nutrition science and dietetics to ultimately teach people how to apply food as medicine, using Eastern medicine traditions. She also hopes to become a food industry role model by advocating and educating about the importance of the constantly changing food shed.

Abigail Reese, CIA

Both of Abby’s parents love to cook and encouraged her from a young age to help out in the kitchen. In fact, ever since she’s been old enough to work, Abby has only worked in restaurants and bakeries. Since her first day at the CIA, she has had so many incredible experiences and learned so much invaluable information. Although still early in her culinary education, Abby’s favorite experience has been the culinary fundamentals class. She learned the basics of working in a kitchen by following specific instructions. The amount of information learned was incredible. Upon graduating from the San Antonio campus, Abby plans to study Applied Food Studies at the Hyde Park campus. We’re excited to follow Abby’s culinary journey as it happens.

Alexana Cabrera, CIA

When Alexana graduated high school in Guatemala, all she wanted to do in life was to cook. In her heart she knew there was only one school that could provide her with the education she needed, The Culinary Institute of America. So she packed her bags and moved to San Antonio by herself. Her first foodservice job after she moved to the U.S. was at Il Sogno Osteria, an Italian restaurant located in the Pearl District of San Antonio. There she learned about garde manger, how to make pizzas and fresh pasta, and the intricacies of working hot line. She worked at the Osteria for two years and by the time she left she knew about almost everything in the kitchen. Later on, she completed her externship at De Kwizien in Hasselt, Belgium. She mastered how to come up with her own specials for the day and experimented combining flavors and textures together. According to Alexana, it has been both a journey and a blessing attending the CIA. After graduation, she hopes to share her culinary expertise and passion about food with her country.

Miranda Klos, MATC

This Wausau, Wisconsin native has always loved to cook. As a little girl, she was given a children’s cookbook and would beg her mom to make recipes that she discovered. Miranda loved being creative, trying new recipes, and bonding with her mom. Even as a young adult, her parents still encourage her to work hard and to try new things. After receiving her Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from Madison College, Miranda plans to obtain an internship on the Disney properties in Orlando, Florida. There are many fine dining opportunities there, and she believes it would be a great place to learn additional skills to help her succeed in the kitchen. Ultimately, Miranda’s plans would include opening a restaurant of her own.

Kayla Strom, MATC

Although originally setting her sites on a career in the medical profession as a surgical tech, Kayla found the culinary arts program at Madison College with the help of her advisor and because of her lifelong love of food. Now Kayla couldn’t be happier with her change of direction and sees a bright future for herself in the culinary field. Kayla’s most influential culinary mentors include Chef Daniel Bonanno, Chef John Johnson, Chef Kevin Appleton and Chef Paul Short. These gentlemen have all given her sage advice not only in the culinary industry, but life in general. After graduation, Kayla would like to continue her education in the area of nutrition that would help combine her affinity for the health field with her passion for food.

Alex Niesen, MATC

Attending college while working a regular job is no easy achievement but Alex is making the best of the situation. Employed as a chef at Subzero-Wolf, a company that produces household stoves, ovens and refrigerators, Alex is also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa, the world's largest and most prestigious honor society for two-year college students. His job involves teaching consumers how to get the most from their appliances. In his free time, Alex enjoys foraging and during the summer months tries to get 80 percent of everything he eats from local farmers or the wild. Alex has the ultimate goal of opening his own restaurant after he receives his Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from Madison College.

Kirk Reilly, Fox Valley Technical College

As a youngster, Kirk was constantly seeking ways to help his parents prepare family meals. When old enough, he started taking cooking classes in high school and got a dishwasher job at the local supper club. Kirk loved the job and quickly moved up to grade manger, and then to the hot line. It was the first time he considered a career in the culinary arts. His boss at the supper club was a great role model that Kirk respected. He bought a restaurant that wasn't doing well and turned it around into a very successful business. He taught Kirk the importance of hard work and dedication.

At FVTC, Kirk is thriving and competes as a member of the ACF student competition team. Kirk believes this experience immensely helped shape him as a chef though all the hours of practice under the guidance of the exceptional chefs at FVTC. After he earns his degree, Kirk plans to use the knowledge and training gained from school and the foodservice industry to open up a restaurant of his own.

Heather Lilla, Fox Valley Technical College

Heather started cooking and baking at a very young age, mostly with the help of her dad and grandma. However, she would also try to make more simple things like scrambled eggs or a pizza all by herself. In high school, Heather was an entrepreneur and was able to learn what it was like to own and manage a business. She also began taking culinary classes and did an internship at Blue Harbor Resort through Lakeshore Technical College. She thought culinary was a great way to meld the love of business with her passion for cooking and ended up enrolled in both the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management programs at FVTC. She maintains a high GPA and has volunteered in various capacities in her community. Heather loves the rush of energy when the order tickets come flying in and being confident enough to complete each ticket successfully. Not surprisingly, Heather’s post FVTC plans are to work in the culinary industry for a couple of years for the hopes of owning a business of her own some day.

Walker Alvey, CIA

Walker came to the CIA out of pure chance that took a winding path from southwest Louisiana to New York to The CIA. From an early age, Walker was whipping up concoctions in his mother’s kitchen. As he grew older, his grandfather became his biggest foodie inspiration because he was the real deal when it came to old school Louisiana cooking. A week after his 18th birthday Walker got hired by a nearby steak house and wine bar. He ended up working under Chef de Cuisine Mark Chapman, his soon-to-be mentor, a 1995 CIA grad, and the man that guided and inspired him to attend the institute himself. Walker loved his experience at the CIA and excelled at his studies including his externship in Menlo Park California at the Rosewood Sandhill Hotel. He is planning to further his education by pursuing a Master’s degree in Food Science with a minor in Nutritional Science. Walker aspires to help tackle the problems facing the food shed because he wants future generations to able to enjoy food the same way we do today.

Justin Chaney, CIA

Justin remembers falling in love with both baking and grilling in a home education class in high school. As a result, his first ever job was at P.F. Chang’s. Justin remembers the sense of family the staff had and learning that training can either make or break a restaurant. Although he enjoyed the foodservice industry as a young adult, he decided not to pursue the culinary arts as a profession. Instead, he worked for five years at a company focused on event production, audio/visual, and fabrication of props for events, movies, concerts and concerts. However, he always had a deep belief that some day he would become a chef. And indeed his dreams came true when he was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America. Attending the CIA has been everything Justin was searching for in a top-quality culinary education and training program. It has pushed him to become completely immersed in a culinary community that gives as much as he is willing to accept. Following graduation, Justin has aspirations of becoming an executive chef that not only owns his own restaurant but also manufacturers food items too.

Hyun Kang, CIA

Hyun developed an interest in food a little later in life than most students who attend the CIA. He started watching cooking shows on television and was intrigued by how a chef could create a dish in only 15 minutes. The techniques that the chefs were executing captured his imagination and Hyun started to think about becoming a chef himself. However, he was already 24-years-old and had no restaurant experience. Although he knew he had the desire to cook for a profession, he also had his doubts. Finally, he searched top culinary schools on the Internet and discovered that some of his favorite TV chefs attended the CIA. From the moment he got accepted at the CIA, all of his doubts were gone, and Hyun believed it was his destiny to become a chef. Hyun loves the passion his instructors and fellow students have about food. And this passion is intoxicating and contagious. Hyun also has a five-year plan. He envisions himself employed at a Korean and French fusion restaurant, frying, searing and working faster and more accurate than anybody else in the kitchen.

Francesca Zani, CIA

Francesca Zani is passionate about food media and has always envisioned working for an outlet or publication like Food Network or Bon Appétit. Although she had some experience in the food industry, she knew that the CIA would be the only place to make those greater connections.  Her first experience in food was working at an Italian Bakery as a bakery clerk and pastry decorator. Francesca learned how to bake specialty Italian cookies and pastries as well as gain basic customer service skills. Her favorite classes at the CIA thus far were taught by a world-renowned pastry chef. Francesca completed her externship at the Inn at Castle Hill in Newport, Rhode Island, where she worked on her hot apps, meat entrement and garde manger skills. She is currently enrolled in the CIA’s Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) degree in Applied Food Studies and is expected to graduate in April 2018.

Katelynn Garcia, CIA

Katelynn was inspired to become a chef by her family’s passion for food and joy of cooking that has been passed down from generation to generation. Katelynn received her first taste of the foodservice industry at The Blind Butcher in Dallas, Texas. She learned about all aspects of restaurant life including the importance of teamwork and the satisfying exhaustion that comes from standing on your feet all day. Katelynn's CIA San Antonio experience has only further expanded her love for food. She wakes up every morning excited to learn new recipes, skills, techniques, cuisines and more. Katelynn completed her externship at The Sagamore Resort and Spa in Bolton Landing, NY. She found her time there learning from the executive chef and sous chef, and was able to gain real world experience that included working garde manger, grill, sauté, pizza station and fryer. After graduation, Katelynn plans to travel the world to learn more about different cuisines and cultures. Eventually she hopes to open a farm-to-table market restaurant back in the U.S. that includes growing her own fruits and vegetables and baking her own bread and Mexican pastries.

Morgan VandenLangenberg, Fox Valley Technical College

Morgan was always drawn to the kitchen as a little girl, and loved helping her mom and grandma with family meals. At 10, when her grandpa was diagnosed with cancer, she stepped up her game and truly enjoyed seeing the smiles of her family members when she made a special treat. In addition to attending FVTC and competing as a member of the ACF student competition team, Morgan is proud to be a Volunteer Firefighter. She has cooked for the department’s picnic for as long as she can remember, and also worked in the kitchen at Farm Inn on Main in Shawano, Wisconsin. Currently, she works at Kwik Trip’s Hearty Platter Cafe in the kitchen and also helps out at the kitchen at school. Her goal of becoming a high school culinary teacher makes sense since she loves to cook and aspires to pass that gift onto others.

Craig Ahrendt, MATC

Craig started his culinary journey at the age of 15 as a line cook at Pine Knoll supper club in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, and worked in various foodservice jobs over the next 29 years. His decision to add formal education to his real world kitchen knowledge was an easy one. As a single father, Craig wanted to spend more time with his son, which meant not working nights and weekends. Craig loves the culinary profession because food is comfort, brings people together, changes moods, is part of every celebration, and as he says, is “something we all need.” As a child, he was often in the kitchen with his stepfather helping prepare family meals. He still remembers his grandmother’s amazing comfort foods. The smells coming out of her kitchen are still bright memories and her potato chip cookies remain one-of-a-kind. More recently, Craig has learned a tremendous amount from Chef John Johnson at Madison College, and has taught by example what a leader should look like. Craig hopes to get into the corporate dining world immediately after graduation, and has big dreams for owning his own food cart/truck.

Tiffany Simmons, CIA

Before traveling to the CIA’s San Antonio campus, Tiffany lived in Trophy Club, Texas and attended Byron Nelson High School where she was part of a four-year curriculum that involved culinary arts. Tiffany was also part of the Texas Prostart team that advanced and placed 8th in Nationals in the spring of 2015. After graduating with an associates degree in culinary education, Tiffany plans to stay in Texas and work in the restaurant industry.

 

Donald DeMonico, CIA

Food and family have been central to Donald DeMonico’s life from a young age. What his family ate was always the focus of every holiday and occasion such as sausage and peppers on Father’s Day, and the Seven Fish on Christmas Eve. Immediately after his 16th birthday, Don found a job as a prep cook at a seasonal Italian restaurant in Morris County, NJ. He was eventually promoted to a position on the line. There, he decided that the restaurant industry, and more specifically pasta, would be the focus of his career.

While at the CIA, Don has been a Group Leader, Vice President of the Slow Food chapter, and Treasurer of the Eta Sigma Delta chapter. All experiences when coupled with the premier culinary education have given Don a tremendous foundation. Don currently works part-time as a line cook at Maialino in Gramercy Park in Manhattan, where he completed his externship. Lauded as having one of the best pasta programs in the city, Maialino has helped Don gain an even stronger understanding and appreciation for pasta (and food in general). His goal is to own his own hospitality group specializing in regional Italian cuisines.

Allyson Kitowski, Fox Valley Technical College

Allyson started out in the National Restaurant Association’s ProStart program in high school and got her first taste for the speed and precision required to be in the culinary field. From there, she branched out to the local 4-H youth organization and the Fox River Valley community, where she had the opportunity to shadow chefs from local restaurants.

Having always loved the art of cake decorating, Allyson recently completed an internship at the Melting Pot in Appleton. She enjoys the adrenaline rush that you get when you’ve got eight or so orders coming in at a time and you need perfect plates, and you have a limited time to get the food out. That is why she chose this field. A full-time student also working two part-time jobs, Allyson is the Vice President of the Culinary & Hospitality Club. After her expected graduation in May 2017, Allyson plans to open her own café-style restaurant where she can express her passion for food in her own way. Allyson truly believes “passion is the difference between a job and a career.”

Kurtis Konrad, Fox Valley Technical College

Spending countless hours in the kitchen as a young child with his family is where his passion for food began. Kurtis’s grandmother would feed him anything and everything, which lead to any openness to try new foods. His mother attended FVTC as a culinary student when the program was an apprenticeship program, and they would talk about her times in the industry. Now, as a full time student in the Culinary Arts program himself, Kurtis is making the most of his education both in and out of the classroom.

Kurtis has been a part of the Student ACF Competition Team and a member of the FVTC Culinary Arts Club, holding the office of Hospitality Representative. Kurtis also volunteers as an assistant cook at Loaves and Fishes, located at Trinity Lutheran Church in Appleton. There, he helps prepare meals for the homeless and/or those living in poverty.

After Kurtis graduates in 2017, he hopes to one day open his own fine dining restaurant. He believes his time with the competition team has been a tremendous learning experience and has provided the skills and mindset that he can use to help him succeed in reaching his goals.

Charolette Browder, CIA

Charolette decided to come to the CIA after taking a Culinary Arts “Home Ec” class in high school. What started off as a blow off class that supplied its students with fresh baked cookies, slowly transformed into insatiable curiosity for all things food related. Charolette found herself gravitating towards the kitchen more and more each day, wanting every free second that she could find to be spent around food, creating something new. Nowadays, she can be found in and out of the multiple kitchens at the best culinary educational institution in America. Long term Charolette has multiple goals including obtaining a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and working in a Research and Development Position in the food industry, rather than directly on the line in a restaurant, with the goal of having a positive nutritional impact on convenience foods.

Olushola Wadley, CIA

Olushola is fulfilling a dream that she has had from a very young age. Determined to attend the CIA at any cost, Olushola received a full-tuition scholarship when she was a senior in high school by winning a cooking competition through a program called Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), which helps inner city students get into the culinary industry. Olushola has spent her time at the CIA learning the ins and outs of the foodservice industry including honing her knife skills, professionalism, and teamwork. After graduation, she wants to teach students in urban areas how to grow their own fruits and vegetables since it’s still difficult for low-income communities to have access to fresh and affordable produce. Long term, Olushola wants to take a philanthropic journey to help aid those in developing countries around the world with shelter, food, health, and education.

Richard "Rick" Edison, CIA

Rick has always loved food, and during his service in the US Army when he was stationed in Europe for five years, he had an opportunity to experience all sorts of cuisines that heightened his passion. Any time Rick wasn’t deployed he was at home cooking for friends and family.

After returning to the United States, Rick found it hard to get the same quality of authentic cuisine from all the places he traveled, especially Italy. That was his motivation to recreate the dishes he enjoyed most. For example, he started making his own pasta along with the sauces that his family dearly missed.

When his military service was over, Rick decided to follow his passion for food and apply to The CIA. This was the second best step he ever made, first was the Army. Rick’s plans after graduating from the program in San Antonio is to continue his studies in New York and obtain a Bachelor's degree with a focus in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. This will hopefully lead to running his own food truck in the future.

Brandie Thompson, CIA

Prior to beginning her culinary education, Brandie served in the United States Army for five years and then in security forces for another two years. She discovered her passion for cooking after being honorably discharged from the Armed Forces. Now in her second semester of culinary school, Brandie plans on graduating in September of 2017. Brandie is thrilled to have the opportunity to attend one of the top culinary institutions in the world and hopes to own and operate a food truck that specializes in authentic Cajun cuisine.

Elizabeth Billington, Fox Valley Technical College

Elizabeth is enrolled in the Hospitality Management program and will graduate in December 2016. She holds two jobs in the hotel industry while attending school full-time, and is also a member of the FVTC Culinary Arts Club. Elizabeth’s career goal is to become a manager of a hotel or small business in the industry. When asked why she chose hospitality she said, “I’m a very outgoing person and have always loved the hotel industry. I become energized on the daily working at the front desk and feel like I have found the field of study I was meant to be in for years to come.”

Olivia Leon, Fox Valley Technical College

Heather started cooking and baking at a very young age, mostly with the help of her dad and grandma. However, she would also try to make more simple things like scrambled eggs or a pizza all by herself. In high school, Heather was an entrepreneur and was able to learn what it was like to own and manage a business. She also began taking culinary classes and did an internship at Blue Harbor Resort through Lakeshore Technical College. She thought culinary was a great way to meld the love of business with her passion for cooking and ended up enrolled in both the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management programs at FVTC. She maintains a high GPA and has volunteered in various capacities in her community. Heather loves the rush of energy when the order tickets come flying in and being confident enough to complete each ticket successfully. Not surprisingly, Heather’s post FVTC plans are to work in the culinary industry for a couple of years for the hopes of owning a business of her own some day.

Rachel Guindon, CIA

Rachel’s fondness for cooking can be traced back to holidays, family dinners and even parties where she often spent time in the kitchen in her younger days with her grandma, and later on with her father. As she got older, she began cooking more and more, wanting to get better and find the new flavors to make her loved ones smile. Rachel spent three years working in her high school’s restaurant both on the line and in the bakery and also as a waitress. It was one of her school instructors who encouraged her to attend the CIA and follow her heart.

Rachel completed an externship at The Hotel Hershey in Hershey, PA. where she received a wide variety of experience. It’s also where she became passionate about waste management and full food utilization. Rachel believes with each class and each new chef comes many valuable new lessons and experiences. She plans to earn her degree in management along with a concentration in Italian cuisines and hopes to open her own business one day.

Jennifer Beyer, Fox Valley Technical College

Enrolled in the Culinary Arts program, Jennifer attends school while balancing a family. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa at FVTC and holds a GPA of 4.0. She especially loves baking. Jennifer is scheduled to graduate in 2017 and hopeful that potential employers will see her goals and willingness to learn. Her instructors say she is committed to giving her best effort and achieving academic excellence.

Chelsea Sarauer, Fox Valley Technical College

Chelsea is enrolled in the Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts program. She is a member of the Hospitality & Culinary Arts Club and is currently the banquet supervisor at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton. She loves studying and working in the field and feels that giving her guests the best experience possible is most satisfying. That’s why she tries to exceed customers’ expectations at all levels. Chelsea looks to continue her education in the field upon her graduation in May 2017. According to one of her Culinary Instructors, “Chelsea is one of the most effervescent and likeable students in our program. She is on a very specific mission to graduate and move on with her career. She has made some very strategic career moves as she pursues her ultimate management goal. She is a joy to have in classes.”

Shane Costello, MATC

Shane originally went to school to study electrical computer engineering. However, plans changed and he is now cooking professionally…and loving it. Although he grew up cooking and barbecuing with friends and family, Shane never imagined he would end up working in the culinary industry. Since finishing his studies at Madison College, Shane has held just about every position in the restaurant industry. Currently, he is a Restaurant Manager and is also starting a tomato and produce farm so Wisconsin has better produce from which to choose.

Aaron Liebgold, MATC

Aaron is a dedicated, hard working individual who has a positive attitude and enjoys working with, and mentoring other like-minded Individuals. He has a strong passion for whatever it is he puts his mind to and always takes pride in my work. After graduating form the culinary arts program with a 3.25 GPA, Aaron is currently the lead cook at Toby’s Supper Club in Madison.

Candie Yoder, CIA

Cooking and serving others intrigued Candie from a very young age. However, before Candie began her training to become a chef, she used her business acumen to start a food-related company called Culinary Teas in 2001. It was the perfect business to run while raising a family. With her kids now older and more independent, Candie decided to sell the tea business and follow her culinary dreams to the CIA. During her time at the CIA’s San Antonio campus, Candie completed her externship at the San Antonio Country Club and also worked as a private tutor assisting students with their studies and skills.

Jennifer Kempin, CIA

Jennifer Kempin was always drawn to the service industry.  With an Army father stationed in Germany, Jennifer’s mother always made miracles in the kitchen despite having little money. Every holiday was a grand feast, with countless flavors, aromas and textures. Her mother’s creativity inspired Jennifer to bring that same joy she experienced through food to others.

At 15, Jennifer worked for a French chef at a resort.  It took six months moving up from dishwasher and prep cook to getting her chance as a line cook. Once on the line, she felt at home. The only time the world made sense was when Jennifer was on sauté, or grilling a perfect cut of steak.

Jennifer grew up in a small town in Arizona and no one in her family went beyond high school. So having the educational opportunities at the CIA has been life changing. Currently focused on earning a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts management, Jennifer’s long-term goal is to pursue a career in the hotel and restaurant industry with a resort hotel and restaurant company. Ultimately, Jennifer would love to return to the CIA as a chef instructor, and eventually a Dean.

Samantha Smith, Fox Valley Technical College

Samantha has a 4.0 grade point average while being a full-time student, working part-time, and volunteering at her church.  She is enrolled in the Culinary Arts Program with the Advanced Culinary and Baking Certificate. 

Samantha is enjoying her experiences at school as well as her jobs in the foodservice business and is excited about all the opportunities the industry offers.

Carly Cerniglia, Fox Valley Technical College

Carly has a 3.92 GPA while being a full-time student, working part-time, and spending her summers volunteering at Camp Onaway. 

She is enrolled in the Culinary Arts and Hotel and Restaurant Management programs with a dream of opening her own business.

Brendon Byrkett, MATC

Brendon is a full-time culinary student who has maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.49.  He has volunteered as a Student Ambassador for the college providing tours to new students and guests and also is a member of the college's American Culinary Federation team, helping earn second place in 2014 - the strongest team finish to date.

Additionally, Brendon is a member of the WI Restaurant Association where he helps coach high school students in the ProStart program.

Der Yang, MATC

While attending school in Madison, Der was able to gain valuable hands on experience in the area of food and dining services. She also had the opportunity to stage at Salvatore's Tomato Pie, Rare Steakhouse, and L' etoile. After finishing her Associates Degree at Madison College, Der went on to pursue her Bachelors degree at the University of Wisconsin - Stout where she is currently majoring in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism management with a minor in Business Administration. As part of a summer internship, Der was the Guest Experience Leader at the Hyatt Regency Green Bay, and took on the role of a supervisor who managed the hotel’s restaurant, front desk, and housekeeping. During her time at Stout, Der also worked at the University’s Dining Hall where she handled a variety of assignments including salad and dessert preparation, baking, and food server. Her ultimate goal is open her own restaurant one day.

Kirsten Thorn, CIA

Kirsten Thorn has always had a passion for food. She was drawn to a life in food due to the principles that food teaches. According to Kirsten, food provides lessons in self-confidence, consistency in quality standards, and the power that a simple item such as bread can have in bringing people together.

At 16, Kirsten worked in a small French bistro with an entirely female kitchen staff. She would be picked up after school by a member of the staff and brought to cook in the restaurant. These women became mentors for her in both food and in living independently.

Kirsten has always believed that understanding where you would like to eventually end your journey is the best way to plan for the road ahead. After completing her AOS degree, Kirsten volunteered on a coffee farm in Nepal. She learned about Nepali customs and food ways as well as growing through culture. Although her future is far from decided, she wishes to positively impact society. Whether this evolves into teaching sustainable food production methods, or teaching kindergarteners how to cook, Kirsten will only be happy when she can give back.

Daniel Jarosz, CIA

Daniel Jarosz started cooking with Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one hand and a sauté pan in the other. By 15, he was making meals from scratch. At 16, Daniel worked as a short order cook in a local restaurant. Together with the chef, they cooked 150 covers a night. He loved working in a small kitchen and fell in love with the culinary profession.

During his freshman and sophomore years at the CIA, Daniel learned a great deal about culinary arts and wine. As a junior and senior, he’s focusing on the business and management aspects of the industry. When not in class, he attends to Resident Assistant duties and also volunteers time to walk for March of Dimes, Bocuse d’Or, Meals on Wheels and The American Heart Association. Additionally, Daniel is the vice president of the club “Catholics at the Culinary” and writes for the college’s paper - La Papillote.

Daniel’s long-term goal is to compose a culinary novel about cooking and create culinary videos for cooks of all levels. He also wants to leave a lasting impression on the people around him through teaching.

Brandon Soto, CIA

Since childhood, Brandon’s grandmother was his culinary inspiration. He loved to cook with her and cherished their time together preparing family dinners. In high school Brandon dove into culinary arts feet first at the Clark County Skills Center, which quickly led to the beginning of his food-service career.

Starting off at Del Taco in Camas, WA, Brandon learned to work cleanly and follow food safety standards. At Brandon’s externship at the Ritz Carlton- Kapalua in Hawaii, he found himself among many esteemed CIA Alumni. They pushed him further to work faster, cleaner, and more efficiently everyday- which is something that he will carry with him through his professional career.

Brandon's post graduation goals include traveling to learn more about food and wine. Then to eventually work in a corporate environment as executive level chef.

Ashley Stini, Fox Valley Technical College

Ashley has always had an interest in food. When she could first talk, she would proclaim to her parents, “I want to be a cooker-baker.”  Ashley grew up on home-cooked meals and rarely ate out – so it was her parents that taught her the basics of the kitchen.

What Ashley loves most about the culinary field is being able to be artistic with food as well as so many different career avenues from which to choose.  Ashley is planning to graduate with two degrees (Hotel & Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts) and three certificates.

Dafna Mizrahi, CIA

Dafna Mizrahi: Originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico, Dafna Mizrahi immigrated to the United States with her family as a teenager. Her earliest childhood memories are in the kitchen with her grandmother cooking for holy days. When she was 14, Dafna’s Godfather allowed her to work the “front of the house” at his restaurant. This experience solidified what she knew; that her true joy was the restaurant life, and that she wanted to become a chef.

With her family living in Atlanta, Dafna worked hard to learn English well, so that one day she could attend the CIA. And her dream came true. Over the past three years, the CIA has been Dafna’s home away from home and her chefs have become both mentors and a surrogate family. She has met many different chefs from all over the world who have inspired her to embrace her native cuisine and culture. That’s why after travelling abroad and spending time in Spain and Italy, Dafna plans to take their advice by creating a restaurant group that will fuse her Mexican heritage with the cuisine and hospitalities of those two European countries.

Michael Brothers, CIA

Pequannock, NJ-native Michael Brothers was bitten at a very young age by the culinary bug. His Troop Leader in Boy Scouts was an alumnus from the CIA and took him under his wing. He taught Michael how to cook both around a campfire and in the kitchen. Moving forward, Michael researched ways that he could work on his own and advance his culinary skill set. By the time he was in high school, Michael was cooking five course meals for upwards of ten people by himself. Thus, coming to the CIA was an easy decision for Michael and a dream come true.

After graduating from the A.O.S. program, Michael was offered the MIT (Manager in Training) position in the CIA’s high volume Jones Dairy Farm Kitchen. The job was a rewarding experience and honed his professional skills allowing Michael to work closely with other students. Michael plans to continue to work in the foodservice industry, constantly developing his skills and learning new techniques until such time that he can pass the information on to others. In fact, Michael eventually wants to return to the CIA as an instructor.

Brooke Maynard, CIA

This Seattle-native discovered the culinary arts in high school during a community service trip to a small mountain village in Costa Rica. There, Brooke met Merrick Schoenfield, a Colorado-based chef who taught her a variety of cooking styles and ways to incorporate the abundant produce and diverse flavors into the dishes they prepared. Upon her return to Seattle, Brooke got a job working for Chef John Howie at the Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar. That experience helped solidify Brooke’s desire to attend The Culinary Institute of America.

Since attending the CIA, Brooke has become very successful at testing her skills. She won 3rd place in both the Grey Poupon Scholarship Competition in 2010 and 2011 International Tapas Competition held in Valladolide. As Rose Weiss’s assistant, she won 1st place in the 2012 Bocuse d'Or Commis USA Competition, and was captain of the Jones Dairy Farm Student Team that won a Gold Medal in the New York State ACF Student Team competition in 2012.

After graduation, Brooke plans to travel the world, then move back to Seattle and open a farm to table restaurant centered on seafood.

Lacey Benjamin, CIA

Lacey knew she wanted to become a chef at a very young age. Having cooked professionally in restaurants since she was 16 and completing a vocational culinary arts program in high school, Lacey has always been in love with food and the important role it plays in all aspects of a person's life.

Lacy believes the B.P.S. program at the CIA has pushed her mind to different places and made her remember how much she loved history and the important role food played in it. Her professional and personal goals are very much tied together. She believes in making food that is true to her morals and ethics. As a type 1 diabetic, she is constantly faced with the stereotypes people have surrounding the relationship that diabetics have with food.

After graduation, Lacey plans on working in a hospital with young children who have been recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. She wants to educate people on what food really means to a diabetic and help show people that you can truly eat what you desire.

Aubrey King, CIA

Gardnerville, Nev.-native Aubrey King originally hoped to become a Registered Dietician but soon realized the only part about nutrition she really enjoyed was the food. That’s when the CIA was lucky enough to get Aubrey as a student.  Aubrey can trace her love of the culinary arts back to her grade school days when she experimented in the kitchen. She would pretend to be Julia Child, talk to her audience…the food…in Julia’s well-known voice while creating sometimes tasty and sometimes not so tasty dishes.

In addition to helping her define her passion, talking to food also has brought Aubrey notoriety. She created a blog titled "I Talk to Food" during her first year at the CIA.  King wrote about her experiences at culinary school as well as her journey to become a runner.  She now has more than 3,000 views a day with readers from all over the world.  The blog includes original recipes, healthy living tips and articles related to attending culinary school.  Currently pursuing her B.P.S. in Culinary Arts Management, Aubrey expects to complete her studies at the CIA in February 2013.

Jose Frayre, CIA

Born in Mexico, Jose’s family immigrated to the U.S. when he was in grade school.  A fifth of six children, his education and culinary passion were closely tied to his close-knit family.  As a child, Jose enjoyed helping his mother in the kitchen and she encouraged him to follow his love for food and cooking.  Jose has also found personal satisfaction in his involvement with community organizations such as the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and the Family Career and Community Leaders of America. Within his church, he was the assistant Vacation Bible School director, youth group advisor and coordinator, and assistant director of Sunday school. Since coming to the CIA, Jose has worked as a tour guide and has been involved as a member of the Dean's Council, a BPS Representative for Student Government Association, and the President of the Culinary Christian Fellowship. Jose is the first member of his family to attend college.  After graduation, Jose would ideally like to move back to Texas and work for a chef like Dean Fearing before eventually opening a restaurant of his own.

Tom Barthelmes, CIA

Londonderry, New Hampshire-native Tom Barthelmes achieved his 3.60 G.P.A. the way he achieved everything in his life…through hard work and perseverance. Since the age of 12, Tom wanted to be a chef. However, it took him three years to find a restaurant to hire him.  At 15, he finally got his foot in the door as a dishwasher and the rest is history. When not in class, Tom enjoys outdoor activities. He is an avid runner and plays on the college’s tennis team. He also holds a 20 hour a week, part time job as the savory chef in the CIA’s Apple Pie Bakery Café.

Tom is also active in the local community and volunteers his time to local events. Tom has a road map for his future. “I see the next few years as a continuation of my education. I’d like to work for a time at different locations, honing my skills, developing my craft and building my resume. I plan to work my way toward California and once that goal has been reached, I’d like to work in Australia too.”

Fareez Dossani, CIA

Lawrenceville, Ga.-native Fareez Dossani credits his parents for his culinary passion and his decision to make the food and hospitality industry his living. In pursuit of a foodservice career, Fareez completed the first half of his culinary education at the CIA in traditional fashion. He earned a 3.32 grade point average; focusing on his academics and thinking of a future in hotel management where he hoped one day to work in Dubai.

When he entered his junior year, Fareez experienced a revelation during a class taught by his mentor and economics professor, David Flynn. The lecture centered on the micro and macro economics of third world nations and the effects on global markets. As a result, Fareez started researching fair trade practices and how we all can affect change in impoverished nations simply by our purchases. He soon founded the student organization “Students or Fair Trade” at the CIA and currently serves as president and has worked with the college's buyers finding ways to support global fair trade. Currently pursuing his B.P.S. in Culinary Arts Management, Fareez expects to complete his studies at the CIA in March 2012.

Eric Hollandsworth, CIA

Eric Hollandsworth’s interest in the culinary arts started in high school but the thought about making it a career blossomed in college. While attending Illinois Central College, this Peoria, Illinois-native worked as a server at an Old Chicago Restaurant. There, he discovered that he loved the foodservice business and wanted to learn more.

So after receiving his business management degree, Eric applied to the CIA and has never looked back. Since arriving, Eric has achieved academic success and demonstrated leadership qualities. During the ceremony where he received his associate degree in Occupational Studies, Eric was awarded the prestigious Francis Roth Leadership Award and the Student Government Award.

Now pursuing his B.P.S in Culinary Arts Management, Eric remains extremely active and has continued to shine, maintaining a 3.49 grade point average while also working as a resident assistant and a senior tour guide for the CIA’s Hospitality Office. He’s a contributor to the student newspaper La Papillote, a member of the CIA tennis team, president of the Brew Club, former president of the student government and recently won the CIA’s nineteenth annual chili cook off.

Jason Williams, CIA

Thorntown, Indiana-native Jason Williams fell in love with the culinary arts during high school when his mother would work late and he’d prepare dinner for the family. He enjoyed the creativity of the kitchen and thought it was something he’d like to pursue as a vocation. During his senior year, Jason got a job with Chef Candice Winter at the Bijou Restaurant, a small French restaurant near his home, and that would seal the deal for pursuing a career in food. Chef Winter took Jason under her wings and taught him a great deal about the kitchen. In addition to skills, he learned methods, techniques and to work cleanly. Jason started small by cutting portions of meat and cleaning fish. He later learned how to make salads and desserts. Finally, as he neared the end of his time there, Chef Winter promoted him to the line where they worked side-by-side.

Jason is currently pursuing his B.P.S. in Culinary Arts Management and expects to complete his studies at the CIA in November (2011). He is preparing to travel to Europe where he’ll study the culture and wines of Spain and is already focusing on his career after graduation where he’ll move to Texas and work for a high-end hotel company. Jason is comfortably pragmatic in his manner and lives by the motto: “Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

Christian Hanrahan, CIA

Growing up the oldest of eight children in the Boston suburb of Newton, Christian Hanrahan always loved preparing and serving food.  He spent his summers at a Boy Scout camp where he happily served as a cook and his cuisine became legendary.  Throughout his high school years, he staged in a number of Boston area restaurants including the Legal Seafood Restaurant chain. Christian loved the heat and action of a professional kitchen so applying and attending The Culinary Institute of America was a natural next step for him.  Christian has excelled both in and outside of the classroom at the CIA.  After receiving his A.O.S. in Culinary Arts, he worked for a year as a teaching assistant in the school’s Quantity Food Production class.  Christian also did an externship at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.  Always looking ahead, Christian is sure of his future in food and hopes to eventually operate a high-end restaurant group in the Greater Boston area.

Christopher Lauber, CIA

This Melvindale, Michigan native’s first experience in the foodservice industry helped set the tone for his future.  Christopher began working as a dishwasher at the Hillside House Restaurant in St. Ignace, Michigan. Soon after starting, he began trimming vegetables and other basic prep responsibilities.   He found his willingness to work hard on the fundamentals lead to his being asked to complete new jobs and responsibilities in the kitchen.  Later, after earning his Culinary I and Culinary II certification at the William D. Ford Tech Center in Westland, Michigan, Christopher decided to attend the CIA to further his education because of his love for food, wine, entertaining and the hosting of major events.  Since arriving at the CIA, Christopher has excelled.  He received the Frances Roth Leadership Award, has maintained a 3.23 grade point average and has perfect attendance through his first six semesters of college.  Following his CIA experience, Christopher plans to travel to Europe to get a true understanding of their food and culture, bettering myself along the way. Eventually he’d like to settle down and open his own cheese and wine bar.

Robbie Rensel, CIA

Petoskey, Michigan - native Robbie Rensel has enjoyed cooking from an early age and knew he wanted a career in foodservice from his first job at The Inn at Bay Harbor, a four diamond resort.  Since arriving at the CIA, Robbie has proven himself both a scholar and a leader and his list of achievements is impressive.  He has competed in the Skills USA Competition (placing in regional, state, and national competitions). In addition, Robbie has made the Dean’s List, was the group leader of his A.O.S. Class, received the prestigious Frances Roth Leadership Award, has been the president of the Gourmet Society for three years, has been active in both the Dinner Club and the Ice Carving Club and is the Vice President of Public Relations for Marist College’s Toastmasters club. “The CIA student organizations have been one of the best growing and learning experiences I have ever encountered.  The networking and personal development skills I learned are a huge reason why I am at the point in my career that I am at today.”

Kaleena Bliss, CIA

Vancouver, Washington-native Kaleena Bliss has focused on the culinary arts since childhood when she watched Martin Yan’s cooking show on television with her mother.  As the first member in her family to attend college, Kaleena has met the challenge of higher education head on and has excelled.  She has been on the dean’s list three times and has maintained a perfect attendance record for two consecutive semesters. Kaleena won first place in the supreme chef challenge and placed second in the CIA’s 2007 chili cook-off.  She also received the Skills Center Exemplary Attendance award and the Skills Center Outstanding Professionalism award.  As a rising star at the CIA, Kaleena knows where she is heading. “After I graduate, my goal is to travel abroad and work in various kitchens. I would love to work in Spain and Italy and become an executive chef.  Eventually I want to become a culinary educator for high school students who want to break into the industry.”

Joseph Moore, CIA

Throughout his youth in eastern Pennsylvania, Joseph Moore remembers spending considerable time in the kitchen with his mother.  Whether it was to help cook family meals or decorate special fruit platters, Joseph really enjoyed seeing people have a good time around the food that he helped prepare.  That same joy still influences Joseph today and ultimately led him to one of the best decisions he ever made…going to the CIA.  Joseph Moore truly appreciates the opportunities attending the CIA affords him such as on-the-job training and interacting with the CIA chefs and other food industry leaders outside of the classroom.  For example, he gained valuable insight and management lessons while completing an externship at Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes, Vermont, and plans to participate in an upcoming Bachelor’s program Food and Wine Seminary that will travel to Spain. Joseph is currently enrolled in the CIA’s Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) degree program and is expected to graduate in November 2009.”

Bryan Kozlowski, CIA

This Pompano Beach, Fla.- native received the President's Award for having the highest GPA of his CIA class and also interned at Saveur Magazine where he assisted the editorial staff with recipe development and testing, photo shoots and research.  He hopes to return to the publishing world as either a test kitchen director/editorial staff member of a national magazine, freelance journalist or cookbook author.

Lance Nitahara, CIA

Lance realized cooking could actually become a career when he broke and fixed his first hollandaise sauce.  He will graduate from the CIA with a fistful of professional certifications including that of a Certified Pastry Culinarian, Certified Chef De Cuisine/PCII and the prestigious Certified Executive Chef, a designation he recently earned from the American Culinary Federation after a rigorous four-day testing process.   Born in Wahiawa, Hawaii, Lance has an entrepreneurial spirit that he says he inherited from his father.

Theresa Moll, CIA

At Lee-Davis High School in Mechanicsville, VA, Terri was involved in the community and extracurricular activities.  Although Lee-Davis did not have a culinary program, Terri said that her mom and grandmother were very interested in cooking, and she would cook with them.  Her mother is her inspiration in her cooking.  “She is very strong and creative,” says Terri.

Terri has done some foodservice work as a volunteer, but her first job was at the Ironhorse Restaurant in Ashland, VA.  She remembers how she learned the ropes of working in a small restaurant and how to work a variety of stations.  "I hope to some day be a part of a company that I can feel a part of and grow with," said Terri.  "I want to be able to help shape the company and provide what our consumers want and will enjoy.  At CIA Terri participates in the Fit Club and a business club called FAME.  She also works evenings as a tele-counselor with the CIA Admissions Office.

Jered Greeenwald, CIA

Jered has been interested in cooking and culinary arts for many years, “So long, in fact,” said Jered, “that I can't pinpoint a specific moment or time that changed me.” He started his foodservice career volunteering for a friend at CHIVE, a restaurant in the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego. “Later, I became a paid staff member plating desserts during Friday and Saturday nights. The chef of CHIVE was a CIA graduate, which is how I first learned of the school. I loved cooking food that my guests loved. It made me proud and gave me the desire to continue my culinary education at the same school my chef attended.”

Jered is a Dean's list student who has also been recognized for his perfect attendance.  His studies have also inspired his passion for charcuterie - the making of fresh and aged sausages as well as pates, terrines, and other meat products. His plans to continue this study include travel to Europe, and possibly working on pig farms in Europe and in the United States.

Christopher Cox, CIA

Christopher began his culinary work in Rhode Island as a prep cook. After graduation he hopes to work at a world-class resort and later open a small resort of his own. Scholarship awarded June 2007.

Monica Blaine, CIA

A native of Novato, Calif., Monica discovered her enjoyment of cooking at a very young age when she would help her mother in the kitchen. Monica dreams of opening her own restaurant in San Francisco. Scholarship awarded September 2006.

Randle Egbert III, CIA

Born in Milford, Ohio, Randle hopes to become a front of the house manager in a five-star hotel chain. He also hopes to learn to speak fluent Spanish to aid in his career. Scholarship awarded December 2006.

Antoine Hodge, CIA

Antoine hails from Danbury, Conn., and is the eldest of nine children. His ultimate goal is to open a restaurant but not until after he has received wine certification and has spent time working throughout the U.S. and abroad, especially France. Scholarship awarded December 2006.

James Orr, CIA

Culinary Arts Management major. His ultimate career goal is to open a Chez Panisse-style restaurant in his hometown. Scholarship awarded May 2006.