State University of New York at Cobleskill (2012-2014)
Menu Planning and Facility Design (CAHT 247):
This course required young chefs to create their own menus and restaurant themes.
At the end of the course, we were required to present our ideas in front of our peers, who voted whether or not they would invest in us.
Personally, this was the first college course I took that required me to professionally present some of my creative ideas. It gave me confidence to move forward with my goals and gave me a new outlook on the restaurant business.
Food Service Purchasing (CAHT 145):
Course was a lecture and lab type format.
During the lecture, I learned how to read pricing sheets from buyers and vendors. I was also informed on how to create and maintain relationships with said buyers and vendors.
During the lab, we were granted full access to the US Foods website to obtain prices, create order sheets, and simulate a purchasing task.
In my opinion, this course was one of the most interesting and important ones I took in culinary school. We were given real life scenarios and were able to solve problems.
Introduction to Accounting and Cost Accounting (ACCT 229 & 230):
Every person who ever wants to own a business or get into management should have to take at least one accounting course.
When first attending this class, I did not think I was going to pass, as it was a new way of thinking that I just did not understand. I actually dropped it the first time I took it because I was so frustrated. When I had the chance to take it again, I was not so enthusiastic.
However, accounting allowed me to think about numbers in a new way, I learned to love the puzzle of balance sheets and I actually became a tutor in accounting!
Accounting gives the tools needed to understand profits, liabilities, assets, and even real world checkbook balancing!
Restaurant Practicum (CAHT 270):
This is one of the last courses I took in culinary school that gave me the confidence I needed to find employment in the restaurant industry.
In this course, students were required to run the own restaurant with the help of an experienced chef instructor.
We made the menus, costed them out, prepped them, and served to the public.
In fact, our group's restaurant was so popular we could serve an upwards of 100 people in a two hour time frame (seating of only 30 inside the restaurant).
Between the 10 of us, we would switch roles, sometimes being servers, sometimes being line chef, sometimes even washing dishes!
Beverage Management (CAHT 215):
We tasted everything from bar drinks to wine (from all over the world) to coffee drinks. This course was not only highly informative but also a ton of fun. During our weekly tastings, we would discuss what menu items would pair with each drink and we would determine where the wine was made, based on the flavor notes.
At the end of the course, we did a blind tasting, which really allowed me to finesse my palate and recognize different areas of wine making,
Menu Planning and Facility Design (CAHT 247):
This course required young chefs to create their own menus and restaurant themes.
At the end of the course, we were required to present our ideas in front of our peers, who voted whether or not they would invest in us.
Personally, this was the first college course I took that required me to professionally present some of my creative ideas. It gave me confidence to move forward with my goals and gave me a new outlook on the restaurant business.
Food Service Purchasing (CAHT 145):
Course was a lecture and lab type format.
During the lecture, I learned how to read pricing sheets from buyers and vendors. I was also informed on how to create and maintain relationships with said buyers and vendors.
During the lab, we were granted full access to the US Foods website to obtain prices, create order sheets, and simulate a purchasing task.
In my opinion, this course was one of the most interesting and important ones I took in culinary school. We were given real life scenarios and were able to solve problems.
Introduction to Accounting and Cost Accounting (ACCT 229 & 230):
Every person who ever wants to own a business or get into management should have to take at least one accounting course.
When first attending this class, I did not think I was going to pass, as it was a new way of thinking that I just did not understand. I actually dropped it the first time I took it because I was so frustrated. When I had the chance to take it again, I was not so enthusiastic.
However, accounting allowed me to think about numbers in a new way, I learned to love the puzzle of balance sheets and I actually became a tutor in accounting!
Accounting gives the tools needed to understand profits, liabilities, assets, and even real world checkbook balancing!
Restaurant Practicum (CAHT 270):
This is one of the last courses I took in culinary school that gave me the confidence I needed to find employment in the restaurant industry.
In this course, students were required to run the own restaurant with the help of an experienced chef instructor.
We made the menus, costed them out, prepped them, and served to the public.
In fact, our group's restaurant was so popular we could serve an upwards of 100 people in a two hour time frame (seating of only 30 inside the restaurant).
Between the 10 of us, we would switch roles, sometimes being servers, sometimes being line chef, sometimes even washing dishes!
Beverage Management (CAHT 215):
We tasted everything from bar drinks to wine (from all over the world) to coffee drinks. This course was not only highly informative but also a ton of fun. During our weekly tastings, we would discuss what menu items would pair with each drink and we would determine where the wine was made, based on the flavor notes.
At the end of the course, we did a blind tasting, which really allowed me to finesse my palate and recognize different areas of wine making,
Texas A&M University (2014-2017)
Botany (BIO 101):
This introductory Botany course enlightened my love for plants and their inner workings. It allowed me to understand the biology behind many different classifications. The lab that was offered with this course gave us applicable skills in the botanical world. We learned basic skills like how to inoculate a tobacco plant with agrobacterium (which causes tumors) and isolate DNA in a polymerse chain reaction to determine what pathogens were present in chosen plant. My favorite part about this class was the interactive final in which each student was given plants around campus to research and then we went on a tour where each of us shared our knowledge with our peers.
International Floriculture Marketing (HORT 426):
The highlight of this class was the field trip we took at the end of the semester. We visited a local, sustainable farm and a greenhouse where we learned the processes of growth to market and how each business marketed themselves to the public. This course offered many opportunity for in class discussion based on how floral products are marketed throughout the world, which gave me a perspective about the production process that I had not previously possessed.
Implementation of Events and Event Planning (RPTS 311):
As the name states, this class was all about designing and implementing events of all sorts from recreational games to extravagant weddings. Our instructor challenged us to create our own events and hold them for our classmates, which was a ton of fun. For the final project, we were asked to provide a full business plan for our very own establishment complete with programming designs and implementation. I have provided my project in my project samples (under portfolio).
Floral Design courses (HORT 203, 451, 452, 453):
My emphasis being floral design, I have taken many design courses. This is where many of my floral designs in my portfolio came from. These courses pushed my creativity and allowed me the opportunity to think outside the box for many different events and holidays. Not only did we get to play with flowers, we also discussed the trends of the floral industry and became expert on the principles and elements of design. These courses varied from basic floral design (203) to special events, weddings, and floral art; where we dove into other aspects of design such as floral jewelry and interactive/synergistic designs. Some of my projects and pictures have been included in my portfolio.
Why an Economics minor?
As an aspiring business owner, I strive to understand every aspect of my trade and the knowledge needed to run a successful business behind it. Given that my Restaurant Management degree gave me the basic knowledge to run a business, I decided that my next feat would be to understand the market and inner workings of the economy.
Botany (BIO 101):
This introductory Botany course enlightened my love for plants and their inner workings. It allowed me to understand the biology behind many different classifications. The lab that was offered with this course gave us applicable skills in the botanical world. We learned basic skills like how to inoculate a tobacco plant with agrobacterium (which causes tumors) and isolate DNA in a polymerse chain reaction to determine what pathogens were present in chosen plant. My favorite part about this class was the interactive final in which each student was given plants around campus to research and then we went on a tour where each of us shared our knowledge with our peers.
International Floriculture Marketing (HORT 426):
The highlight of this class was the field trip we took at the end of the semester. We visited a local, sustainable farm and a greenhouse where we learned the processes of growth to market and how each business marketed themselves to the public. This course offered many opportunity for in class discussion based on how floral products are marketed throughout the world, which gave me a perspective about the production process that I had not previously possessed.
Implementation of Events and Event Planning (RPTS 311):
As the name states, this class was all about designing and implementing events of all sorts from recreational games to extravagant weddings. Our instructor challenged us to create our own events and hold them for our classmates, which was a ton of fun. For the final project, we were asked to provide a full business plan for our very own establishment complete with programming designs and implementation. I have provided my project in my project samples (under portfolio).
Floral Design courses (HORT 203, 451, 452, 453):
My emphasis being floral design, I have taken many design courses. This is where many of my floral designs in my portfolio came from. These courses pushed my creativity and allowed me the opportunity to think outside the box for many different events and holidays. Not only did we get to play with flowers, we also discussed the trends of the floral industry and became expert on the principles and elements of design. These courses varied from basic floral design (203) to special events, weddings, and floral art; where we dove into other aspects of design such as floral jewelry and interactive/synergistic designs. Some of my projects and pictures have been included in my portfolio.
Why an Economics minor?
As an aspiring business owner, I strive to understand every aspect of my trade and the knowledge needed to run a successful business behind it. Given that my Restaurant Management degree gave me the basic knowledge to run a business, I decided that my next feat would be to understand the market and inner workings of the economy.