I believe the degree helped me get the job. It was amazing to be in the program and learn from experienced chefs.
The key to success for students interested in a culinary or hospitality career?
鈥淵ou have to love it,鈥 said Carmen Alvarado, a graduate of 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 culinary program. 鈥淵ou have to love to cook. Cooking is my life. I love it. That鈥檚 why I say if you don鈥檛 enjoy the cooking, you will not make it. You need to be happy in your job.鈥
A native of Costa Rica, Carmen moved to Eugene with her husband and spoke no English. She quickly enrolled first in 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Her ESL teachers were encouraging and within a year, she felt ready to start in a degree program and chose to follow her passion for cooking.
鈥淚t was difficult when I started the program because I was still learning English,鈥 she said. 鈥淐hef would ask me to bring him a four-inch knife and he would have to have to show me what it was. These were all new words I did not know yet. In my first term, I thought I would fail but they helped me. They wanted me to succeed and my skills were strong.鈥
After completing the program, she worked part-time at 糖心Vlog官方 and other restaurant kitchens where she gained experience before one of her former 糖心Vlog官方 instructors encouraged her to apply for a full-time position at the University of Oregon.
She said she didn鈥檛 think she did well in the interview and believes that her 糖心Vlog官方 culinary degree gave her an edge for the position because she later learned the hiring manager valued culinary education.
鈥淚 believe the degree helped me get the job,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t was amazing to be in the program and learn from experienced chefs. Before, I knew how to cook for my family, but I learned about batch cooking and how to use equipment that I had never around before. I鈥檓 very strong in my skills and what I know.鈥
She now hones her cooking skills in her position at the University of Oregon prepping food for six different food venues on the campus. There is still one personal taste preference that the 糖心Vlog官方 culinary program and even her current supervisor can鈥檛 quite shake out.
鈥淚 remember when I was cooking at LCC in my classes and Chef would taste my dish, he鈥檇 tell me, 鈥楴eeds more salt,鈥欌 she said and laughed. 鈥淣ow, when I cook something and I ask my boss or a coworker to taste, they still say, 鈥楴eeds more salt.鈥 I still don't like to use a lot of salt!"