{"id":18248,"date":"2021-05-14T13:00:06","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T18:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/?p=18248"},"modified":"2024-06-29T00:32:17","modified_gmt":"2024-06-29T05:32:17","slug":"what-escoffier-chef-instructors-love-most-about-their-jobs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/culinary-pastry-careers\/what-escoffier-chef-instructors-love-most-about-their-jobs\/","title":{"rendered":"What Escoffier Chef Instructors Love Most About Their Jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everyone hopes to find a fulfilling career that they love! That\u2019s why people attend culinary school<\/a> \u2014 to get closer to their dream job where they can cook or work with food all day long.<\/p>\n

For Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts\u2019 Chef Instructors, they get to work in the industry they love \u2014 while providing mentorship and education to future generations. We asked these experts to share what they love most about their jobs, so we could give you a look into the minds of these mentors. Learn what makes them the happiest in their work at Escoffier!<\/p>\n

The Working Environment<\/h2>\n

For some Escoffier Chef Instructors<\/a>, it\u2019s the work environment that they enjoy the most. Not all culinary schools are the same, and these instructors appreciate what makes Escoffier unique.<\/p>\n

Pastry Chef Instructor Jason Goldman said he appreciates, \u201cThe ability to work for a company where my voice is heard (as well as my colleagues), and my ideas, if good, can be put into practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another instructor told us that he loved the working hours at Escoffier because it let him spend more time with his wife and baby daughter. Now, he can\u2019t imagine leaving. This is another great reminder that a culinary career doesn\u2019t have to mean working in a restaurant! There is a wide variety of culinary careers<\/a>, and they can entail different working hours, environments, and responsibilities.<\/p>\n

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\nChef Instructors for Escoffier\u2019s online programs<\/a> also find plenty to enjoy at work. Just like the culinary students who benefit from increased flexibility through an online program, there\u2019s flexibility for the instructors, too!<\/p>\n

For Chef Lenora Murphy, she appreciates the diversity of her students. Online culinary and pastry students come from all over the world and all walks of life. The experience has allowed instructors to interact with many cultures and get an idea for the way people live in countries they may never visit in person.<\/p>\n

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“The interaction with so many students from practically everywhere on Earth. Interacting with them helps me keep many things in my life in perspective.”
\nEscoffier Chef Instructor Lenora Murphy<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Sharing a Passion for Food & Cooking<\/h2>\n

For many Escoffier Chef Instructors, the best part of the job is sharing their passion with excited students. Not everyone gets to talk about their favorite thing all day long for their job!<\/p>\n

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“I get to talk about food, and how it brings us together. Food to me is the international common denominator :)”
\nEscoffier Chef Instructor Sofia Forde<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Instructor Steve Konopelski enjoys the combination of passion and technique. He says, \u201cI love sharing my passion for food, but also knowledge with the students. I have always understood that technique is the basis and key for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chef Chelsie Higgins likes the dialogue. She loves when \u201c…folks want to know the things I am so excited to share!\u201d And for Chef Instructor Dan Bearss, the joy comes from demystifying the cooking experience for his students. He says, \u201cI love teaching people about new ways to prepare food, and [showing]<\/em> people how easy it is to make simple and tasty meals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chef Stephanie Michalak White\u2019s passion is helping students to find their passions, and helping them to stay motivated through school and beyond. Passion is an essential component of any successful chef<\/a> or culinarian. The Escoffier Chef Instructors have it in spades, and they thrive on sharing it with their students!<\/p>\n\"Female\n

The Light Bulb Moments<\/h2>\n

When we asked our Chef Instructors to share their favorite parts of their jobs, we expected to find some common themes. But we didn\u2019t expect to find so many who used the same language to describe it!<\/p>\n

Turns out, many Chef Instructors thrive on helping students find that \u201clight bulb\u201d or \u201cah-ha\u201d moment when things suddenly make sense. For Chef Instructor Suzanne Lasagna, it\u2019s all about \u201c…the ah-ha moment when a new technique or skill finally clicks for a student.\u201d<\/p>\n

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“I love interacting with students and seeing the \u2018a-ha\u2019 moments when they learn how to see food in new and exciting ways.”
\nEscoffier Chef Instructor David Pazmi\u00f1o<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

When a student\u2019s face lights up because something clicks \u2014 that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about for Chef Instructor Jackie Abril-Carlile! She loves \u201c…seeing the lightbulb go off when the students finally \u2018get it.\u2019\u201d And Pastry Chef Instructor Vicki Davenport says, \u201cI love the \u2018ah-ha\u2019 moments! When a student is struggling with a process or concept, and then all of a sudden it clicks, and they’re successful!\u201d<\/p>\n\"Male\n

Preparing Students for Future Careers<\/h2>\n

Most culinary students aren\u2019t in school \u201cjust because.\u201d They\u2019re planning for their futures and preparing for their careers. Escoffier Chef Instructors take great pride in helping students to bridge that gap from amateur to professional.<\/p>\n

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“One of the great joys of an academic life is the prospect of interacting with bright young minds, most of whom are at the verge of stepping into the real world. It gives me supreme satisfaction as an instructor that I have the honor and privilege to take part in the preliminary stages of their journey.”
\nEscoffier Chef Instructor Ivan Valcin<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Escoffier Chef Instructors work hard to make sure their students are well-prepared, and they enjoy sharing their own professional experience. For General Education Instructor Liz Matthiesen-Jones, teaching adult learners is a highlight. She is proud to help older students<\/a> expand their horizons and make the most of their potential.<\/p>\n

Chef Instructor Rachel Rancourt-Hobbs sees it as a back and forth \u2014 students are enthusiastic and passionate, which makes her want to be the best teacher she can be, so the students will excel in the industry.<\/p>\n\"Escoffier\n

Providing Mentorship and Helping Students Grow<\/h2>\n

There was one clear winner when it came to what makes Escoffier Chef Instructors the happiest. It\u2019s the joy they get from mentoring students<\/a> and helping them to grow. Chef Instructors are passionate, talented chefs in their own right. The opportunity to share their years of knowledge and experience with future generations of chefs and cooks is what provides gratification and fulfillment.<\/p>\n

Chef Nicholas Howard loves, \u201cbeing able to take the years of experience I have received and share it with the next generation of culinarians!\u201d And Pastry Chef Instructor NaDean Johnson appreciates, \u201cthe mentoring aspect of working with my students and watching them flourish as bakers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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“I love seeing students succeed. Watching them problem solve and use their new skills to end up with an outstanding final product makes me so proud. When I was a student, I remember my amazing Chef Instructors pushed me to be the best I could. As you can see, they had a big impact on me. Their guidance in this field is why I chose a career in food service education.”
\nEscoffier Pastry Chef Instructor Delainey Currier<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Chef Instructor Cesar Herrera sees his mentorship as an extension of the mentorship he once received<\/a>. \u201c[I love] to see my students progress week after week, and to share the knowledge I once got from my mentors with my students,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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More Thoughts on Mentorship from Escoffier Chef Instructors<\/h3>\n