{"id":24106,"date":"2022-09-28T10:17:45","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T15:17:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/?p=24106"},"modified":"2025-10-22T06:33:40","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T11:33:40","slug":"boulder-student-chris-marhevka-blends-social-work-and-culinary-arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/boulder-student-life\/boulder-student-chris-marhevka-blends-social-work-and-culinary-arts\/","title":{"rendered":"Boulder Student Chris Marhevka Blends Social Work and Culinary Arts"},"content":{"rendered":"

If there\u2019s one word that describes Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts student Chris Marhevka<\/a>, it could be energetic<\/strong>. With a master’s degree and career in social work and mental health on his resum\u00e9, he decided to pursue another passion\u2014the culinary arts.<\/p>\n

First on the agenda? An Associate of Occupational Studies Degree in Culinary Arts at Escoffier\u2019s Boulder campus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Find out where Chris funnels his boundless energy, and how he envisions combining sociology and food after he receives his degree!<\/p>\n

\u201cI Wanted to Make the Most of My Life\u201d*<\/h2>\n

Chris already had a meaningful career when he found Escoffier. As a social worker and mental health therapist, he spent his twenties helping individuals and couples to navigate what could be the most difficult times in their lives.<\/p>\n

That work took on a whole new slant in 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic. Chris worked in the emergency room at the reputable Cleveland Clinic during the height of the pandemic\u2014a job that took a toll.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just feeling burned out,\u201d he says. \u201cI still love social work, but I knew that I needed to switch up my life somehow and bring a little more balance into my life, a little more levity.\u201d*<\/p>\n

Chris had always loved cooking. As a kid, he would help his mom with the cooking for the parties she loved to throw. And he was an enthusiastic home chef. Why not go further?<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I hopped online one day and I did a Google search [and found Escoffier]. I knew I loved Colorado. I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to move out here eventually, so I thought, \u2018Two birds, one stone. I\u2019ll enroll in culinary school [in Boulder].\u2019 I [had a couple of meetings] with the admissions department<\/a>, and then the next thing I knew, I was applying, finding a place in Boulder, and getting out here!\u201c*<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI wanted to make the most of my life, and I didn\u2019t want any sort of aspirations to go unspoken and unexplored. I figured now is the time to put it into action. So here I am.\u201d*
\nChris Marhevka, Escoffier Culinary Arts Student, Boulder<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\"Three

Chris with classmates at Escoffier\u2019s Boulder campus<\/p><\/div>\n

Staying Active in Boulder<\/h2>\n

Chris isn\u2019t the type to rest on his laurels! He\u2019s got lots to do and he does it.<\/p>\n

Usually he starts his day with a workout at the gym. This may even include multi-tasking, pulling up YouTube videos of cooking demos<\/a> while he\u2019s on the treadmill to pick up tricks of the trade while he exercises.<\/p>\n

Next, he sets himself up for success by reviewing the procedures on the day\u2019s class schedule.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I go into the kitchen and I get to play,\u201d he says. \u201cI get to explore what works for me and works for this altitude, knowing that oven temperatures need to be adjusted and making sure the consistency\u2019s right. It\u2019s very much a tactile experience. You can study, study, study all you want, but getting into the kitchen and exploring is so important.\u201d*<\/p>\n

Chris also works part-time, in addition to attending school. \u201cI still had almost a decade of experience in a different field, and I was not about to just walk away from that. So I\u2019m still a therapist part-time. I have a caseload of 10 to 12 clients per week. It\u2019s a lot, so I need to make sure that my time is very well-managed.\u201d*<\/p>\n

Outside of his school and work obligations, Chris takes advantage of everything Boulder has to offer<\/a>, both indoors and out.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThere\u2019s plenty to do. Summer festivals, concerts. In the winter you can ski or snowboard. Just enjoy the atmosphere of it all.\u201d*
\nChris Marhevka, Escoffier Culinary Arts Student, Boulder<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\"Escoffier

Chris with classmates planning the menu for their Farm to Table\u00ae final project<\/p><\/div>\n

He also gathers with the friends that he\u2019s made in class<\/a> to talk about food, try new restaurants and food festivals, and explore the many neighborhoods in the Boulder area.<\/p>\n

The Culinary School Experience<\/h2>\n

Culinary School as an Adult Learner<\/h3>\n

Even though Chris has a Master\u2019s Degree, he still had to adjust to returning to school at Escoffier at age 30.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had been a home cook, but cooking restaurant quality food is a whole different game,\u201d he says. \u201cThe Escoffier student population ranges from kids just getting outside of high school to people who are on their second, third, and fourth career paths. It was definitely a diverse group. People were cooking circles around me who were, like, half my age,\u201d* he laughs.<\/p>\n

But he approached his classwork with optimism and soon found his stride. \u201cAs long as you\u2019re able to approach a new experience with that open mindset, then you learn so much more. You\u2019re able to humble yourself and take in what\u2019s being said, and accept critique. If you\u2019re able to process all of that in a productive way, then it\u2019s going to serve you for the rest of your life.\u201d*<\/p>\n

\"Chicken

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons from Chris\u2019 World Cuisines course<\/p><\/div>\n

Plus, Chris found that he had transferable skills that he could bring to the culinary world. One was knowing how to handle himself under pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first job was a crisis intervention specialist,\u201d he explains. \u201cI was dealing with very traumatic experiences for people, meeting them at some of the most vulnerable points in their life. Knowing how to have empathy for people who are struggling\u2014that\u2019s definitely something you can apply to any sort of field.\u201d*<\/p>\n

Things can get intense in the kitchen, so Chris thinks it can help to be able to regulate your emotions. Effective communication<\/a> and setting boundaries are two other skills that he brings from his previous career.<\/p>\n

While he sounds confident now, there was a question in his mind if it was too late to attend culinary school<\/a>. Ultimately, he decided that pursuing a degree and a career in food was what he was passionate about, and he was on no one\u2019s timeline but his own.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThere\u2019s this romantic notion that your grandma was teaching you how to cook by the time you were 5 or 6. That doesn\u2019t have to be your story in order to go to culinary school, in order to be a cook, to be a chef, to be in the food industry.\u201d*
\nChris Marhevka, Escoffier Culinary Arts Student, Boulder<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\"Red-Wine

Chris made this Red-Wine Braised Beef Short Rib with Roasted Garlic Rosemary Mashed Potatoes and brought it in to share with his classmates<\/p><\/div>\n

Finding Support at Escoffier: \u201cEveryone Here [Loves] the Work That They Do\u201d*<\/h3>\n

Chris is enthusiastic about his time at Escoffier. He found his Chef Instructors<\/a> \u201cmore than willing to stay after class, or meet before class, and have discussions. Because they care about food. They care about students.\u201d*<\/p>\n

While working as a line cook at Japanese restaurant Osaka\u2019s<\/a> in Boulder, Chris found himself with questions. \u201cThings would come up that I just didn\u2019t have familiarity with. Chef instructors would be more than happy to talk to me about how to navigate those sorts of learning experiences.\u201d*<\/p>\n

\"Osaka

Chris on the job at Osaka\u2019s<\/p><\/div>\n

A few Chef Instructors really stood out to Chris during his time at Escoffier.<\/p>\n

\u201cChef Eugene Kwak<\/a> pushed me to be more adventurous in my cooking,\u201d Chris explains. \u201cHis out-of-the-box thinking in World Cuisines sparked fascinating conversations on flavors, ingredients, textures, and style. His willingness to discuss such topics in-depth inspired me to do more research on my own time and elevate what I was bringing to the table, metaphorically and literally.\u201d*<\/p>\n

Another standout was Chef Julia Wolfe. \u201cChef Julia has a talent for holding students to high standards while nurturing their ambition along with their technical skill. Her mentorship allowed me space to humble myself when I had room to grow, but her tactics were rooted in empowerment, with a keen ability to recognize potential and reflect that potential back to students so that they see it within themselves.\u201d*<\/p>\n

\"Chef

Chef Instructor Julia Wolfe demonstrating whole-hog butchery in the Farm to Table\u00ae course<\/p><\/div>\n

Chris also got help finding his externship from the Career Services department<\/a>. As he explains: \u201c[Career Services]\u2026had spoken to our director of [General Education], Chef Susan Yurish<\/a>, and asked her for recommendations for students that she thought would be appropriate for [an externship at La Marmotte<\/a> in Telluride]. Kate Sweasy sent over my application and my resume, and assisted me with setting up the interview\u2026Within a week, I had an externship placement and I was figuring out the logistics of [getting to Telluride]. That wouldn\u2019t have even been a possibility for me if it had not been for the Chef Instructors and the support staff at Escoffier.\u201d*<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Really Open To Whatever Opportunities Present Themselves\u201d*<\/h2>\n

What does the future hold for Chris and his boundless energy? He\u2019d like to get into food media, but he\u2019s leaving his options open.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always loved reading essays, memoirs, cookbooks<\/a>, watching TV shows\u2026Showcasing minority populations and giving them their due credit in building up American food [is] really inspirational for me. I would love to be a part of that conversation\u2026giving a voice to people who have been overlooked, who have been underappreciated, who have been exploited in a lot of ways in this industry. Now that they\u2019re rising to prominence\u2026I want to be a part of highlighting that and giving a voice to that.\u201d*<\/p>\n

He\u2019s already started his own food blog, Cook Until Brown, where he shares his journey in food and cooking. He hopes it will grow to help amplify the voices of people of color in all aspects of the culinary industry.<\/p>\n

\"Student

Chris at the Food & Wine Classic<\/a> in Aspen, Colorado<\/p><\/div>\n

Chris sees a natural intersection between his first career in social work and his new knowledge in food and cooking. \u201cHopefully, I can use my skills as a sociologist, getting to know people within this industry and helping them tell their stories,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s what I want to do. Cooking is very joyful for me. But even beyond that, I feel like Escoffier is setting me up to hone my culinary voice and take up space in this industry. And [I want] to help other people who are struggling with that same process, to help them achieve that success as well.\u201d*<\/p>\n

\u201cIs This Something You Want to Do?\u201d<\/h2>\n

If the answer is \u201cyes,\u201d Chris says go for it. Passion is the key. \u201cEverything else beyond that, you can figure out,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can make a timeline that works for you. You can [figure] out a budget that works for you. You can pick a program, and you can mold it to that passion.\u201d*<\/p>\n

And if you do feel passionate about it, \u201c…then this school, Escoffier, can set you up for that success. They will see that passion from you, and they can help you foster it.\u201d*<\/p>\n

With all his energy and enthusiasm, we have no doubt that we\u2019re going to continue to see wonderful things from Chris going forward!<\/p>\n

While Chris\u2019s time at Escoffier is coming to a close, yours could just be beginning. Explore all the culinary programs<\/a> that Escoffier has to offer, and find out how you could turn that education into the perfect career for YOU.<\/p>\n

Meet more Escoffier students with these articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n