Why experiences matter. A reflection from Madison College's latest Chef Series featuring Graham Elliot

I am proud of the work that the Chef's at Madison College have done to bring incredible experiences to our students, including the Chef Series. In our Cost Control class, students have an opportunity to submit their reflections (as they do in other classes) if they attend these events. This is particularly beneficial if they have the opportunity to work the event.

To show you why we work so hard to bring these experiences to our student, here's one student's reflection of the experience - all names have been changed to Student A, B, C, etc. Enjoy!

          "For the final chef series, I was able to help set up the front of house section. I was working with Student A and Student B to organize the tasting room for the chef’s dinner. We polished silverware, plates, and glasses. After working and improving at it all semester in waitstaff we were able to set up the room with tablecloths, bottled water and iced tea rather quickly. To be able to see where we are now in comparison to where we were at the beginning is rather fascinating. Throughout the year at each chef series we were able to learn from what we did, and we tried to improve each show. One thing Chef John didn’t like was the plainness of the appetizer table. We fixed this by adding height and depth to the table by incorporating wooden boxes and crates for the food to rest on. We tried to use what we learned in menu planning to help accomplish this task. We had to plan for one hundred quests which had an effect on the number of beverages we supplied. Since I had to leave early, I was tasked with showing Student B how to set up the bar and to properly run it. I helped gather all of the equipment we needed but was unable to demonstrate how to run the bar with my time restraint. I was able to meet and talk with the Chef for a little bit before they started cooking and it was fascinating to learn from what he had to say. He walked around and talked with most of the students and wanted to know what they were doing and their plans. I’ve watched a few of his shows and to be able to meet him and see how he is off the TV and to get an understanding of his path was a great experience."

See our YouTube Chef Series videos here:

And learn more about upcoming Chef Series events here: https://madisoncollege.edu/center-for-entrepreneurship