Ivy Impact: Aspiring chefs are cultivating their dreams at Ivy Tech

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- At Ivy Tech, students are stirring up creativity in the culinary classroom.  

Aspiring chefs are getting the same experience and knowledge others would get right here in South Bend, without breaking the bank at an expensive culinary school.  

Chef Chris Pitt says, “there is a cost to a for-profit, culinary education. We know we can actually give students the same level of education that they get.”  

“It's more personable. You get to learn at your pace,” says KasasandaYobbe, Culinary student. 

Students like Carly Day also find a home at Ivy Tech, working with experienced chefs and mentors. She says, “I walk in here, every single day I leave, I've learned 10 things, and I just I love how I feel.”  

Their passion also takes them beyond campus, beyond the country even; students take trips to culinary hot spots like Paris every other year for experiential learning.  

Pitt believes it’s all about the experience for students, adding, “we also recognize it's really important for experiential learning. We make it a point to take students on different trips throughout their time here.”  

These experiences not only broaden the culinary horizons for students, but also prepares them for the world to come after college, which they have no problem transitioning into.  

Day says she’s been, “working at Three Leaf Catering at Notre Dame since December as their intern. I am manifesting that someday I will be the nutritional director of the Notre Dame's Women's Soccer team. So, I definitely plan on staying local.”  

Yobbe says she works at Cultivate Food Rescue. She adds that her plans after graduation are, “to stay for a while. But my goal is to get a food truck and move down south.”  

Pitt recalls student success he’s seen in the past, adding, “I've had a student graduate and go down to Disney, she did an internship with Disney loved every minute of it. We have a student in the Bahamas. Currently he opened his own restaurant. It is really driven by what the student wants for their life.”  

Students also share their talents with the community. They’ll be preparing the dessert for this year’s Fifth Annual Ivy Impact Gala. Pitt says the students are going for a tropical vibe this year. 

With all the right ingredients to make students’ culinary dreams a reality, the program continues to inspire the next generation of chefs.  

According to Day, “it’s been the best experience in the world.”  

To learn more about the Hospitality Administration/Culinary Program at Ivy Tech, head to its website.