Essays

CHTAEF / FIRSTCARIBBEAN SCHOLAR 2009 - Gemi St. Paul
Another school year is successfully on the way and I am thankful to the Caribbean Hotel Association Education Foundation and FirstCaribbean Bank, for continuing to provide assistance towards my schooling at Johnson & Wales University. I was very proud of my accomplishments last school year, graduating with honours; Summa cum laude for my Associates in Culinary Arts. I was so happy that with contributions from the aforementioned institutions, I was able to achieve something that was a monumental & important step for me.

I reapplied for the scholarship for this upcoming year, because as with most students, the hard economic times are affecting us all, me, not being an exception. Economic times were not the only factor, but there was also a marginal increase in tuition, which also gave me an added incentive to pursue another scholarship.

Johnson & Wales University is a great, close knit campus, with fewer than 1,500 students. At least ten percent of the students attending are international students from all over the world; Costa Rica, Germany, Sweden, Alaska, Africa as far as Samoa Islands and of course a generous sprinkling from the various Caribbean islands. The focus of the school is generally on the hospitality field, from culinary to management, also offering courses in criminal justice and business as well.

There are groups and organizations as diverse as the student body. However, I remain a part of Special Functions Team, a group which assists in hosting culinary functions, events and dinners, in and out of the school. I am also a part of the National Society of Minorities in the Hospitality Field (NSMH), which I continue to learn is one of the best groups for networking with a number of companies in the industry, with which the group is affiliated with, such as Hilton Hotels Corporation, Sodexho, Walt Disney Worldwide Services, Compass Groups, Darden Restaurants and Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, just to name a few.

I am also an active member of the International Community which has grown tremendously with the new students this past year. On our end of year trip, we are hoping to travel to Virginia to spend a weekend visiting historical sites and places of interest. Last, but not least, this year I applied and was selected as part of the resident assistant program. I am now a resident assistant for a section of the dorm area where I reside, Palm Gardens. It is in all honesty challenging, setting up programs for the students as well as doing boards which are part of my range of responsibilities, but I have grown a lot as an individual, as well as developing and honing leadership skills, which is a great asset.

Right now, I am concentrating on my Bachelor’s program of Food Service management. The most challenging part of it is a food service course where we have to develop, plan, cost, and execute a full dinner for at least 30 people on a budget of no more than $250 dollars. My group also has to include nutritional facts and prepare a requisition list in a timely manner, so that we can get all we need as well as managing the people within the kitchen so that we are generally on time and things go smoothly. My group is going next week, and we planned to do a tasting menu incorporating foods which are available in fall. I am hoping that we a have a smooth run and goes well!

Upon completion of my bachelor’s I believe I will be well rounded for my chosen field of culinary arts because I will not only have the culinary background, but also the management aspect which I think persons specifically in the kitchen lack, especially people in supervisory positions, such as supervisors and sous chefs. Having the expertise is one thing, but being able to apply it expertly is another issue, and with the interactive methods at school I hope to be able use these methods when I am on the job myself.

I also want to be able to encourage more Caribbean students to attend culinary school. It may be expensive, but it definitely lays down the necessary ground work that is sorely needed in the industry back home. Slowly, but surely, I expect to see changes in that area.

It was also important to me to do this area of study so that I can show people that studying culinary arts does not in any way or form just limit you to the kitchen as most people assume. I can soon enough not only tell them but show them as well some of the many sectors within the hospitality field that they can get involved in. Also, attending this school has made me realize that a some pointing time in my life, as much as working in the kitchen is what I love, I plan to later on teach, and spread my horizons, probably owning a business, or catering and testing my hand at cake decorating, something I enjoy doing.

There is a vast world out there and I plan to use my education as the launching pad so that I can accomplish as much as I have dreamed of.

I am already on my way.


Written by
Gemi St.Paul

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