As some of you know, this semester I enrolled in a class called Reading, Writing, and Speaking in the Digital Age. As the class comes to an end, we were asked to write a final paper on a topic of our choosing. This is my thoughts on how food blogs provide an alternative to the high costs of culinary school.
"One Post at a Time"
It all started my junior year of high school. I was a member of the West Boca Culinary Academy, which is recognized as one of the best choice programs in the nation, one that other high schools model their academies after. I walked into class and saw a picture of a stunning campus, lined with trees filled with leaves of beautiful fall colors, all cascaded along the Hudson River. The Culinary Institute of America (The CIA) is recognized as the World’s Premier Culinary Institute, or as they put it, “The Harvard of Culinary Schools.” After the presentation there wasn’t any doubts in my mind that I was attending The CIA after graduating. I received a grant based on my grades, and was flown out to visit the beautiful Hyde Park, New York campus. In any industry, but especially the culinary industry, reputation is everything. The CIA could compare themselves to Harvard, but it’s only believable if they have the facts to back up. If you have ever watched the Food Network, you have undoubtedly heard of Anne Burrell, Cat Cora, Geoffrey Zakarian, and Amanda Freitag. These are just some of the notable alumni that fills the incredible list. Everything seemed perfect until we got the last part of the tour- the advisement session.
Whenever a university or institute comes to talk to students at a high school they spend about forty-five minutes describing the amazing campus, top of the line amenities, sports teams, insane number of clubs, and brag about their ranking compared to other universities. Then they spend about a minute describing the page of tuition and fees, trying to pass by it as quickly as humanly possible, when for many people it’s the most important page, and unfortunately for some, the deciding factor. To attend Florida State University, as a Florida Resident, it is around $7,000 a year for tuition, not including the $7,000 in dorm fees. But why did I choose to go to Florida State? Two key facts- graduating from a highly recognized university, with a great reputation, gives me a leg up in the competitive professional industry. The Florida State Career Center releases data each year to show the success and job placement rates of their recent graduates. According to the information, 82% of 2013 graduates secured a full time job within a year of graduation.
One thing The Culinary Institute of America couldn’t zoom past like the other universities was their tuition costs. $34,000 a year almost made my jaw drop. The price of going to culinary school is much higher than many would believe, and I quickly realized the closest thing The CIA shared with Harvard was not only its reputation, but in its cost of attendance. But, clearly the most ridiculous part is that, according to ABC News, someone graduating from Harvard will have an average starting salary of around $54,000. Of course they will go on to make much more in the future, keep in mind that is the starting salary. Now, the average salary of a pastry chef at the mid-point of their career, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, is $25,100. This figure represents the very sad truth of the culinary industry. Many pastry chefs work weekends, early mornings, and holidays to get paid an amount that one can barely even live off.
Making a huge, life decision at the age of 18 wasn’t easy but I had to look the indisputable facts. Going to culinary school and becoming a pastry chef is my dream, but the cost of getting there was too high. So, at the end of my junior year I began exploring other options, because there is always multiple paths you can take. I started looking up popular food sites, and of course I found the big websites and networks like The Cooking Channel and The Food Network, but with the help of Pinterest I also found something that changed my life forever, SAVEUR Magazine.
SAVEUR Magazine is a well-known, gourmet food and wine magazine, and each year they release awards for the top food blogs of the year. Food blogs are something that never previously had crossed my mind before coming across the article, because I considered food bloggers as somewhat of “amateurs” compared to other culinary celebrities I looked up to. But, from the first link I clicked I realized these food bloggers were the furthest thing from amateur. Now I closely follow many different blogs, like The Vanilla Bean Blog and i am a food blog, but one in particular is incredibly impressive. Top With Cinnamon was started in July 2011 by a girl named Izy Hossack when she was fifteen years old and still completing her full time education in London. She explains in the About section on her blog that she has been baking with her mom since she was a little girl, and has a genuine love for cooking. Now, Izy is eighteen years old, still completing her education, has one of the top baking and pastry blogs on the internet, and most impressively, just published her own cookbook.
What blogs allow writers, bakers, photographers, or anyone with a passion to do, is to start a platform for their work that is incredibly personal. I love the good old-fashioned cookbook- I own dozens and enjoy collecting them and watching that collection grow well I grow as a baker. But, when I read the Top With Cinnamon Blog, I feel like I am having a conversation with a normal person and not only do I follow Izy’s blog, but I also follow her on social media. She is so well liked because she really takes the time to answer questions about her recipes and give advice, which is very admirable considering the busy life she lives. Izy can really connect with her fans on a whole new level, and you can tell there’s a special connection because without her fans, she would not have the success she has today.
Food Blogs gave me hope, because as much as going to culinary school is the typical route, bloggers like Izy took their passion and created a future for themselves. New media has provided a whole new way to break into the culinary industry, and become a well-respected chef and author without breaking the bank, because many of the popular food bloggers are people with every day, full-time jobs who are simply chasing a dream or sharing what they love. The excitement and passion that I felt when I first heard about The Culinary Institute of America will never go away, and is a feeling that is unforgettable. I thought I would never be able to do what I love, but blogging has made my dream a possibility, as it continues to do for many baking lovers worldwide, and that hope is a beautiful thing.
It all started my junior year of high school. I was a member of the West Boca Culinary Academy, which is recognized as one of the best choice programs in the nation, one that other high schools model their academies after. I walked into class and saw a picture of a stunning campus, lined with trees filled with leaves of beautiful fall colors, all cascaded along the Hudson River. The Culinary Institute of America (The CIA) is recognized as the World’s Premier Culinary Institute, or as they put it, “The Harvard of Culinary Schools.” After the presentation there wasn’t any doubts in my mind that I was attending The CIA after graduating. I received a grant based on my grades, and was flown out to visit the beautiful Hyde Park, New York campus. In any industry, but especially the culinary industry, reputation is everything. The CIA could compare themselves to Harvard, but it’s only believable if they have the facts to back up. If you have ever watched the Food Network, you have undoubtedly heard of Anne Burrell, Cat Cora, Geoffrey Zakarian, and Amanda Freitag. These are just some of the notable alumni that fills the incredible list. Everything seemed perfect until we got the last part of the tour- the advisement session.
Whenever a university or institute comes to talk to students at a high school they spend about forty-five minutes describing the amazing campus, top of the line amenities, sports teams, insane number of clubs, and brag about their ranking compared to other universities. Then they spend about a minute describing the page of tuition and fees, trying to pass by it as quickly as humanly possible, when for many people it’s the most important page, and unfortunately for some, the deciding factor. To attend Florida State University, as a Florida Resident, it is around $7,000 a year for tuition, not including the $7,000 in dorm fees. But why did I choose to go to Florida State? Two key facts- graduating from a highly recognized university, with a great reputation, gives me a leg up in the competitive professional industry. The Florida State Career Center releases data each year to show the success and job placement rates of their recent graduates. According to the information, 82% of 2013 graduates secured a full time job within a year of graduation.
One thing The Culinary Institute of America couldn’t zoom past like the other universities was their tuition costs. $34,000 a year almost made my jaw drop. The price of going to culinary school is much higher than many would believe, and I quickly realized the closest thing The CIA shared with Harvard was not only its reputation, but in its cost of attendance. But, clearly the most ridiculous part is that, according to ABC News, someone graduating from Harvard will have an average starting salary of around $54,000. Of course they will go on to make much more in the future, keep in mind that is the starting salary. Now, the average salary of a pastry chef at the mid-point of their career, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, is $25,100. This figure represents the very sad truth of the culinary industry. Many pastry chefs work weekends, early mornings, and holidays to get paid an amount that one can barely even live off.
Making a huge, life decision at the age of 18 wasn’t easy but I had to look the indisputable facts. Going to culinary school and becoming a pastry chef is my dream, but the cost of getting there was too high. So, at the end of my junior year I began exploring other options, because there is always multiple paths you can take. I started looking up popular food sites, and of course I found the big websites and networks like The Cooking Channel and The Food Network, but with the help of Pinterest I also found something that changed my life forever, SAVEUR Magazine.
SAVEUR Magazine is a well-known, gourmet food and wine magazine, and each year they release awards for the top food blogs of the year. Food blogs are something that never previously had crossed my mind before coming across the article, because I considered food bloggers as somewhat of “amateurs” compared to other culinary celebrities I looked up to. But, from the first link I clicked I realized these food bloggers were the furthest thing from amateur. Now I closely follow many different blogs, like The Vanilla Bean Blog and i am a food blog, but one in particular is incredibly impressive. Top With Cinnamon was started in July 2011 by a girl named Izy Hossack when she was fifteen years old and still completing her full time education in London. She explains in the About section on her blog that she has been baking with her mom since she was a little girl, and has a genuine love for cooking. Now, Izy is eighteen years old, still completing her education, has one of the top baking and pastry blogs on the internet, and most impressively, just published her own cookbook.
What blogs allow writers, bakers, photographers, or anyone with a passion to do, is to start a platform for their work that is incredibly personal. I love the good old-fashioned cookbook- I own dozens and enjoy collecting them and watching that collection grow well I grow as a baker. But, when I read the Top With Cinnamon Blog, I feel like I am having a conversation with a normal person and not only do I follow Izy’s blog, but I also follow her on social media. She is so well liked because she really takes the time to answer questions about her recipes and give advice, which is very admirable considering the busy life she lives. Izy can really connect with her fans on a whole new level, and you can tell there’s a special connection because without her fans, she would not have the success she has today.
Food Blogs gave me hope, because as much as going to culinary school is the typical route, bloggers like Izy took their passion and created a future for themselves. New media has provided a whole new way to break into the culinary industry, and become a well-respected chef and author without breaking the bank, because many of the popular food bloggers are people with every day, full-time jobs who are simply chasing a dream or sharing what they love. The excitement and passion that I felt when I first heard about The Culinary Institute of America will never go away, and is a feeling that is unforgettable. I thought I would never be able to do what I love, but blogging has made my dream a possibility, as it continues to do for many baking lovers worldwide, and that hope is a beautiful thing.
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