6/19/07

First Culinary Arts Student at NHCTC Laconia

Photo:  NHCTC Laconia’s Hospitality Programs Coordinator, Patrick Hall (right), flambés Shrimp with Rum Sauce as he demonstrates tableside cooking for the College’s first Culinary Arts student, Whitney Amero (left).  Amero hopes to be able to use her acquired culinary arts talents to entertain customers following completion of the College’s Program next year.

New Hampshire Community Technical College Laconia’s first Culinary Arts student is Whitney Amero (Franklin).  Amero is not going to be the last as the College’s new Culinary Program is bursting with interest from high school programs in Concord, Plymouth, Wolfeboro, Laconia, and Franklin.  Central New Hampshire secondary school Culinary Arts Program instructors have been extremely supportive of NHCTC Laconia’s new Associate Degree in Culinary Arts.

“College personnel have received numerous letters of support from secondary culinary program instructors throughout central New Hampshire, Bob McIntosh (Concord), Len Martin (Wolfeboro), and Jack Aldrich (Laconia), to name a few,” says NHCTC Laconia Hospitality Programs Coordinator, Patrick Hall (Concord), himself a renowned chef.  “Their desire for additional training to be available for students who continue has made the approval process move much faster.”  Students are now being accepted for fall 2007 classes beginning September 4.

Professor Hall is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University (JWU) where he earned the Associate and Bachelor’s Degrees in Culinary Arts.  Hall has worked extensively with Southern New Hampshire University Culinary Arts personnel for alignment and transfer of Laconia’s credits into the SNHU Bachelor’s Degree Program.

“A student can come to NHCTC Laconia for dual Associate Degrees in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management for a quarter of the price of the private universities,” says Hall.  “Laconia has a great facility at the student-run Food for Thought Café in Belmont and everything is falling into place perfectly.  We’re all ‘fired’ up!”

Amero has been a Restaurant Management student at NHCTC Laconia for the past year and has now chosen to seek dual majors.  She is excited to specialize in Culinary Arts, having also completed the Baking and Pastry Certificate Program at the Laconia College.  “Culinary is more of what I want to do,” says Amero, who also completed Running Start courses while at Franklin High School with Home Economics Teacher, Judy Tibbetts (Sanbornton).  “I like cooking a lot; I like it better than telling people how to run something.”

“Culinary is one of the top five industries in the country today,” continues Hall.  “Employment opportunities for graduates are extremely sound.  The industry is entertainment and the flame, fancy buffets, and ice sculptures will be incorporated into NHCTC Laconia’s new Culinary Arts Program.  The business is evolving and we’ll meet the industry’s demands well.”