CCAC Culinary Program Featured on KDKA-TV
The Gatewood-Campbell family talked about their experiences at CCAC in front of one of their Mobile Chef food trucks.
CCAC's renowned Culinary Arts program was in the spotlight this week on the local CBS network TV show "Talk Pittsburgh." CCAC alum Jamie Gatewood-Campbell and her two teenage children Jonnieco and Jaseda (both 2023 graduates of the Culinary Arts program) are using their CCAC Hospitality and Culinary Arts degrees and certificates to run their own food truck business, Mobile Chef. During the show, the family shared their positive experiences as CCAC Culinary Arts students as well as samples from their delicious menu of Caribbean, Mexican, Japanese, Indian and Italian cuisines.
"I've been with CCAC for a while. I first started and got my degree in hotel and restaurant management, and then I ended up going back to get my degree in Culinary Arts just to fine-tune the food truck business. I had already started it by the time I got my second degree, but I felt like something was missing. I needed a little bit more of a push, and that really helped me a lot," said the family's matriarch, Jamie Gatewood-Campbell.
"The culinary program at CCAC is very close-knit. It's small classes, and the professors-you feel like they really put their heart into your dreams. I feel like that helped me be more courageous in what I was doing," Gatewood-Campbell said. "The professors are really amazing in just giving you that boost of confidence."
CCAC's Culinary Arts program is perfect for individuals who enjoy the preparation, cooking and presentation of food. Students enrolled in this nonapprenticeship program are prepared for employment as trained chefs and culinary experts. Experienced faculty teach curriculum designed to train students to meet the increasing employment needs of the 21st century. The program accommodates both part-time and full-time students and includes classroom and food laboratory experiences. Students complete an externship with a minimum of 100 hours as part of the program. Graduates may find employment as prep and line cooks, shift chefs, sous chefs or managers in the restaurant, hotel, club, bakery and retail food industries.