School to Real Life

[Todd]

Alright, to give you a brief description of my history.....

I knew I wanted to cook ever since I was a kid. I worked in restaurants and at food related stores throughout all of high school. My parents wanted me to get a business degree before I did anything in culinary arts. I went to UMASS Amherst for a year or two and stopped because I had no interest in it. I moved to Salem, Ma and worked in two different restaurants, a pizza place and at a gourmet prepared food store. I did that for roughly a year and a half and then did the next step of going back to school.

I began my experience at the Culinary Institute of America in November of last year and recently relocated to New Orleans to do my externship. It is like an internship, but I do not attend class while doing so. I work inside the Marriot Arts in a restaurant called Lacote Brasserie. The website is http://www.lacotebrasserie.com/main.htm. I will be here till late November. If you have any questions about the school or just in general please feel free to ask. If you have questions about the curriculum I can write a blog for each class.

[Todd]

Well before I went to school, I worked all the jobs so I was able to pay the first year off. While I am in New Orleans I do not have to pay the school and I also get paid so I am able to live quite nicely. When I go back I am going to have a sallie mae loan.

[Ryan Lockhart]

How are you/did you handling the cost of school and the cost living in New Orleans? Is there a work/study program or are you doing it through loans?

I am looking to go back to school. I am 34, married, and I have a mortgage so I will probably have to look into student loans for the bulk of it.

Thanks, -Ryan L.

[Taster]

This is great Todd. I'm really interested in your class blog offer!