I started thinking about what major I’m going to be in when I was a sophomore in high school, I was so lost and worried, until the day I walk past a bakery(that has an open kitchen)in Soho. I’ve always seen baking as just a hobby of mine, but when I see that baker working in the kitchen, I know I wanted to create food that makes people happy, just like what she was doing. Two years later, I chose Hospitality Management and I hope I can get to know more about this industry.

As the youngest child in my family I was spoiled quite a bit. I had no ambition nor a dream but I had a small interest in cooking but it wasn’t big enough to warrant a dream job as a chef. however as time went on the interest in me grew as well till high school where I decided I wanted to be a chef. When i was searching for an affordable college that had culinary arts I saw city tech my friends also recommended me this school as they go to this school as well and is a pretty good school to start your dreams. All the teacher in this school were very nice and I intend to stay in this school for 4 years to get a bachelor’s degree to cook and teach how fun cooking is to the world.(PS. I want to be like Gordon Ramsey or even better then him).

I received a Liberal Arts degree but was uncertain with what I wanted to pursue in the educational realm. After taking some time off from college, hearing about the Hospitality Management program at City Tech motivated me to grow in this industry. Throughout my years of working for different businesses from restaurants to a skateboard manufacturer I have learned how to politely communicate and establish solid relationships with customers/clients. Although I do not have experience in hotel management and tourism, I am confident that I can grow in this field of work and provide excellent service. However, my options will be kept open to the culinary side of the hospitality industry because it is a dream of mine to own a food establishment.

Finishing the semester off strong and confident, more sure that i am in the right industry career. It is like every class i learn more and more about hotels, food, drink and management. I love the combination of classes i am taking it is like a little of everything and i get to pick out of one that i want to set my mind to. Lodging operations is very interesting to me i like the knowledge i leave with every time i left class. I have opened my mind to many things, there is so much to new york city and i really did not appreciate every detail it till i had to do an assignment involving to bring back evidence that i had went to visit the places ask questions to people in the hotel and come back with pictures. The tasks and homework helped me become confident in speaking to people professionally to when with friends. I am excited to learn more about the hospitality industry in the upcoming semesters.

Growing up as the middle child is a very overwhelming position to be in. It’s like the spotlight is on us, we are always unsure about things such as not knowing what to do in life half the time. When I heard about Hospitality Management in city tech I was so unsure of what I wanted to do so I left that idea on the side. I started taking general classes and was aiming for my Liberal Arts Degree, until I felt it was best for me to push myself and get into Hospitality this semester and prove to myself I can do it.

Becoming a college student for the first time has given me the opportunity to look back and reflect at past academic career. I noticed how much my ambition and success has grown as a student. I’ve grown to challenge myself in all my classes in order gain grades I can be proud of . Jumping around from loving music to film and now food was a strange transition . However I’ve always insisted on doing what makes me happy, and cooking/baking is definitely at the top of that list. Although I never had professional experience in hospitality I hope to gain as much knowledge and skill from this program as I can.

Life is like a riding a roller coaster with your eyes closed. I am a third-year college student who was a Biology major and now a Hospitality Management major. I dreamed of being a Family Practitioner who would positively impact medical care in my home country, Nigeria. I enjoy cooking, hosting guests and creating memories centered around food. My academic goals are to be constantly engaged in the material that I am being taught. I believe that taking a genuine interest in the material will result in a positive outcome. Having many years of retail experience, has taught me to place customer service and satisfaction at the forefront of my service. My ultimate career goal is to be a Public Health Officer, to help prevent illness from happening. Some personal strengths I possess are good organizational skills and communication. I can rely information to people in an effective time and manner as well as receive.

Unlike others, I was raised on the principle that you should follow your dreams and not the dreams of others. I knew I wanted to manage and own my own hotel in the future. However, along the way I realized I also had a passion for cooking. I attended the Culinary Program in Long Island City High School to learn and expand my knowledge on cooking and diverse cuisines. There, I learned about the basics of the kitchen, sanitation, equipment identification, etc. I know these skills will help me in the long run because any career in the hospitality workfield require you to have a sense of knowledge when it comes to the kitchen. After participating in the C-CCAP Culinary Competition, I realized that I never really lost my hospitable personality. In the future, I hope to continue down the Culinary/Hospitality road and work my way up to work for big companies and fine dining restaurants in either front of the house or back of the house. I plan to major in Hospitality Management to learn about the industry inside out and to gain knowledge on how the hospitality industry runs.

I’ve always wanted to manage my own hotel. As there were obstacles along the way that made me doubt my career choice, I knew that my passion to serve in the hospitality industry was true. I attended high school for a culinary program and was able to learn and expand my knowledge of cooking and diverse cuisines. The skills that I learned in high school have definitely helped me in my journey. In the future, I hope to continue down the Hospitality and somehow the Culinary/Restaurant industry as well. I want to work as front of the house in a hotel/restaurant and work my way to become a manager in a hotel, preferably a food and beverage manager. As I major in Hospitality Management, I want to continue and learn more about hotels, the value of good service, restaurant management, and how to be an effective manager.

As an individual cooking has always been a part of my life. I attended a high school solely for its culinary program. The Culinary world is always expanding and evolving, cooking is a form of art and I wish to grow and learn more about the field. My goals from the experiences I’ve gained is to use my bachelor’s degree to pursue my passion in cooking, beyond those aspirations I wish to obtain a masters degree and one day become an Executive Chef.

Week 14 of Fall 2018:

I have learned so many new things in my major classes. I am thankful for my professors who takes time and teaches me all these new information. Some of the material was a refresh for me but I still found it interesting. I have learned to patience, working with others/team work, new terms, new techniques and so much more. I also made many friends that up lift me. We are a family that helps each other out. I cannot wait for Spring 2019 where I am finally hands-on in the kitchen. I also want to learn new knife techniques and tips and tricks in the kitchen.

The culinary world is huge and I’m excited to learn more in depth of it. Growing up in a semi-traditional Asian household has exposed me to background and interest towards food. Cooking has always been a hobby of mine but I wish to improve my skills. The business side of the industry is also appealing to me. My dream is to have my own business that runs successfully. I can’t wait for this chapter in my life to start gaining new experiences.

My name is Enrique Curiel a Freshman in college. About to finish this first semester, i am an individual with many characteristics for things. I am patient, hard worker, open minded. I have learned many things about myself this semester. One of the things that stood out for me this semester was that i was able to control the timing of my assignments and complete them on time, i had many challenging assignments but I didn’t give up and continued working hard.

One can learn to have great patience which I have this helps one build on to there career, life and character because nothing will come easily. My point of view of success is that its not given it is earned. I’ve always had obstacles in my life that prevent my success but till this point in life I have not let that define me and stop me from my future. A goal I have for myself this new chapter of my life is to be able to get an internship in culinary to get more experience in the filed and grow with my peers. One day a dream of mine is to be a cook in my own restaurant.