Conner's Dream College Fund
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Thank you for your support in getting me one step closer to my dream!
I finished my first year at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, the #1 ranked culinary school in the nation. Now, I'm gearing up for year two!
During my first year at the CIA, I have learned and experienced many different things, so I thought I’d include lots of pictures in my updated story, to show you some of my tasty class projects. Enjoy!
MY NEED
I am pursuing an AA degree at The Culinary Institute of America. The total cost each year, including tuition, supplies, fees, and room and board is $44,000+ per year. Your generosity (see my last 2018 update to see the coplete total of your support) combined with merit-based awards and scholarships, grants, work-study, my parents assistance, taking out the maximum amount of student loans, and my savings, my first year has been covered. Now, I am still in need of the balance of roughly $8,000---and more---for this second year.
One of the grants I had for my first year was a 1-year non-renewable grant, and another won’t be renewed until after I complete one more semester, since The CIA does not take summer breaks so I will be completing almost three semesters within one year instead of the traditional two.
Originally, I thought I’d need $4000 for each semester, but because of these two financial glitches, for my second year, it turns out I am trying to find $6000 for the first semester alone. The second semester should be less again, but $6000 is the amount due right now, with the rest of my payment package in place. The rest will be due in August.
MY UPDATED STORY
I have discovered that while I started learning on my own with cakes and I am very good at those, my love has fallen to the breads and doughs. In my Breads class I learned the proper ways to knead and what to look for in the dough so it will have the right gluten development and elasticity. I also learned virtually every flour and their specific behaviors. During all this, I discovered I seem to have a natural feel for doughs.
I also had classes covering everything from hospitality, to designing menus, to pricing and food history, as well as the techniques for mini pastries and cakes.
To wrap up my first year, I have moved on to complete my externship. I am now in the Grantville, Pennsylvania at the Hollywood Casino and Penn National Race Course bakeshop.
I am currently working on all the breads and desserts for the entire casino’s restaurants and banquets. I’m working an average of 60+ hours a week and loving it!
Attending the Culinary Institute of America means no summer break. One week after I finish my externship in late May, I will be starting my second year, back at the CIA in New York. I will be taking classes to study wines, sugar sculping, advanced cake decorating and artisan breads and other classes to advance my skills and help me to be able to develop my own recipes and styling from basics I was taught during my first year. I can’t wait to find out what else I love to do!!!
By the end of January 2020, I will have completed my AA Degree at The Culinary Institute of America!
But between now and then... There’s still the ongoing challenge of finances.
The education and experience I’m receiving through the Culinary Institute of America will allow me to pursue my dream of opening my own café/catering company. Before I do that I want to be able to go work abroad to gain wider experience in the traditional culture of high-end foods still practiced in Europe, and develop recipes that will only be available through me and my company. I pray college debt will not stop that from happening. With your help, we can make it happen.
I appreciate any dollar amount you are able to contribute. Your faith in me and my dream drives me to be the best I can be! I will continue to my push myself.
I will not quit. I will not disappoint!
Thank you again, for your love and support.
Conner
Pastry Chef of the future
MY ORIGIN STORY
I have always been interested in baking, ever since I can remember. When I was old enough participate in the county 4-H I did cake decorating and got better as I went along. As I progressed, I went from just doing 4-H cake decorating over Styrofoam forms to eventually doing commission cakes and cupcakes for birthdays, baby showers, graduations, and my largest commission… a three-tier, fondant wedding cake. I did my first commission cake when I was about 13 years old and my first wedding cake when I was 14 years old.
When my family went on a vacation cruise, naturally I wanted to see the kitchen. The head pastry chef gave me a personal tour and told me about my now dream school, The Culinary Institute of America. When we returned home, my mom and I looked up the college and she contacted one of the professors, Chef Schorner. She told him that I was surpassing her, and that she wasn’t sure how to keep me challenged until I was old enough to graduate. Through many personal phone calls and emails, Chef Schorner has been a mentor to me, and has helped me develop my skills past where I could get them on my own. He also helped me develop my recipes, so I could alter them to improve the taste, rise, texture, etc.
Also, I discovered that The CIA had one-day workshops. After more research and talking with Chef Schorner, I talked to my mom about the classes, and she said she would pay the travel costs, but to prove I was serious, I had to raise the $500 for the class by selling commissions. I was 15 years old, but I really wanted to meet chef Schorner in person. I worked and worked, and sold $500 dollars (after expenses) in cakes in less than one year, met Chef (who got me into the adult course instead of the parent/child course) and attended the Chocolate and Confections class.
With me already in contact with The CIA, I was invited to a college reception at a restaurant called Ocean Prime. Afterward, the executive chef came by our table and visited with my mom and I. He invited me back as an apprentice under their pastry chef.
After a year and a half apprenticing, I am now hired on at Ocean Prime. I drive an hour and fifteen minutes—each way—to work weekends and holidays at the restaurant. I also attend the career center at my school in the culinary program where I have gotten Servsafe certified. I have completed the first-year certification of Prostart, and am working on the completion of the second year.
Last year, to get a perspective on the SkillsUSA competition, I became a member of the SkillsUSA Courtesy Corps. I have competed in many competitions, including Indycooks, where I won for my original crêpe appetizer, and at SkillsUSA, where I place at Regionals and am advancing to State in late April.
I have now been accepted by The Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park to study Baking and Pastries in July. Chef Schorner of The CIA, and Cameron Mitchell, the corporate owner of the Ocean Prime chain, and my parents have been so generous with their faith and support toward my goal. I want to become a baking and pastry entrepreneur, and honor the people who have backed me for so long.
Thank you for your help. I will make everyone proud.
Some more commissions I did at my self-taught level.
To be the best baker, cake decorator, confectioner, and savory pastry artist, I need to study the rest, and there's no place better than The Culinary Institute of America. Please, help. I want this SO bad!
I finished my first year at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, the #1 ranked culinary school in the nation. Now, I'm gearing up for year two!
During my first year at the CIA, I have learned and experienced many different things, so I thought I’d include lots of pictures in my updated story, to show you some of my tasty class projects. Enjoy!
MY NEED
I am pursuing an AA degree at The Culinary Institute of America. The total cost each year, including tuition, supplies, fees, and room and board is $44,000+ per year. Your generosity (see my last 2018 update to see the coplete total of your support) combined with merit-based awards and scholarships, grants, work-study, my parents assistance, taking out the maximum amount of student loans, and my savings, my first year has been covered. Now, I am still in need of the balance of roughly $8,000---and more---for this second year.
One of the grants I had for my first year was a 1-year non-renewable grant, and another won’t be renewed until after I complete one more semester, since The CIA does not take summer breaks so I will be completing almost three semesters within one year instead of the traditional two.
Originally, I thought I’d need $4000 for each semester, but because of these two financial glitches, for my second year, it turns out I am trying to find $6000 for the first semester alone. The second semester should be less again, but $6000 is the amount due right now, with the rest of my payment package in place. The rest will be due in August.
MY UPDATED STORY
I have discovered that while I started learning on my own with cakes and I am very good at those, my love has fallen to the breads and doughs. In my Breads class I learned the proper ways to knead and what to look for in the dough so it will have the right gluten development and elasticity. I also learned virtually every flour and their specific behaviors. During all this, I discovered I seem to have a natural feel for doughs.
I also had classes covering everything from hospitality, to designing menus, to pricing and food history, as well as the techniques for mini pastries and cakes.
To wrap up my first year, I have moved on to complete my externship. I am now in the Grantville, Pennsylvania at the Hollywood Casino and Penn National Race Course bakeshop.
I am currently working on all the breads and desserts for the entire casino’s restaurants and banquets. I’m working an average of 60+ hours a week and loving it!
Attending the Culinary Institute of America means no summer break. One week after I finish my externship in late May, I will be starting my second year, back at the CIA in New York. I will be taking classes to study wines, sugar sculping, advanced cake decorating and artisan breads and other classes to advance my skills and help me to be able to develop my own recipes and styling from basics I was taught during my first year. I can’t wait to find out what else I love to do!!!
By the end of January 2020, I will have completed my AA Degree at The Culinary Institute of America!
But between now and then... There’s still the ongoing challenge of finances.
The education and experience I’m receiving through the Culinary Institute of America will allow me to pursue my dream of opening my own café/catering company. Before I do that I want to be able to go work abroad to gain wider experience in the traditional culture of high-end foods still practiced in Europe, and develop recipes that will only be available through me and my company. I pray college debt will not stop that from happening. With your help, we can make it happen.
I appreciate any dollar amount you are able to contribute. Your faith in me and my dream drives me to be the best I can be! I will continue to my push myself.
I will not quit. I will not disappoint!
Thank you again, for your love and support.
Conner
Pastry Chef of the future
MY ORIGIN STORY
I have always been interested in baking, ever since I can remember. When I was old enough participate in the county 4-H I did cake decorating and got better as I went along. As I progressed, I went from just doing 4-H cake decorating over Styrofoam forms to eventually doing commission cakes and cupcakes for birthdays, baby showers, graduations, and my largest commission… a three-tier, fondant wedding cake. I did my first commission cake when I was about 13 years old and my first wedding cake when I was 14 years old.
When my family went on a vacation cruise, naturally I wanted to see the kitchen. The head pastry chef gave me a personal tour and told me about my now dream school, The Culinary Institute of America. When we returned home, my mom and I looked up the college and she contacted one of the professors, Chef Schorner. She told him that I was surpassing her, and that she wasn’t sure how to keep me challenged until I was old enough to graduate. Through many personal phone calls and emails, Chef Schorner has been a mentor to me, and has helped me develop my skills past where I could get them on my own. He also helped me develop my recipes, so I could alter them to improve the taste, rise, texture, etc.
Also, I discovered that The CIA had one-day workshops. After more research and talking with Chef Schorner, I talked to my mom about the classes, and she said she would pay the travel costs, but to prove I was serious, I had to raise the $500 for the class by selling commissions. I was 15 years old, but I really wanted to meet chef Schorner in person. I worked and worked, and sold $500 dollars (after expenses) in cakes in less than one year, met Chef (who got me into the adult course instead of the parent/child course) and attended the Chocolate and Confections class.
With me already in contact with The CIA, I was invited to a college reception at a restaurant called Ocean Prime. Afterward, the executive chef came by our table and visited with my mom and I. He invited me back as an apprentice under their pastry chef.
After a year and a half apprenticing, I am now hired on at Ocean Prime. I drive an hour and fifteen minutes—each way—to work weekends and holidays at the restaurant. I also attend the career center at my school in the culinary program where I have gotten Servsafe certified. I have completed the first-year certification of Prostart, and am working on the completion of the second year.
Last year, to get a perspective on the SkillsUSA competition, I became a member of the SkillsUSA Courtesy Corps. I have competed in many competitions, including Indycooks, where I won for my original crêpe appetizer, and at SkillsUSA, where I place at Regionals and am advancing to State in late April.
I have now been accepted by The Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park to study Baking and Pastries in July. Chef Schorner of The CIA, and Cameron Mitchell, the corporate owner of the Ocean Prime chain, and my parents have been so generous with their faith and support toward my goal. I want to become a baking and pastry entrepreneur, and honor the people who have backed me for so long.
Thank you for your help. I will make everyone proud.
Some more commissions I did at my self-taught level.
To be the best baker, cake decorator, confectioner, and savory pastry artist, I need to study the rest, and there's no place better than The Culinary Institute of America. Please, help. I want this SO bad!Organizer
Conner Eklund
Organizer
Connersville, IN
