Meet Our Students Archives - ��

Meet �� Student Ashley Vatcher

Amy Winslow-Weiss — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:32:36 +0000

The exam results tell the story of Ashley Vatcher’s success at ��.

First exam: 96; mid-term: 100; second exam: 102.

For a student who struggled with her grades during her early days at Great Bay, Vatcher’s good grades “feel amazing. I went from getting Cs and Ds and barely passing, or not passing, to maintaining a 98 average,” said Vatcher, who is majoring in Veterinary Technology. “It was a big struggle for me at first, but eventually something clicked. It’s a surreal experience going from a C or D average to As.”

That “something” was taking advantage of the academic support offered by Great Bay’s Center for Academic Planning and Support, or CAPS. CAPS offers one-on-one tutoring, academic coaching, and study space, among other services.

“This year, I just started putting in more effort, I started going to CAPS and I began asking for help. My professors have been super understanding, and they have all been there for me. I appreciate Great Bay because the professors really do care about their students and they want to see us succeed.”

She singled out Deborah Discher, who serves as the director and chair of the Veterinary Technology Department and has taught at Great Bay for 15 years. “Deb has seen me struggle, and she has stayed with me since year one.”

Vatcher also attributed her turnaround to spending more time on campus, which has immersed her in an academic environment and helped her develop better study habits. “I never expected I would say something like this, but I like studying and I like learning. Before, studying felt like a tiring activity, like it was work. But now, with my improved study habits, I actually enjoy it. I put on my headphones and just go for it.”

Vatcher, 22, expects to graduate from Great Bay in three years. During that time, she hopes to build her experience at a vet clinic and is especially interested in emergency veterinary medicine. Long term, she imagines going back to school to study zoology. “My final goal is work in a zoo as a vet tech or an animal handler. I have always been passionate about animals, and I am glad I am on track with my goals and dreams.”

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Meet Business Administration Student Madelyn Hardy

Amy Winslow-Weiss — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:13:27 +0000

Madelyn Hardy knows a good deal when she sees it. She enrolled at �� during her junior year of high school and is on track to graduate this spring—from both her high school and from Great Bay.

The best part about it: She’ll get her college degree for free.

“Something that surprised me about the program is that there are no strings attached and it’s literally free schooling, and one less year of high school,” said Hardy, who enrolled through a partnership between the Community College System of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Career Academy.

NHCA is a chartered public school that integrates high school, college, and career preparation. Through a collaboration with the Community College System of New Hampshire and partnerships with local employers, students learn on college campuses, earn two degrees, and build the skills that open doors to higher education and meaningful careers.

Hardy is studying business administration because of her interest in the hospitality industry, and she hopes to be part of the event industry or continue her career working with luxury hotels.

Through a close collaboration with the Community College System of New Hampshire and partnerships with employers across the state, NHCA aligns education with opportunity. Students complete high school requirements while earning college degrees or industry credentials. They gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and professional confidence, preparing them to thrive in whatever comes next.

Hardy values her education and experience. The role of community at Great Bay has made a positive impression and impact on her life.

“The most useful ‘real-world’ skill I didn’t expect to get in a classroom was how much community really means and how much thoughtful professors really can impact your education,” she said. “I really felt ‘rooted’ for by a professor when I was struggling in a specific class and the teacher took many hours of their time and devoted it to helping me truly understand the curriculum outside of class.”

Why did you choose Great Bay? When do you anticipate graduating?

I chose to continue my schooling at Great Bay because it offered early college and free tuition through the NHCA. I plan to graduate Spring 2026!

Specifically, what attracted you to Great Bay? Did you know what you wanted to do and decided it was your best option compared to other schools?

Great Bay has a beautiful campus and was the closest community college to me that offered the program I was interested in. I didn’t even need to look at other schools, this automatically made sense for my situation.

Did you apply and enroll right out of high school? If so, what year did you graduate high school?

I enrolled my junior year of high school and started my freshman year of college early through the New Hampshire Career Academy my senior year. Through this program I graduate this year from high school and college!

What educational pathway are you pursuing at �� and why did you choose that path? In other words, what is your major and why?

I’m studying Business Administration with a big interest in the hospitality industry. I’ve taken many Hospitality courses as well as business courses. I hope to be a part of the event industry or continue working at luxury hotels.

What is something that surprised you about the program?

Something that surprised me about the program is that there are no strings attached and it’s literally free schooling, and one less year of high school.

What advice do you have for other students considering it?

Some advice I have for other students considering this program is to at least check it out. Everyone’s situation is different, but if you are willing to give up your senior year to get a kickstart on a career path, this is definitely a great option for you.

What is the most useful ‘real-world’ skill you’ve learned that you didn’t expect to get in a classroom?

The most useful “real world” skill I didn’t expect to get in a classroom was how much community really means and how much thoughtful professors really can impact your education.

Can you tell us about a time you felt like a professor or staff member was truly ‘rooting’ for your success?

A time I really felt “rooted” for by a professor was when I was struggling in a specific class and the teacher took many hours of their time and devoted it to helping me truly understand the curriculum outside of class.

Are there any other opportunities at �� that have been especially helpful to you?

The fitness center has been super nice to have as an option if you like to workout!

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Meet �� Student Raven Burwell

Amy Winslow-Weiss — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:46:25 +0000

As a student at ��, Raven Burwell created numerous academic opportunities when they decided to major in liberal arts. Instead of specializing in one subject, they were able to investigate a range of interests.

“With the liberal arts path, I was able to explore everything I wanted to explore, and I explored psychology, social work, and the arts,” they said.

And when it came time to focus on career choices, Burwell met with an advisor in the college’s Center for Academic Planning and Support (CAPS), a multi-service center that supports students with their academic needs. Burwell took a career interest assessment, and through discussions with the career coach confirmed their true passion was art, and specifically illustration.

The career coach suggested getting involved in the local art community, and through connections in the art community, the support of art professors at Great Bay, and the opportunities provided by a work-study job at the Heron’s Nest, Burwell now believes combining art and the desire to give back to the community will lead to a satisfying career.

“They helped me realize that what I want to do is something I actually can do,” said Burwell, who is on track to graduate in May with an associate degree and intends to enroll in a four-year school to earn a bachelor’s degree. At this time, Burwell is considering continuing their education at either the University of New Hampshire or Maine College of Art & Design in Portland with a focus on illustration.

“I have always loved art, and thanks to Great Bay my love for art is as strong as it has ever been. It has given me a real, true passion for art.”

Burwell’s career options are numerous. Professional opportunities include roles in publishing as a book illustrator, in the entertainment industry as a storyboard artist, animator, or conceptual artist, and in advertising and marketing to help a company or organization with visual storytelling. They could design graphics for products and packaging, work as a medical illustrator, a technical illustrator, a courtroom sketch artist, an art director, or in many other capacities.

“The career center at Great Bay helped me realize just how many options I actually have with my degree,” said Burwell, adding that Fine Arts and Digital Media Professor Thomas Devaney also has been supportive and encouraging.

“He is an amazing teacher, and he is good at helping people with their pieces and figuring out what is missing or what I need to do next,” they said. “When I told him I was worried about completing my portfolio, his response was, “We will work on it together and we will get it done.’”

In addition to professors and the Great Bay support staff, Burwell received inspiration from another source: Their mother.

“I actually learned about Great Bay from my mother,” Burwell said. “She graduated from the nursing program right before I enrolled, and she said it was the most supportive environment she had ever experienced. She said it was amazing, and she really loved her experience here.”

Both agree, their Great Bay experiences have been life changing. “This school is the only reason I can attend college at all. The affordability of a Great Bay education makes all the difference in the world. It allowed me to explore my interests and figure out what I want to do.”

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Meet �� Student Brandon Blood

Amy Winslow-Weiss — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 18:11:09 +0000

As a third-grader, Brandon Blood dressed up as a fish-and-game officer for a career-day program at his grade school. Ever since, he’s thought about pursuing a career in law enforcement.

Now at age 22, he’s on the cusp of making that happen thanks to ��. After transferring to Great Bay two years ago, Blood graduates this month with an associate degree in Criminal Justice and a certificate in Homeland Security.

“My goal is to work in a local police department or sheriff’s office. Working as a fish-and-game officer would be great, too,” said Blood, who lives in Stratham and completed an internship with the Somersworth Police Department.

Blood’s success story is a testament to the benefits of a community college education. He was drawn to Great Bay’s affordability, flexibility, and its promise of small class sizes. He thrived once he arrived.

But it wasn’t his first choice. After graduating from high school, he started his college experience at a small four-year college in the Adirondack Mountains region of New York. He enjoyed the one year he spent there, but it was too far from home—and expensive. He returned to New Hampshire and enrolled in a large state university. That didn’t work out, either. After one semester, he transferred to Great Bay.

“It was too big and too expensive. I had to take out a massive loan, and it just wasn’t right for me,” he said. “People told me about Great Bay, and when I looked into it, I saw they offered a degree in Criminal Justice. That really interested me.”

He began taking classes in 2023. His advisor arranged for the transfer of his transcripts from high school and both colleges and helped him pick his classes. “There was no stress at all,” he said. “It was so easy.”

Unlike at the other schools, at Great Bay he didn’t have any loans to pay back. “I was able to pay as I go, semester by semester,” he said. “And unlike any other courses I have taken in college, at Great Bay nearly all my classes allowed me to attend either in person, remotely, or 100-percent online. It was very flexible, which allowed me to work full time while I was going to school.”

The best part, all his professors had real-world experience, and nearly all of them were working in the field while teaching at Great Bay. “It was very nice to know they are coming directly from their work in law enforcement to teach you what they just saw that day. They’re not just reading from a slideshow, they are sharing their own stories and experiences and discussing the topics based on their experiences. It’s nice to know that you are not learning from a textbook, but from their actual experiences in the field.”

Blood especially appreciated the one-on-one attention offered by professor Eric Kulberg, Chair of the Criminal Justice Department. “He’s thorough and fair, and he treats you like a friend. He guides you through the classes, helps with internships, and is always available to answer questions. He is one of the top professors I have ever had,” he said.

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Meet �� Student Arielle Pilot

Amy Winslow-Weiss — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 12:14:23 +0000

When Arielle Pilot’s son considered his options for college, she encouraged him to enroll at ��. William Trisna listened to his mother’s advice, graduating from Great Bay in 2018 and transferring his credits to Southern New Hampshire University, where he received his BA. He now has a successful career in the financial industry.

This fall, Pilot followed her own advice and in her son’s footsteps when she enrolled in the Accounting program at Great Bay. Four decades after first enrolling in college in her home country of Indonesia, she decided it was time to get her degree.

Completing her college education has been a longtime dream that Pilot, 59, put on hold many years ago. She finished two college semesters when she settled in California after arriving in the United States, but she had other priorities.

“I got married, had kids,” she said. “I had to sacrifice. I let my kids go to school first.”

She remembers the pride and joy she felt when her son enrolled at Great Bay. “I was so happy, just overwhelmed.”

As a student working toward the completion of her degree, she feels similar elation.

“I am very excited to go to school. It is a lot of homework, but I am determined. My goal is set–I am determined to get my degree, and it will take me a few years to do it,” she said. “At first, it scared me. I had been out of school for 40 years. It was not easy at the beginning. But so far, so good. I am going in the right direction.

Pilot is accustomed to working hard. Her husband is disabled, and she has juggled several jobs for many years, working as a tax preparer and in the hospitality industry. After years of sacrificing for others, she is thrilled to be able to focus on herself and pursue the college degree she put on hold for so long.

“I feel honored. I want to go to school,” she said. “This is my dream. Other people my age, they can achieve their dreams, too. It’s not a matter of age. It’s a matter of desire.”

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Meet �� Student Emily Gardner

Amy Winslow-Weiss — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 16:37:00 +0000

Emily Gardner was a student at �� for a brief time, but it had a big impact on the trajectory of her career.

Gardner enrolled at Great Bay in fall 2024 for prerequisite courses needed to qualify for the nursing program, she took the spring semester off, and she then signed up for an eight-week course in phlebotomy during the summer. In that class, coursework is split between classroom instruction and clinical practice.

“I took the summer class as a way to put myself in a healthcare setting before becoming a nurse,” she said. “I wanted to get some experience and get some patient care under my belt.”

The course was taught by Dr. Tarry Attallah, a physician with a certification in phlebotomy and extensive teaching experience. Dr. Attallah began teaching the Medical Assistant program at Great Bay in 2023 and spearheaded the development of the phlebotomy technician program.

“Dr. Tarry was one of the best professors that I have had throughout my college experience, and that’s saying a lot,” said Gardner, who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of New Hampshire before focusing her education on nursing. “She is incredibly kind, very passionate, and she wants you to truly understand the material. She is also very knowledgeable.”

After completing the summer course, Gardner passed a certification exam administered by the National Healthcareer Association, becoming a Certified Phlebotomy Technician. In addition to the coursework and experience, Gardner appreciated Great Bay’s Career Center, which helped her prepare a better resume and feel more confident in her interview skills.

She now works as a phlebotomist one day a week with Core Physicians at Exeter Hospital. “Learning phlebotomy and getting my job with Core Physicians will give me more direct patient care experience,” she said. “This will help prepare me to eventually become a better nurse.”

Ultimately, Gardner enrolled in the nursing program at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord. But she credits her time during the phlebotomy course at Great Bay for reigniting her passion for healthcare, further solidifying her choice to pursue a nursing degree.

“At Great Bay, I was able to practice actual physical skills instead of sitting in classes and listening to lectures. Most importantly, it got me excited about where I am headed.”

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Meet �� Student Ed Priestley

Amy Winslow-Weiss — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:46:17 +0000

Ed Priestley was 16 when he started taking classes in 2022 through the Early College on a College Campus program at ��. The Early College program encourages high school and home school students to take college-credit courses while satisfying high school graduation requirements.

He and a friend, also 16, enrolled in a criminal justice course together.

“We wondered if we were in over our heads, but we both pulled straight As,” said Priestley, now 19. “I am set to graduate this semester with a 3.97 GPA. I definitely got out of it what I came for, and in some cases, even more. When I started, I thought I had no business being at a college. But I did. I just didn’t know it at the time.”

Priestley’s success highlights the opportunity of Early College. Available to high school juniors and seniors, Early College offers a large selection of courses during the day and evening, all taught by college professors. In addition to earning credits toward high school graduation, Early College students earn credits that can be used at Great Bay and colleges and universities nationwide.

The ability to transfer credits is important to Priestley, who is using the credits he earns at Great Bay as the foundation for additional educational experiences and a career in the military and homeland security.

Priestley enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in spring 2024, pausing his Great Bay education after earning 30 credits toward his degree to prepare for basic training and his six-year military commitment. He resumed his education this past summer as an active member of the Air National Guard.

An Airman First Class who specializes in security, he views his Early College experience at Great Bay as integral to his military success, and he credits Eric Kulberg, department chair and professor of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security, for helping him choose his path.

“Eric was fantastic working with me and helping make all of this happen. I took my first class at Great Bay with him and he has kept his eye on me, which I appreciate,” said Priestley, who came to Great Bay as a homeschool student. “The actual experience of being 16 or 17 in a class with people in their 20s or older was interesting and challenging. But it was a welcoming environment, and I made a few good friends in the programs and classes. I was in classes with veterans, who knew what I was getting into. It was helpful to talk with them.”

Among the skills he has acquired at Great Bay were efficient study habits, effective communication techniques, and the ability to process knowledge critically and apply it to present-day situations, he said.

After graduating this fall with an associate degree in Homeland Security, Priestley plans to pursue a second associate degree in criminal justice from the Community College of the Air Force. From there, he intends to transfer his combined community college credits to the University of New Hampshire for a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security.

By the time his military commitment is up four-plus years from now, he expects to have earned two two-year degrees and a four-year degree while attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. All of that will prepare him for a career with the U.S. Marshal Service or another law enforcement agency, such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency, or Secret Service.

When he pauses to reflect, Priestley is astounded how much his life has changed since his mother encouraged him to contact Great Bay to ask about Early College.

“I wanted none of that, but I wound up finally saying, ‘Why not?’ That turned out to be a great decision.”

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Meet �� Student Lynne Lavigne

Amy Winslow-Weiss — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:43:56 +0000

A chance meeting at an open house at �� led to a new twist in Lynne Lavigne’s long career as a care provider.

“I needed to switch careers, so I went to a job fair at Great Bay. I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I needed to find something stable,” said Lavigne, 53, who has spent much of her life helping people in need. “I looked at accounting, I talked about nursing, and then someone suggested I talk to Professor Kulberg. So I did.”

Eric Kulberg is the department chair and professor of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security. Lavigne was intrigued.

“I asked him, ‘Can I do this?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely.’ And so here I am in my third semester of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.”

She is thriving at Great Bay while maintaining full-time work as a home-care companion. “I am doing really well. I’m in the honor society,” she said proudly. “I have enjoyed all my Homeland Security classes. I find them interesting—challenging, but interesting—and I am excited to see where this goes.”

Great Bay was the first community college in New Hampshire to offer a two-year degree to provide emergency response professionals with the skills and expertise needed to effectively plan for and respond to natural or man-made disasters and emergencies. The program prepares students for careers in homeland security, emergency management, terrorism, crisis planning, and national incident management systems.

Lavigne began working in a nursing home at age 15, and providing care for aging and vulnerable populations became the focus of her career. While living in North Carolina, where her sons were stationed in the US. Marine Corps, she lost her townhouse to a hurricane, giving her first-hand exposure to a coordinated emergency response. As part of her own recovery from the devastation, she moved to Kentucky and then to Tennessee.

Just before Covid, a massive tornado hit the Nashville area. Continuing her instinct to help people during times of crisis and need, she volunteered through her church in recovery efforts. “I spent a lot of time walking through the woods picking up debris—wedding photos, baby clothes, tax information, any personal items that might be important to people.”

She returned home to New Hampshire to care for her ailing father, and then turned to Great Bay in search of a new career—or what actually turned out to be a new direction in her career. In hindsight, Homeland Security and Emergency Management was an obvious choice.

“I am a caregiver and always have been,” she said. “I have to help people. I am focusing on the emergency management aspect to help people who are in the situation I was in and still be able to be a caregiver and provide help and comfort when needed.”

Her academic success has been the result of hard work and learning to adapt as a non-traditional student, both in terms of inherent generational differences in the classroom as well as new ways of learning. “I am always one of the oldest in my class,” she said. “There have been a couple of classes that were online only that I struggled with. I do much better in the classroom.”

She is grateful for the camaraderie she shares with other students and the support of her professors. As for her career options, a lot can change between now and when she graduates, which she expects will be two years from now.

One thing that won’t change will be the need for emergency responders. Whether it’s for a government agency or for another entity, Lavigne will be working to help people when they need it most.

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Meet Owner of Podcast, Restaurant Unstoppable and Former �� student, Eric Cacciatore

Amy Winslow-Weiss — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:31:35 +0000

When you do a Google or ChatGPT search for “best restaurant podcast,” the result is Restaurant Unstoppable, created and hosted by Eric Cacciatore. He got the idea and launched what has become the longest-running

Evan Mallet, Chef/Owner the Black Trumpet, Eric Cacciatore and Jennifer Guptill, �� Culinary Arts Program Coordinator

restaurant industry podcast as a student at �� more than a decade ago.

Targeting restaurateurs, the twice-weekly podcast offers in-depth interviews with successful restaurant owners and industry leaders, providing valuable insights for professionals and enthusiasts. A natural conversationalist, Cacciatore’s specialty is getting people to talk and knowing what to ask.

He has recorded more than 1,200 episodes and created that features a variety of content addressing timely topics, including when and how to use AI chatbots, how to handle chargebacks, and tips and advice from owners, chefs, and other insiders.

After a brief career as a commercial pilot and harboring dreams of following his parents into the restaurant industry, Cacciatore enrolled at Great Bay in 2012 to study marketing and hospitality management. But the twist in Cacciatore’s Great Bay success story is that he didn’t actually finish his degree.

He learned about podcasting during his first course with marketing instructor David Mazur, who assigned his students a research project to identify and report back on three podcasts about subjects that interested them. Cacciatore chose marketing, entrepreneurism, and hospitality.

“I found tons of marketing podcasts and tons of entrepreneurial podcasts, but not a single hospitality podcast. I failed my first assignment,” he said.

But he found his niche and eventually his career.

Soon after, he launched Restaurant Unstoppable. It took off, and the success of the podcast quickly required his full attention. “The podcast was really building momentum, and it was where most of my potential future opportunities were,” he said. “So, I ended up not finishing the program at Great Bay. But if it wasn’t for the program, I would never have gone down this path.”

His path to Great Bay stemmed from failure in his previous career in aviation. He actually accomplished his goals in aviation, earning his commercial pilot’s license and landing a job with a major airline. But he amassed more than $200,000 in debt, including $1,100 monthly in student loans, and he took on a stressful career that led to him not loving his work.

“I had to make the real hard to decision to focus on what I love, and what I loved was the hospitality industry,” he said. “My parents owned a restaurant, I grew up in the restaurant industry, and I always had dreamed of opening a restaurant.”

He enrolled at Great Bay because it was a quick, cost-effective way to get a good education in marketing and hospitality and work his way into a career and a profession that he loved.

Drawn to the world of podcasting through Mazur’s provocative marketing course, he found inspiration in the stories of the entrepreneurs he was listening to and learning from. Many also had failed early in their careers and found success only after tapping into and trusting their passions. “Hearing all these stories of people who were lower than I was and who had failed harder than I did and then come back, it lit a fire and gave me the motivation I needed to keep showing up.”

His research revealing a dearth of restaurant-focused podcasts confirmed his gut feeling that the industry was missing an opportunity by not filling the podcast space with compelling, timely, and helpful content. With a why-not-me? attitude and his new-found marketing skills, Cacciatore filled that void by creating low-barrier access to the stories and lessons of successful industry leaders who were willing to share their stories and secrets.

His goal when he started the podcast, and today, is to empower people with dreams like his. He has achieved that goal while self-creating a career that continues to evolve in new and exciting ways. During his most successful year as a podcaster, he generated more than $200,000 in revenue.

“I thought, if I can help enough other people who are in the position to open a restaurant by talking to successful restaurateurs and learning from them, if I can democratize this information and decentralize this knowledge – if I can do that, then one day I will be able to pay off my debt and invest in my dream restaurant.”

Cacciatore still dreams about owning restaurant, and that dream may come true someday. But for now, he’s focused on podcasting and supporting the industry he loves.

As for that debt? That’s a nightmare he has moved beyond.

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Meet �� Culinary Arts Graduate AlecZander McNeal

Amy Winslow-Weiss — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 17:06:23 +0000

AlecZander McNeal thought he knew a lot about his work as a chef before he enrolled in the Culinary Arts & Sustainable Foodways certificate program at ��. After recently completing the new 12-week program, McNeal now realizes how much he didn’t know.

“The program was a blast. I learned a lot, and I loved the chef-instructors,” said McNeal, who works as a line cook at Tucker’s in Dover. “I worked on a line for five years before coming into the program. I guess I was a little arrogant. I thought, ‘How much can these people really teach me?’ Well, it was a big surprise. I learned way more than I thought I could learn.”

McNeal’s employer noticed the difference in his work right away. His knife skills were better, he managed his time more efficiently, and he eliminated some of the bad habits that had crept into his work, said Casey Schneider, Kitchen Manager at Tucker’s.

“His skills are far more refined now,” Schneider said. “Working with the chefs at Great Bay, his mentality has improved about how the kitchen works. It was refreshing to see what he was being taught. Zander has a much more professional outlook on how things should be done now.”

McNeal agrees with his manager’s assessment. “Before, my skills were there, they just weren’t polished to the point they needed to be,” he said. “But after going through the program at Great Bay, I have become a lot more meticulous about how I am doing things. I am more aware.”

Co-created by leading Portsmouth-area chefs and Great Bay to address a pressing industry need to recruit and train the next wave of talented culinary professionals, the Culinary Arts and Sustainable Foodways curriculum launched in February offering 180 hours of training, including externships at local establishments, over 12 weeks. The next session begins Sept. 8.

McNeal recommends the program to any current chef who wants to hone and improve their skills or an aspiring chef eager to join the industry. Beyond the kitchen work, McNeal learned about the industry as a whole.

Classroom topics include cold preparation, butchery, and bread baking and pastry techniques, among others. Outside of the kitchen, students visit local farms and fisheries to learn about the ecosystem of food distribution and the importance of sustainable agriculture.

Classes in nutrition illustrate how food affects bodies and how nutritious food has a direct and meaningful impact on both people and the planet. Complementary business classes focus on costing, labor management, recipe writing, purchasing and inventory management to provide a well-rounded education of culinary systems.

For five hours each week, students receive on-the-job training through externships at local establishments.

McNeal appreciated the encompassing curriculum. “We had a different unit each week, and it was very informative and interesting. We heard from people in the fishing industry, farmers, and others. The professors brought in a chocolate maker, a baker, and other people like that,” McNeal said. “We also learned a lot of skills. I was able to fine-tune a lot of my cuts, and I learned a lot of different techniques.”

For McNeal, a key component that allowed him to thrive in the program was the ability to take classes at night. “That meant I was able to work at my job where I am now and still go through the externship component of the program,” he said. “Great Bay was very responsive, which I appreciated.”

The Culinary Arts & Sustainable Foodways program evolved from conversations between Great Bay and three James Beard-nominated chefs and restaurateurs: Evan Mallett, chef and owner of Black Trumpet in Portsmouth; David Vargas, chef and owner of Vida Cantina and Ore Nell’s; and Jay McSharry, founder and CEO of JGroup Hospitality.

Students who complete the program receive a ServSafe Food Manager Certification, recognized by the National Restaurant Association. Successful students also receive a Culinary Arts Digital Credential that verifies accomplishments and documents skills. Like a digital resume, the credentials can be shared on social media and with potential employers.

Now that he has completed the program, McNeal is committed to the restaurant industry as a career. “I am a line cook now, but I am learning every aspect of the back-of-the-house operation, from dish prep to what goes on behind the scenes, like labor costs, food costs, and overall management,” he said. “I am excited about making this my career.”

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Meet Our Students Archives - ��������

Meet �������� Student Ashley Vatcher

Meet Business Administration Student Madelyn Hardy

Meet �������� Student Raven Burwell

Meet �������� Student Brandon Blood

Meet �������� Student Arielle Pilot

Meet �������� Student Emily Gardner

Meet �������� Student Ed Priestley

Meet �������� Student Lynne Lavigne

Meet Owner of Podcast, Restaurant Unstoppable and Former �������� student, Eric Cacciatore

Meet �������� Culinary Arts Graduate AlecZander McNeal