Career Program: Culinary Arts
Originally From: Appleton
Current Residence: Appleton
Age: 40
Years of Attendance at FVTC: Fall 2021 - Fall 2023 

 

 

Jessica Meier will provide the student address at the FVTC Winter 2023 Commencement Ceremony on Friday, December 15.

Jessica became intrigued by the FVTC Culinary Arts program as she embarked on a mid-life career shift. In 2020, she held the position of Vice President of Commercial Banking, but opting for a change, Jessica left the banking industry to pursue her passion.

During a tour of FVTC, Jessica was excited about the depth of instruction, the design of the culinary theatre, and the large kitchens and equipment accessible for hands-on training. Jessica is graduating from the Culinary Arts program with honors and is a four-time scholarship recipient.

Jessica was involved with the FVTC Culinary Club which included two trips to the Madison College culinary school for the Culinary Olympic team dinner. She also volunteered for the all-FVTC employee holiday party hosted by the FVTC Culinary Department.

Jessica previously received a Bachelor of Science degree in 2004 from the UW-Madison School of Business in Finance, Investment and Banking. She lives in Appleton with her husband and two school-aged children.

Jessica plans to explore a career in recipe development for a food manufacturer.

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Why did you choose to study this field?

Culinary Arts is a dynamic field of study balancing technical skills with creativity and innovation. After working behind a desk for 15 years, it has been great to learn inner workings of this industry and bring it together with what I've known.

Tell us how you came to choose FVTC for your education.

FVTC and its culinary instructors have an excellent reputation in the state of Wisconsin for culinary education. Additionally, I toured the campus with an admissions advisor, and I was excited about the culinary theatre, the large kitchens and specialized equipment that I would be able to learn with and utilize. Lastly, the class schedule appeared amenable, in that the learning objectives were very specific and hands-on, and the times of the class offerings fit with the other needs in my life. I started the program to check it out and, because of the welcoming depth and breadth of instruction, quickly decided to complete the full degree program.

What's been the most rewarding part of your educational journey at FVTC?

It is being often said about higher education now, and it is true: the relationships a student can make with their instructors, fellow students and others they connect with in this journey are the richly rewarding part of this experience.

What was the most difficult part?

The investment of time is evaluated differently for everyone. However, I can I see the significant value of the time spent working toward this degree as well as the skills I have learned. Secondly, my fellow students and I are happy to have passed the bar set on practical examinations! Some of the achievements we have earned include fabricating a whole chicken in less than nine minutes, and throwing soft eggs into the air, then catching them in a pan without breaking.

Tell us about your plans after graduation.

I look forward to cooking, cooking, cooking! Cooking tasty, flavorful, beautiful, thought-provoking food and presenting it with love.

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