Sowela Technical Community College’s culinary arts program hosted its second ever study abroad opportunity this summer. Students were required to apply and submit an essay for consideration into the program and Darlene Hoffpauir, institutional advancement coordinator, said, “Length of time to diploma completion is much shorter at Sowela, so that’s why we look for the cream of the crop students to attend. They only have one chance for this opportunity.”

A group of ten students were selected to travel with Chefs Jerry Sonnier and Rachel Montiville to George Brown College to experience a “Culinary International Odyssey Externship” in Toronto, Canada. Sonnier said Sowela selected Toronto because it is an “international city allowing students the opportunity to experience a variety of cuisines without having to actually travel to so many different places.”

In Toronto the students learned local cuisines under the instructors at George Brown, travelled the city visiting specialty food shops and visited a winery to learn the art of local wine making. Montiville said the diverse excursions offered on the trip “helped students to really understand what areas of cooking or baking they’d eventually like to specialize in when they finish their program.”

Doris Fralick, a third semester student, said cooking had always been a dream of hers though she has had a full career already as a retired hospital employee. “Cooking has always made me happy and I just thought I needed to give it a shot. Once I took a class and realized I had a special skill, I knew I needed to take advantage of an opportunity to travel to an international city and learn more.”

Similarly, Marcus Williams, a third semester student, said, “I was never the kid watching the big game when it was Thanksgiving. I was always in the kitchen with my family wanting to learn a new recipe…Canada and my experience at Sowela has helped me to figure out more about myself as a cook.”

Upon graduation, Williams plants to finish his bachelor’s degree at Nicholls State University in Culinary Arts. Hoffpauir said Sowela has a memorandum of understanding with Nicholls, as well as many other universities in Louisiana, which will allow all of William’s Sowela credits to transfer to the University leaving him with only two years to finish his degree at Nicholls.

“What we do at Sowela really sets us a part as a technical college,” said Hoffpauir.