FACES OF GRCC

Grand Rapids Community
College Secchia Institute
for Culinary Education
student Jacqui Bumstead,
describes her decision to
make a career change from teaching
as her own “mid-life crisis.”
“I was a teacher overseas for
years in various, exotic corners
of the earth, South Korea, Peru,
Jamaica and Austria, finally ending
up in Dallas,” said Bumstead,
33. “I just wasn’t happy, felt a little
lost after teaching, but didn’t want
to step back into the classroom.”
Bumstead made the move back
to Michigan to regroup, take stock
of her interests and advantage of a
supportive extended family in Eaton
Rapids. She was armed with
two degrees, one in education, the
other in history.
Initially her career ideas
ranged from singing in a band,
training to be a masseuse or going
to beauty school. Being single, her
options were wide open. Taking
the tour at GRCC Secchia Institute
for Culinary Education was the
lightbulb moment Bumstead was
looking for.
“Food makes me happy,”
Bumstead said. “I always loved
to cook, to be in the kitchen.
It’s an amazing feeling to watch
people enjoy my food and see the
happiness it brings. Walking into
the kitchen on tour with Professor
Gendler and watching Professor
Campbell work with the students,
I knew this was where I needed
to be. The sheer joy on his face
(Campbell) helping the class
create, you really got the sense
he and the other professors cared
about the students’ success.”
“To someone considering the
program, I would say do it. It’s
amazing because the program
doesn’t focus just on making food.
It’s also about the historical influence
of food. I Iove that aspect,
being a history nerd.”
The two-year program starts
out with a semester of lecture
courses such as food science,
culinary math and cooking fundamentals,
all before going into the
kitchen. Knife skills, table service
and international food production
are some of the lab classes
required before an internship.
S0tudents graduate the program
with the knowledge of how-to
start their own business, calculate
profit and loss and how to find
investors.
“My favorite cuisine is Asian.
I know it’s a broad statement but
I love playing around with spicy,
red pepper pastes and soy sauces.
It’s fun for me to experiment,”
Bumstead said. “Grand Rapids has
a great culinary scene but I’m not
the biggest fan of the ice and cold.
I miss the sun and heat. My long
term goal would be to open a bed
and breakfast in the Gulf Coast
area in a small town off the beaten
path.”
Bumstead is in her second year
of the program with one semester
and a summer internship to finish
her degree.
“I’m so happy and fortunate
to be a part of this program. My
alarm goes off at seven. Instead
of hitting the snooze button I’m
excited to get up and go to school
because I’m looking forward to
what I’m going to learn.”
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