Morgan Burkhardt ’23
Alumni Spotlight: Master’s in Food Business
“When I started this program, I was Cook 2. Last year I advanced and earned the Cook 1 position. Since then, I have moved up to an even higher position.”
Why did you decide to pursue a master’s degree and what made you choose CIA’s master’s program?
I’m a lifelong learner and lover of school education. I enjoy learning by the book and through hands-on work experiences. I earned my associate in Baking and Pastry and my bachelor’s in Business Management from CIA, so when they announced a master’s I knew it was for me. CIA was always my dream school, so I knew it would be a good program to continue my education based on my previous experiences with them.
What is your current position? How has CIA’s master’s program prepared you for this role?
I have recently been promoted to Pastry Supervisor in the hotel pastry department I have worked in for almost four years. When I started this program, I was Cook 2. Last year I advanced and earned the Cook 1 position. Since then, I have moved up to an even higher position.
CIA’s master’s program has especially prepared me for my new role through the leadership course I took. Learning to be an effective leader takes time. Other business courses have also helped me to see the bigger picture and role that my department plays within the hotel. The more I move up the career ladder, the more I can apply my learnings from CIA, like budgeting and management.
What do you consider to be the strengths of CIA’s master’s program?
I consider all of the real-life examples and assignments to be the strengths of CIA’s master’s program. Some people in the program already have businesses and are using this program to better understand what they are doing, some people are almost ready to open a business, and then some, like me, are looking to open a business in the future. I enjoyed reading real case studies of real people in real situations to get a better grasp on what could happen instead of everything being theoretical.
How has the CIA master’s faculty supported your education and professional development?
CIA’s master’s faculty are highly involved and genuinely excited to be teaching these courses. They are all easily accessible whenever I had a question, and all seem truly engaged in teaching their courses. Many of them are more than professors. They either have or had their own business or are some type of industry professional which really adds to the overall learnings of each course.
