Making his dreams of becoming a professional chef come true, Bakersfield College student Nick Conger is advancing his way through the Culinary Arts program to earn his degree before taking the next step toward professionalism.
A former student at California State University of Bakersfield, Conger had no idea what career he wanted to pursue, then realized one day that he loved cooking and that it may be his calling.
“I realized that [cooking] is my passion, and why not go to school for it and make it happen,” said Conger.
Conger was inspired to pursue cooking at BC by his uncle, a former student that had been through the culinary arts program.
“I saw my uncle go through this program 11 to 12 years ago and it really interested me. So, I decided I wanted to go through it and get my degree and actually do something with it because he never went anywhere with his,” said Conger.
Conger’s love for cooking includes all aspects of the culinary field; his love for the artistry is just as important as his love for the business, too.
“I was very interested in learning how to make food and learning how to make it presentable and how the business works,” said Conger.
He also discussed his aspirations to earn a business degree to help him in his future goals of owning a restaurant.
Conger explained that there are different positions and specialties a chef can have and that he is still undecided what area he feels fits him the best. In the meantime, though, he is enjoying learning about the diverse areas of cooking, however, there is one area he feels he would like to improve on.
“I’m not that great with desserts, but it’s something I’d like to work on,” said Conger.
Conger discussed his theory classes and how they help prepare him in his goals of one day being a chef. “The theory classes are where we learn how to pull off all the methods – what to do, what not to do – and how to make something look good. And the intro classes are where you learn the very basics, learning about different types of cuisine around the world, measurements and the basic stuff about being a chef you need to know,” said Conger.
One of the requirements for culinary students is their participation in The Renegade Room, the student-run restaurant on the BC campus.
Conger appreciates the education and opportunities that he receives from his involvement and enjoys the camaraderie with the other students as they work together to reach common goals.
Conger said that the best thing about the interaction with students and instructors is that “you really don’t get a chance to do that in your other classes. You really get to know people on a different level than just the gen-ed classes.
“It’s amazing how everyone just really wants to be helpful – help pull everything together – and that they’re not just in there for themselves.
“It’s really interesting to see people do that,” he said.
Conger said that once he receives his degree and starts looking for a chef’s position, he would like to stay in California but would consider his options to make his dream a reality.