school is good and shows you
the basics, but you have to get
out there and learn to deal with
the stress.”
Roule tries to encourage his
employees, and helps some of
them to develop courage, self-esteem and confidence.
Lynch, who is now an instructor
at Sullivan University, serves as
a formal mentor to first-quarter
students. “It’s not just the good
students who need mentors,” she
says. “The opposite is true. Of
course, everyone wants to guide
the good ones and help get them
jobs. But someone needs to look
after the students who aren’t
rock stars, to try to help them
excel and find jobs, too.”
She adds that a good mentor
needs to communicate often
and effectively, as mentees
usually will not initiate
communication.
How to be a good mentee
Moeller says students seeking
a mentor should have an open
mind. “You can’t spend 18
months in culinary school and
think you are a chef. There’s
always something to learn. You
have to slice a lot of mushrooms,
and may consider it drudgery,
but you will have good technique
later on. Good, solid basic skills
will be paramount, and the
creative part will come later.”
He says another indicator of a
good mentee is someone who
asks a lot of the right questions.
“Marsha was always there and
asked questions that were in
the correct vein. She showed a
tremendous amount of desire to
be the best chef she could be.”
Roule says he sees sparks in
certain people he takes on as
mentees. “Some are after the
money and have no goals.
Then you get the people who
don’t care. And then there are
those who have a passion and
talent, and they are a little
more drawn to you and you
to them. They are more apt to
ask questions. This industry is
70 percent self-taught, so you
need someone to guide you.”
Estes Public Relations
Marsha Lynch, left, found her mentor, David Moeller, while attending Sullivan
University, Louisville, Ky. Today, they are both chef-instructors at the school.
Lynch not only learned
important cooking skills from
Moeller, but he also helped her
land her first job.
“I learned to pay attention to
details, and to season things
properly,” says Lynch. “But
I also learned that if you
approach someone who is a
fount of knowledge with the
proper respect, he or she is
likely to share that knowledge
with you freely.”
Most importantly, Lynch
recalls that Moeller drove
her to the interview for her
first restaurant job following
graduation. “He took me
and introduced me to the
chef personally. I’ve never
forgotten that, and I’ve since
done it for several of my own
mentees and students. You
need contacts, and you need
someone who knows a whole
network of people. I’ve never
relied on the help-wanted
section when I needed a job.”
Daniel and Gorczynski created
their own special student/
instructor relationship, with
Daniel giving her mentee
assignments. “She would tell
me things to look for in New
York City, such as packaging,”
says Gorczynski. “We would
exchange ideas. She would tell
me about pastry boutiques to
visit, and I’d report back to her.”
The pair spoke every couple
of weeks, and Gorczynski
says she was fortunate to be
able to meet with her mentor
personally a few times in New
York while attending the CIA.
Gorczynski also sent her mentor
progress reports about what she
was doing in class. “We had a
good relationship, and she was
my mentor and coach. She’d
give me different areas to work
on. She’d say, ‘Go talk to this
chef,’ and she’d introduce me
to her friends. What I learned
from her is invaluable. Just
our conversations would spur
creativity. She’s a very energized
woman and self-motivated, and
that’s contagious.”
CIA/Keith Ferris
Lori Daniel, left, and Jamie Gorczynski, pictured here at the school’s Auguste
Escoffier Leadership Awards in New York in 2008, created their own special
student/instructor relationship, with Daniel giving her mentee assignments.
