Mentoring Scholarship Program
August 8th, 2012
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“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” – John Crosby.
There is no denying it, I started off as the weakest student in the kitchen during my first term of food and beverage practicals. Kitchens have always been an unfamiliar place till I began studying at the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. |
I joined the Mentoring Scholarship Program, as a Kitchen MSS. After over coming huge odds I felt qualified to be in the position of a Kitchen Mentoring Scholarship Student (MSS). It is always an honor to work with the amazing team of chefs at the School. What an opportunity to teach the new Level 1 students. I was hoping to meet student with equal difficulties that I had, to share my experiences. I wasn’t expecting that at the same time I would learn so many different things from them.
As a Kitchen MSS I took on breakfast shifts, where I began my daily shifts at 5.50am daily and finished at 8.30am. My duties included numerous techniques of a manager/supervisor including supervision of one of the chefs! Responsibilities are many in a short period of time and under a hectic pace.
In short, I was responsible for; students coming to their shifts on time, ensuring that all required items on the menu are on the buffet, breakfast is set and ready to go by 6.15 am, ensuring that all students have their breakfast before service begins, checking the buffet , filling the buffet, managing the students in the kitchen ensuring that all tasks are completed (dish washing, cleaning and food service), created new menus for breakfast, ensuring safety in the kitchen at all times, prepare for the next day’s breakfast, recording on what was on the buffet during breakfast and managing the kitchen to ensure that everything is as instructed by the head chef.
I managed to accomplish many different things as a Kitchen MSS, including, more than I thought I could know about the kitchen, building new friendships across year levels, learning from them, coming up with new ideas for the breakfast at school, ‘Cultural Breakfast,’ where I got many students involved into the kitchen and an opportunity for everyone to share their culture to the school.
The key component I take away with me is that of trainee manager, hands on experience with realistic responsibilities and pressure. I would not have managed this without taking on stretching myself and taking on these extra commitments. It was a great opportunity to be able to share my first year student experiences to the new ones, my improvements and all the struggles. But ultimately I leave more confident and experienced.
I can not hold back from again giving a special mention to the people I was closest to on campus (the Chefs). The experience that I had as a Kitchen MSS could not have been a more beautiful without the amazing team of Chefs at the Blue Mountains Hotel School. This is my tribute: Thank You to each and all of you, Chef Neale, Chef Richard, Chef Jenna, Chef Debbie, Chef Muzz and Chef Lanna, for their extreme amount of support, encouragement, guidance, trust and love that they portrayed to me every time.
With lots of love,
Jyotika Khanijou