Pennsylvania Man Turns College Job Into Successful Culinary Arts Career

Some are easy paychecks while others are hard work, but for most people, college jobs eventually become nothing but fond memories after graduation. This week, Somerset County's Daily American interviews a man who ended up with a career quite different from what he originally epxected.

According to the article, Dave Dayok was once hard at work earning two associate degrees in chemistry and biology from Penn State University. While working on the science degrees, he supported himself by working as a restaurant manager. After graduation, however, he found himself unable to find a science-related career right off the bat -- while he looked, he continued to cook. Now, several decades and a couple of vocational degrees later, Dayok is still in the culinary field, teaching at the Somerset County Technology Center.

When people think of college, not everyone thinks of culinary arts. However, the field is picking up considerable steam among career changers. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, many Bay Area culinary schools are seeing markedly increased attendance, specifically from older students interested in changing the trajectory of their career paths. At City College of San Francisco, the article says, "the Culinary and Service Skills Training Program's noncredit courses are at capacity, with recent students including a former professional poker player. At Napa Valley College's cooking school, up to half the students say they're seeking new careers." The role of chef (or chef instructor, at that) is still as tough a job as any, but the career opportunities are engaging. The Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry instructor John Difilippo told the Chronicle, "we are constantly getting calls from restaurants, hotels, bakeries, looking for graduates."

As for Dayok, he is one of two certified food safety instructors in Somerset County, is into his fourth term as president of the Technology Center's educational association, and is still enjoying his unexpected yet fruitful career in culinary arts. Though he teaches at a basic level, many of his students have gone on to complete further degrees at culinary schools across the country. At the heart of it all, however, is skills that students can use no matter what. "They learn employable skills," he told the Daily American. "I've always told my wife, I'll never be without a job because people will always eat." Now, neither will his students.