Cassandra (Cassie) Ashford first came to Loyalist College in 2008 when she enrolled in the College Prep program. Now, as she looks back over the past three years, she is proud of what she has achieved and excited about the future that lies ahead.
“When I had my child I decided I wanted to return to school so that I could provide for him better,” Cassie said. “I was surprised at the wide age range of my classmates – the youngest was probably 18 while the oldest may have been 60. At first I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do it. With the support of the college faculty and staff I learned that I could do it well and help others too. With the credits I earned I was able to enroll in Loyalist’s Culinary Skills – Chef Training program.”
Cassie graduated in 2010 with her Chef Training certificate. She continued her studies for an additional year – and this past Thursday received her Culinary Management diploma. It has been a challenging and exciting journey for Cassie – one that included a class trip to New York City in 2010 and most recently the thrill of travelling to Europe to explore the culinary culture of Switzerland.
“I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to visit Switzerland and I’m so glad I did – it was absolutely amazing,” she said. “It was my first overseas flight and, although initially nervous, the trip really built my confidence. Now I would be comfortable travelling to other destinations as well.
“One of the highlights of my trip was when we visited Zermatt, a tiny village in the Swiss Alps at the foot of the Matterhorn in southern Switzerland. It’s auto-free to prevent air pollution so you can’t drive into the village. The mountains are so beautiful. We wandered through the market, each selecting different meats, cheeses, wines and chocolates, then gathered together and shared a picnic. Perhaps it was the fresh air, or maybe the wonderful scenery, but everything tasted delicious as we talked about the different flavours and compared our choices.
“We had the opportunity to visit the dairy region Appenzell – home of the famous Appenzeller cheese. We saw the giant rounds of cheese being made and sampled the goods. Looking down on 13,500 ripening cheese loaves from a height of six metres is particularly impressive. You can look directly into the huge cheese vat where the milk is processed and the cheese harps are pulled through the thickened mass.”
The trip to the Frey Chocolate Factory was a definite learning experience. Cassie was intrigued by the precautions they took to ensure that the high standards of the Frey family were upheld. “In order to maintain the quality, 100% of the production process is conducted in Switzerland – from the cocoa bean to the finished chocolate bar. Every step is supervised by the chocolatiers themselves, from procuring the cocoa beans and roasting them in the plant, to the careful processing of the chocolate. I sampled flavours I had never associated with chocolate before – chili and lemon-lime were surprisingly wonderful.
“Our two-week trip went by much too quickly and before I knew it we were back in Belleville. I’m working at the Timberhouse Inn but my thoughts often return to Switzerland – the tour of the winery at Chateau de Neuchatel, getting caught in a hail storm with ice pellets the size of golf balls, how clean it was – how very, very clean, – the expense of drinking water, and most of all the wonderful friendships we made. We looked after ourselves and watched out for each other. It was definitely a team building experience.
“I feel that my eyes have been opened in so many ways, most importantly I’ve learned about myself and understand what I am capable of accomplishing. Loyalist is amazing – the faculty, my classmates. I loved being there.”
For information about Loyalist’s Culinary programs click here.
Loyalist’s June 2011 trip to Switzerland