The Culinary Arts Department at CMU Tech has once again captivated the local Chambers of Commerce with its series of Business After Hours events.

Held on Feb. 27, March 8 and April 11 for the Grand Junction, Western Colorado Latino and Fruita Chambers of Commerce respectively, these events have become the highlight of the year for many business leaders and participants. Event organizers from the three Chambers unanimously praised CMU Tech’s Business After Hours as their favorite event of the year.

The unique charm of CMU Tech’s Business After Hours lies in its setting within the campus’ cooking labs. Here, guests are treated to a culinary journey as they sample a diverse array of dishes prepared by CMU students and concurrent high school students. This interactive format fosters communication and networking skills among the students, preparing them for the competitive job market.

CMU Tech instructor of baking and pastries Steve Gould has been working at CMU Tech for five years now and has participated in this event each year. He shared insights into the event’s profound impact on students’ career trajectories. He emphasized the event’s role in honing students’ communication skills and equipping them with the confidence and professionalism required in the culinary industry.

“I have seen results from this. The students that

have landed good jobs were at all these events and practiced their skills for years,” Gould said.

He also talked about how these events put the students front and center. Business After Hours, along with others such as the Wine Fest, prepare students for what being a chef will entail. During the Wine Fest, students cook for the VIP tent and the instructors ensure that their work is given due credit.

“We provide the food for the VIP tent, which is 350-400 people and students do all the baking. That is our biggest event and fundraiser and that’s in September, so it’s a quick turnaround from the start of the year,” Gould said.

Among the standout contributors to the Business After Hours event on April 11 was freshman culinary arts student Ella Oglesby. Her culinary creations included a lemon meringue tart with raspberry, an apple caramel tart and coffee and chocolate flavored macaron. Oglesby aspires to open her own bakery back home in Texas one day.

“I do it because I enjoy serving people. It’s something that brings you happiness when you see people eating what you’ve made and the smile on their faces when they enjoy it. We do a lot of chamber events and it’s fun to have everybody in the kitchen and see what we do every day all day,” Oglesby said.

Concurrent high school students also showcased their culinary works under the guidance of instructors such as Chefs Wayne Smith, Kelley Hastie and Gould. Concurrent students Katrina Hahn, Jason Rushing and Kira Rousse impressed attendees with their seafood and hot chicken biscuits at the event. Each of them are dedicated to pursuing careers as chefs after completing their education.