ACTC culinary arts program hosts another successful advisory dinner

Published on Apr 29, 2025

For most college students, a final exam involves a multiple-choice test or an essay. 

For culinary arts students at Ashland Community and Technical College (ACTC), it involves a three-course dinner, and swans carved into honeydew melons. 

Each year, approximately 100 community partners serving on ACTC Program Advisory Committees (PACs) visit campus to meet with program coordinators. These committee members represent the needs of the community and help ensure that ACTC graduates are prepared to meet those needs.

Following committee meetings, they come together for a formal, sit-down dinner, which is planned and executed by ACTC’s Culinary Arts students.

The Culinary Arts program has been hosting this dinner since the program began in 2000.

“The advisory dinner is the most important event that our students participate in, especially our seniors,” said Peggy Bradley, program coordinator. “From the time our culinary arts students start in the program, they are introduced to the thrill of planning for this event.  In many ways, the event is our senior students ‘rite of passage’ in the transition from student into career culinary arts professionals.”

Seniors in the program are tasked with crafting the menu while all students are responsible for preparing and serving the meal. This year, there were ten students in the program that participated. 

From start to finish, the event is made possible by students. 

“Our students get a very clear experience in a ‘real world’ setting for their future career,” said Bradley. 

Preparations begin the week before with washing and polishing glasses and silverware, and end around midnight the night of event with cleanup. 

Alongside Bradley, Chef Maria Fitzpatrick and Jeanette Victory oversee the event. 

“I hope that the students take away confidence in knowing that they have the knowledge, skills, technique and training that will be necessary to succeed in the challenging, but very rewarding career of Culinary Arts,” Bradley said. “I hope that the event helps our student chefs, both graduating seniors and freshmen, to know that all of the many hours of classroom work, test kitchen labs and the operations of the school cafeteria have prepared them for their challenges and success ahead.”

Written by: Megan Smedley, ACTC Strategic Communications Administrator