MCC Culinary Student Spent Summer Interning at U.S. Golf Open

Nelly Martin spent her summer interning at the U.S. Golf Open. The Middlesex Community College Culinary Arts student, who lives in Dracut, was inspired to follow her childhood dream of pursuing a culinary career because of the pandemic. Middlesex helped make that possible by equipping her with valuable knowledge and skills and connecting her to the internship.

“It’s true what they say – there’s no substitute for experience,” Martin said. “I was told the hospitality field was brutal, long hours, hard work, incredibly rewarding – I got to experience all that. That was so affirming that what I’m doing in a classroom translates into real life so well.”

During her internship, Martin worked as a prep cook at a concession stand. Her job consisted of helping prep, grill and work the fryer. She also had to check that the food was safe to eat at the right temperature and wrapped up properly.

Having learned how to dress for the job in her classes, Martin opted to wear a chef’s jacket for the internship. She believes her teammates and supervisor respected the choice, leading to more networking opportunities. Her classes also taught her important food prep skills, such as having a meat thermometer on her at all times, which helped her pass a surprise health inspection.

“Food and Beverage management classes prepared me to not only understand what my boss wanted, but to anticipate it,” Martin said. “We got along so well, at the end, he gave me his apron and thermometer as a token of respect. Also, I now kind of have a standing job offer at the Convention Center in Washington, D.C.”

Martin learned of the opportunity from Middlesex Program Coordinator Kimberly Morrissey who sends students many internship, job and workshop listings. Interested in the catering side of the industry, Martin decided to apply after attending an alumni talk on career advice.

Completing the internship showed Martin she was on the right track. The hands-on opportunities and classes combined to offer an experience “packed with useful information.” Being able to take online, in-person and hybrid courses also made getting an education more accessible.

“My education is preparing me to see the bigger picture,” she said. “That will result in a much better upward mobility in the industry.”

By being in the process of finishing the certificate program, Martin was already able to secure her first job in the industry. In the future, she looks forward to exploring her career options and is grateful to Middlesex for its affordability and access to opportunities. The time and money she saved being able to dive right into the industry “is paying off already.”

“MCC had a program that would give me the most for my money – a culinary certificate that would give me the basics in both cooking and business, and in only nine classes,” Martin said. “That’s a value that’s hard to beat, and I looked around. Going to MCC was one of the best things I’ve ever done.”