I never really knew I had an interest in the food industry until I left the Army for a desk job for 5 years. Sitting there day in and day out typing on a computer made me pretty depressed, not to mention out of shape. I was uncontent with my life and I couldn’t figure out why. I was about 5 classes shy of a computer systems degree at CCV when I did some soul searching one day. I thought back to certain times in my life when I was happy. I realized that when I worked in a kitchen, I was at my happiest. Putting in a good days hard work and feeling like I accomplished something challenging was what I wanted to do with my life.
Congress passed the new 9/11 GI Bill and I saw my opportunity. I left a lucrative and well paid job in sales to pursue a career in the kitchen. That first step was going to NECI.
Serving up some food in Mosul, Iraq 2003
I’m not sure where I am going from here. I came to learn, and I know along the way I will figure out what I am going to do with this knowledge. Where that will lead me, I’m not sure, but I know that I’ll be in the kitchen, and I will be happy.
I just finished an enlistment in the NAVY and got a degree from NECI almost ten years ago. Did they except the gi bill? Will I still get a housing allotment if I live in the dorms? If I finish a BA at neci I would do it in a heart beat.
Yes, you still get the housing allowance! The new GI Bill is pretty nice and allowed me to attend NECI. Plus, if you’ve served at least three years, you may qualify for the yellow ribbon program. The program pretty much has NECI and the VA fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate.
http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/CH33/Yellow_ribbon.htm
The 9/11 GI Bill would cover $420 per credit hour in Vermont. NECI’s tuition is little higher than that, so the Yellow Ribbon program would step in and cover that gap. Unfortunately, I only served 2 years in the Army, so I didn’t qualify for the yellow ribbon program.
You might get a kick out of this…
I originally wrote this when I went to NECI. It was called “Yes Chef” but a few years in the NAVY and being that the people I worked for where not chefs but Chiefs…the song was tweeked for the audience. This version was sung off the coast of Somalia 2008 for the ship talent show. I won a day trip to Mount Vesuvius and the ruins of Pompeii. Not bad, eh?
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.channel&ContributorID=33974338
That was pretty good! I like it!