Success story: TC Central student tastes confidence in culinary program
January 6, 2016
When Aiden Voss graduates from Traverse City Central High School in June, she’ll simultaneously be just a few credits shy of an NMC culinary degree, thanks to dual enrollment.
The 18-year-old also discovered something even more valuable than the thousands of tuition dollars she saved by dual-enrolling: the confidence to forge her own opportunities.
While dual enrollment at NMC has increased rapidly the last three years — up almost 30 percent this semester vs. spring 2015 — Voss is the first dual-enrolled student in NMC’s culinary program. (Most students take general introductory classes like English, sociology or psychology, which transfer widely.) She had to get special permission from both her high school counselor and Culinary Institute director Fred Laughlin.
“To have that experience of asking for what I want, and pursuing it, and having these people count on me for quality product and quality grades, that’s been huge,” she said.
Voss had the chops to make the ask. At 13, she walked into the Cook’s House, one of the most acclaimed restaurants in Traverse City’s strong restaurant scene, and started staging, or apprenticing. From dishwashing to salads to food prep to the hot line, she learned her way around the entire kitchen.
Academically self-motivated as well, Voss tested out of several classes by the time she entered high school, leaving a gap in her schedule. Armed with her Cook’s House experience, she decided to see if she could dual enroll in the culinary program. Laughlin, who taught Voss in Introduction to Baking, called her an excellent student.
“She is inquisitive, hard-working and always has a smile on her face. She was a joy to have in class,” he said.
Voss kept pushing the bar for her internship credit this past summer, She worked at Chez Panisse, the venerable Berkeley, Calif. restaurant that pioneered the farm-to-table trend of showcasing fresh, local ingredients that has heavily influenced the Traverse City restaurant scene.
Whether it’s in the kitchen or the classroom, Voss looks for one thing.
“It’s the passion that’s important,” she said. She’s seen it outside the culinary program, too. Her Spanish instructor, Charles Fleis, can go on for half an hour on the etymology of a particular word.
“To see such passion, it just shapes you, I think,” she said. “It’s all about the people you’re around.”
Fleis said that phenomenon is circular. Voss and several other dual-enrolled students took his class in the evening, when they could have chosen other activities, and demonstrated curiosity and excitement about the subject.
“That puts fuel in my fire. They then help to motivate me,” said Fleis, who dual-enrolled himself more than 25 years ago, before it was an established practice. As a Kingsley High School senior in 1988-89 he took French at NMC. He went on to earn a PhD and teaches both Spanish and French now.
“I kind of relate to Aiden in that regard. I was impassioned about language and wanted to do something with it,” he said. “It’s not only a good thing economically for NMC, but it’s wise. It gets students motivated about higher education and what it can do for them.”
Voss’ post-high school plans are still fluid. She’d like to earn a business degree at a small, four-year liberal arts school. She wants to study abroad — Thailand and India are among her top destinations. Eventually, she’d like to return to Traverse City to finish up the culinary degree.
Sampson McCormick is a nationally touring, award winning stand-up comedian, writer and activist who makes audiences double over in laughter whether he’s joking about his wacky Aunt Jackie or homophobia, poverty, and religion. For over a decade, he has been a favorite at LGBT pride festivals and mainstream venues alike. Join us on Friday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Milliken Auditorium for “What’s Real: Being Gay in Black America” a hilarious stand-up special for a night of riveting, refreshing, and original takes on religion, sexuality, life and politics.
Taco Day will be Tuesday, January 12 at the Hawk Owl Cafe! Join us for these great deals on 1, 2 or 3 tacos with a side of rice and beans!
Lucy House, an NMC culinary instructor from 1991-2015, passed away Dec. 29, 2015. She was 59.
Angie Law joined NMC as the Coordinator of Data Reporting and Analysis on January 4, 2015. She can be reached at (231) 995-1561 or 
Katharine Zurek joined NMC as Annual Giving Specialist on January 4, 2016. She can be reached at (231) 995-1030 or 
Please join us in welcoming these new additions to our NMC staff! 
The IRS mileage rate for business use of vehicle changed from 57.5 cents to 54 cents per mile beginning 
The Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College will exhibit Northwood Awakening, the 2015 Art Prize People Choice Award winner by Steve and Ann Loveless, Now through March 6, 2016. 
We bring in the New Year with wild expectations for the future. Most of us resolve to change the things we do not like about ourselves. It is only natural to work toward self-improvement. Most resolutions start out with “I want to stop (fill in the blank)”. It could be smoking, eating sugar, nail biting, loafing on the couch or a variety of other bad habits. Unfortunately most resolutions are broken before February 1st. Why? One of the main reasons is because the goals are often too vague or too unrealistic. It takes a lot more than wishful thinking to make those lofty New Year’s resolutions stick. Ask yourself the following six questions to, once and for all, make the changes you want.