The Art Institute of Atlanta was very effective in educating its students with the current trends and techniques, [making me] versatile when I got ready to enter the industry. James Holdsworth , Culinary Arts Instructor, Clarkston High School Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts Management, 2014 , The Art Institute of Atlanta

Teaches Culinary Arts to High Schoolers - Enjoys Seeing their Creative Sides Come out in the Kitchen

James Holdsworth is a culinary arts instructor at Clarkston High School in Clarkston, Georgia. He teaches students at the school and says that a typical day involves working with students in the kitchen, communicating with parents and other teachers, and grading the students’ work. He says that he enjoys seeing his students find their creative sides in the kitchen. “They aren’t in math or English [class], they are in the kitchen. I feel that this allows students to express themselves in ways that they might not have thought they could. It helps to create a positive learning environment.”

He also puts in extra hours to continue to grow as a culinary professional. “Between teaching and being a husband and father, I am completely beat at the end of the day. I would love to kick back and relax, but I force myself to open a book and read—and take the knowledge gained to find a way to implement it in the classroom.”

James asserts that he experienced the benefits of his hard work when he moved from the fine dining and hotel/resort side of the industry into what he describes as “more reputable” restaurants. “The number of people that reached out to get me where I needed to be was amazing. [It made] the transition much smoother than I had originally anticipated.”

James encourages current culinary students to stay focused and face their challenges. “It’s not about how hard you fall, it’s about how you pick yourself up.” He adds that he has needed an “extreme level of dedication, focus, and sweat equity” to get to his current position. “Don’t expect to have things handed to you. You have to go out and get it yourself. You have to wake up every day with the mindset that you are going to be better than the day before.”

James, who in 2014 earned a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts Management from The Art Institute of Atlanta, says that his education prepared him for a career by providing a large professional network to support movement within the industry. “The Art Institute of Atlanta was also very effective in educating its students with the current trends and techniques, [making me] more versatile when I got ready to enter the industry.”

See http://ge.artinstitutes.edu/programoffering/313 for program duration, tuition, fees and other costs, median debt, salary data, alumni success, and other important info.