Finals week is already upon us!!

I'm really having trouble understanding how the time flew by so fast these past few months. It's ALREADY finals week! This quarter has gone by soooo quickly. I suppose the lesson is time and hard work pays off in the end. It's amazing to see the progress I've made along with my fellow students. I'm sad to say I only have one quarter left at Sullivan University before my Pharmacy Technician certification test. But I am happy to say I will be returning to Sullivan to enter their Pharm.D program in just a few short years. I'm very happy I chose Sullivan over the endless options of other schools. I've learned absolutely invaluable information from my teachers and from the Pharmacy Technician program. I've made lifelong friends among our students. If I could change one thing about my whole experience, it would be that I wish I would've done this sooner! Regardless, I don't regret anything I've done in my life one bit. Every part of life truly has been and will remain a learning experience. I have to thank Sullivan University for having such an impact on my life and future success. Every second has been worth it's weight in gold. Thank you, Sullivan University. You will be with me for the rest of my life.

Tim Conneely    

Supreme Court Class Trip

The Paralegal students went on a trip to hear the Kentucky Supreme Court in session in Frankfort this quarter.

We learned a lot, heard two interesting cases, had a tour of the Capitol building, and then had lunch with our teacher, Mr. Riggs.

I was a little bit sad because I had to miss the Canoe trip that was on the same day. But all in all I am so glad that I was able to go and that I could take off work.

Hopefully they will offer this trip again, because I  would not mind seeing more cases. Thanks to Sullivan, our teachers, and the  Sullivan's Paralegal Club for planning this trip.

Here are some pictures:

 Capitol Building

 Supreme Court Chambers

 Inside the Capitol Building

View of the dome (it changes colors!)

 

Claudia

Finals...Finally

     My first quarter with Sullivan is coming to a close and the time really flew by.  I have finals on Tuesday and I feel pretty prepared for them.  If there is one skill I have learned to do better than ever is time management.  I know I blogged about this earlier but I do have a full-time job, I'm a full-time father, as well as a student.  Thankfully I have pulled myself together and feel confident about my grades this quarter.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is a big neon sign saying "Fall Break Sept. 10-23!"  This break couldn't come at a better time and that is what I love about being a student here.
     With regular school starting business has been a little slower but when we are back from fall break it will be the start of "Restaurant Season."  The holidays and cold weather bring the guests flocking in to have a nice meal so I know that this coming term I will need to be on my A-Game.  I know that I will also (hopefully) have my A-Game grades reflect my hard work this quarter.  I wish good luck to all this coming week and hope that the holiday weekend treats you well!

Ryan (Seth) Pennington

Final Practicum

Finals! So its that time of the quarter when the kitchens are buzzing! Culinary and Baking students are hard at work perfecting their dishes for their final practical. I am currently in International and my country that i have to recreate is Brazil. I chose to do a seafood stew and quinoa salad. for my entree i am placing a savory crepe bundle filled with a shredded chicken stuffing on top of a nest of multi colored green peppers and served with a delicious tomatoe sauce. My Dessert is by far my favorite part of this 4 course meal. I chose to roll a chocolate truffle in Brazilian nuts and serve it with a traditional shortbread cookie and cup of fresh coffee. Im sure it will be an A dish that i will serve at home as well. I really love this simple yet flavorful dish, and i plan to add it to my personal recipe book!
Kamisha Jones

Winston's Restaurant

Sullivan University is home to a great fine dining restaurant, Winston's.  Led by Executive Chef John Castro, this establishment is mainly staffed with Sullivan University students and graduates.  For many culinary students, Winston's serves as a great internship experience, the last stop before graduation.  With an extraordinary menu, including incredible full-bar service, and value guest appreciation, there is only one catch: Winston's Restaurant has limited hours of business. Friday and Saturday, they are open for lunch (11am-2pm) and dinner (5:30pm-10pm). On Sundays, they serve an exquisite brunch from 10am to 2pm.

deliciously sculpted chocolate desserts

One of the most signature dishes presented at Winston's Restaurant is inspired by Louisville's famous Hot Brown.  This well-known open-faced sandwich is comprised of toasted bread, roasted turkey, Roma tomatoes, freshly made Mornay sauce, and Pecorino Romano cheese.  The tower of ingredients is then broiled to perfection then topped with crispy bacon.  Chef Castro's spin on a Hot Brown, a "Not Brown," is a little different.  Honoring the original infamous Louisville dish, a "Not Brown" (pictured below) is also an open-faced sandwich topped with Mornay sauce, cheese and bacon.  Instead of bread, however, Chef Castro uses fried green tomatoes.  He also substitutes rock shrimp and crab for the roasted turkey.  The "Not Brown" is elegantly displayed in the bowl and garnished with spinach.

If you have not been to Winston's, please come in for a visit.  The restaurant is located on the left side of Sullivan University's main campus building.  The food and drinks are delicious, the environment is intimate, and the service is respectful.  Even the prices are reasonable!  What more could you ask for?

Here is a link to the Winston's website: feel free to enjoy!

Hayley Charron

Graduation is literally right around the corner!

Wow! Is it that time already!?!?! It's amazing how quickly two and a half years have flown by!! I remember when I first went on the tours and spoke with my financial advisor and set up all my classes in the month of June, 2010 and now it's August 2012 and I'm upon my last quarter of my degree! The next quarter will entail my internship and continuing my bachelor's degree. 

Not only am I proud of myself for accomplishing a very big goal in my life but I'm also proud of all my Sullivan family that I've also known and grown to love over these past few years.  I'm very happy and proud to say that I will soon be a graduate of Sullivan University!

Alona Beasley-Jenkins

THE SUMMER FUN IS ALMOST OVER

I can't believe how fast this quarter is going.  This  quarter is the first time that I ever took an online class and I have to say originally I wasn't all the happy with the doing it.  I'm a people person and I interact or can get really good feedback from my classmates while in class, by taking an online class I feel disconnected from everyone.  But I have to admit as the quarter has gone on and the fact that I have an instructor that I respect and value their opinion has been a tremendous help.

I have to say that since I've been back in school I have had to learn how to step outside of my comfort zone and adjust to things that I normally would either avoid or not want to deal with at all. 

Thank you Sullivan for offering myself, and the rest of the student body an opportunity to truly expand our wings no matter the circumstances.

Tracy Dickerson

Highs, Lows, and Time Management

     After a long work night at my current job I like to go over my highs and lows of the day.  Working in the restaurant field can be discouraging as well as rewarding.  One low part of my day Tuesday was doing inventory.  It takes hours to complete and I try to stay hidden so that it is hard for the servers to interrupt me while doing this daunting chore.  When it was finally complete I thought to myself how lucky I am to have a great job and now I am getting a great education at Sullivan.
     I started in the summer quarter and I appreciate how great it is that this university is so flexible with dates to begin/continue an education.  Most schools only have 2 semesters per year and even then weekend classes aren't typically offered.  Being a father of a 2 year old and a full time assistant manager at one of the best high end restaurants in town takes up a large chunk of my life (half of the time I'm not sure how I find time in my day to eat or sleep).  Sullivan has worked with me on class scheduling and guidance to steer me towards better time management for my career and education.  I was nervous when I started looking for a university to continue my education.  I didn't want to sacrifice moments with my daughter or being present at my job.  Now I feel confident that everything will work out and I am excited to see if I'll feel the same way at the end of the quarter.


-Ryan (Seth) Pennington

Day or night?

After having both night and day classes, I can honestly say that they both have their advantages.  Culinary labs during the week allow, in my opinion, an opportunity to do more cooking.   The benefit of the weekend classes though, is that since some dishes take longer to make can be produced due to less of a time constraint.  It all boils down to what your schedule is.  I enjoy them both, and whether deciding to attend day vs. night classes, you cannot go wrong no matter what the decision is.  Keep up the good work Sullivan students, and enjoy the rest of the quarter.

Wayne Yokie

It's All About Experience and Learning!

Being in the culinary program at Sullivan University has enabled me to do quite a few things I never thought I would.  I have made all kinds of foods from about two dozen cuisines, carved ice sculptures with a chain saw, and worked with chefs from around the world.  Those experiences and many more have all been possible through hard work and determination. Many days are a challenge but it is all worth it.

Common challenges that occur multiple times throughout each quarter of culinary labs practical exams.  These "practicals" may range from ingredient identifications to knife cuts to multi-course meals.  One of the accomplishments I have been most proud of was my first design and demonstration of a seven course meal.  It was the final practical exam during my Garde Manger course.  In Garde Manger, I began to expand my ingredient knowledge, flavor profile, and pairing combinations.  It was also during this course that I put real thought into creative plate presentation.  The following is a description of my seven-course :


The first course (top left) was a Salmon Lomi Lomi Canape with Grilled Endive.  The lomi lomi had fresh salmon cured in a combination of soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, scallions, red onions, tomato, red pepper flakes, and Hawaiian sea salt.  That mixture was served over a toasted crostini and delicious soy, red pepper compound butter and topped with grill endive.  Next up was the Chicken and Mushroom Consomme (bottom right).  Course three (top right) was a Chicken and Spinach Ravioli with a Garlic Beurre Blanc.  I made the pasta dough, stuffing, and sauce from scratch.  As a light refresher between heavier courses, next was a Lemon Basil Sorbet (bottom left).  It was a perfect, smooth basil flavor blended with a cool lemon zest. One of my favorite creations!



After the intermezzo came the entree (left).  It was a seared tenderloin stuffed with blue cheese and cardamom pancetta with a red wine reduction.  The tenderloin was served over a bacon sage potato platke and roasted baby carrots.  A light Poached Pear Salad (top right) with habanero lime vinaigrette followed the entree.  The salad was red wine poached pears over Bibb lettuce topped with goat cheese and sauteed fennel and bean sprouts.  Lastly, dessert was a Berry Zabaglione (bottom right).  This dish was a lot of fun to create. Zabaglione is a quick custard served over berries; I used strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.  The fun part was rimming the glass with chocolate ganache and toasted pistachios and making the fragile and edible orange touille spoons.


I received an outstanding grade on this practical exam. The criticism I received from the judging chefs was all very constructive. Each day that I continue to come to class, I feel as though my potential grows. Those things that I "never thought I would" have now become potential elements of my future. It is all just a matter of time before everything falls into place. 

Hayley Charron

Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management