Adding a Formal Education to Enhance His Experience

Few students enter the Iowa Culinary Institute (ICI) at DMACC with more practical experience in the hospitality industry than Christopher Marsh. A veteran in restaurants large and small, Christopher says it was a push from his wife that got him looking to add a degree to his already impressive resume.

"For the past 16 years, I've held every job in the industry," Christopher says, "From washing dishes to managing the largest kitchen in Iowa. But my wife encouraged me to go back to school to get my AAS degree and to complete the program at the ICI. I have her to thank for all of this."

Christopher, who has earned a scholarship to help him out financially as he works full-time and attends classes full-time, says that the choice to attend the ICI was the right one.

"I looked at other options, but the program I am in is probably the best culinary set up I have ever seen," he says. "I enjoy it thoroughly."

And the students and staff enjoy Christopher. So much so that he says he frequently gets questions from his classmates looking to call on his experience in food service. He has also received some humbling recognition from the ICI leadership.

"One of the things I appreciate most is that I have gotten to work under Chef Robert Anderson at the ICI," Christopher says. "He also has provided me a letter of recommendation and that is a great honor."

As Christopher wraps up his studies in the coming months, he has his sights set on a dream, years in the making.

"I want to open my own restaurant right here in Iowa," he says. "I want to feature a variety of international grilling techniques and use farm-to-table ingredients grown in Iowa. It is a new idea that I hope people will really take a liking to."