College of DuPage international students connect cultures through food

Posted October 09, 2019 11:00 pm

Submitted by COD News Bureau

As part of College of DuPage Community College Initiative program, international students learn how to cook a variety of dishes during a recent culinary exercise with Culinary Arts professor and program co-coordinator David Kramer. Courtesy of College of DuPage

Guided by Culinary Arts Professor and Program Co-Coordinator David Kramer, students attending College of DuPage through the Community College Initiative program learned to cook a variety of dishes during a recent culinary exercise.

Students prepared from scratch chicken burgers, homemade fries, brownies, Fettuccine Aurora and seafood chowder before sharing the meal together.

Made possible through a grant from the U.S. Department of State, the CCI program recruits participants from underserved and unrepresented communities and provides them with quality educational study at U.S. community colleges.

The program is designed to build technical skills, enhance leadership capabilities and strengthen English language proficiency.

While at COD, CCI students study one-year, non-degree-granting programs in workforce development fields and receive opportunities for professional internships, service learning and community engagement activities.

Upon completion, the students return home with a deeper understanding of U.S. culture and new skills to help them contribute to the economic growth and development of their countries.

Featuring 16 students from 11 countries, this year's CCI program participants are: Abdullah Abdelraheem, Egypt (Business/Management); Sangrem Bawm, Bangladesh (Business/Management); Kabelo Boleu, South Africa, (Culinary); Udayabhanu Bolleddu, India (Horticulture); Marie-Honorée Kadio-Morokro, Ivory Coast (Horticulture); Sylvester Korang-Amoako, Ghana (Applied Engineering); Jesus Miolan Reyes, Dominican Republic (Motion Picture/Television); Magauta Ntsoeu, South Africa (Hospitality/Tourism); Linda Otieno, Kenya (Culinary); Edgar Palomino Arevalo, Colombia (Hospitality/Tourism); Ria Pratiwi, Indonesia (Business/Management); Akash Raj, India (Motion Picture/Television); Ditha Rimadiputri, Indonesia (Business/Management); Francisco Da Silva Santos, Brazil (Applied Engineering); Toni Sitania, Indonesia (Hospitality/Tourism); and Faustina Teye, Ghana (Horticulture).

To see more photos from the event, go to the COD Newsroom Flickr.com page.

International students in the College of DuPage Community College Initiative program gather for a photo during a recent culinary exercise with the Culinary Arts program. Courtesy of College of DuPage

Students cut up avocados and tomatoes during a culinary workshop with the College of DuPage Community College Initiative program. Courtesy of College of DuPage

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