Cornell university - School of hotel administration - General graduate studies

Grad's guide to graduate admissions essays - Colleen Reding 2015

Cornell university - School of hotel administration
General graduate studies

Sally Edwards—triathlon pioneer—has said, “If we’re not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn’t settle for junk food.” When I graduated from college and moved to New York City, I was settling for both.

I worked for a prestigious public relations firm and lived with two of my best friends in a tiny, mouse and bug-ridden apartment in the East Village. The long work hours meant I often was left eating out of greasy take-out cartons late at night. I certainly realized I was eating a lot of junk food, but I didn’t really care. I was living what I always thought was my dream, but I wasn’t happy. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was “junk living,” as Edwards says. My life lacked passion and drive. There was not much, other than the need to pay rent, that got me up in the morning.

I knew my life was missing something, but I wasn’t sure what it was. On a quest to lose the pounds I’d gained from all that take-out, I started running along the East River. A mile a day turned into two, then three, and then, on a dare, I signed up to run the Chicago Marathon. On my runs, I began to notice that what I ate during the day affected how fast and how long I could run. I was at my best after eating leafy greens, juicy fruits, rich nuts, and lean meats. After indulging in too much salt, sugar, or oil, I felt horrible. And so the questions began stirring in the grocery store. What are rutabagas? Do I get enough calcium? How do you peel a pineapple? Pomegranates have seeds? The more I learned, the more I wanted to know. My Google history contained questions like “Which beans have the most protein?” and “How do you massage kale?” My mom always cooked at home, and I assumed it was a basic skill that I too possessed. I could stir-fry, but when it came time to soufflé and score, I was lost. I started to research the best ways to cook and bake newly discovered ingredients. What do whipped egg whites look like? What is a frittata? How do I make gnocchi? I began cooking every night and packing every lunch. Elaborate dishes featuring a cornucopia of roasted veggies and an aquarium of grilled seafood on beds of quinoa risotto or faro started appearing in my lunchbox and dinner table. I felt better than I’d ever felt. I found that what I ate and drank affected my ability to power through 20-mile runs and eventually the Chicago Marathon for 2 years in a row.

I’m still a frequent runner, but I am a fanatic baker and chef. Cooking is my life, and nutrition is my passion. I’d like to combine these interests by working for a restaurant that focuses on fresh, healthy ingredients and inventive flavors. Too often restaurants fail their customers by giving them subpar ingredients that are masked by salt or fat. I believe that bold, rich flavors in small portion sizes are the future of upscale, American dining, and I’m passionate about being a part of this movement. My interest coincides with a rise in the popularity of farm-to-table eating and sourcing local ingredients. I am influenced by pioneers in the industry such as Nora in Washington, DC, and the big names like Blue Hill in New York, but most of all, I’m inspired by the small bistros and restaurants that I grew up dining at in rural Pennsylvania. It is my goal to manage and one day own a restaurant in this vein, and I believe that Cornell’s unique Master of Management in Hospitality program will help me develop these skills through its intensive curriculum and strong professional network. The school’s wide array of classes that focus on restaurant management, sustainability, and entrepreneurship will help me learn more and hone my vision. I especially am drawn to the ability to tailor your own concentration to meet unique career goals. Cornell’s focus on learning from industry leaders through programs like the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series and the required externship will help me learn more about the field and give me opportunities to develop relationships in the industry. In particular, I was inspired by a recent lecture from Susan Santiago, which focused on Hyatt’s health and sustainability initiatives. I also believe that the program’s reputation and the incredible alumni network will help me make connections when looking for a position. Finally, I believe that Cornell’s unique location in rural New York will be a constant source of inspiration for me. I cannot think of a better place to begin a career that focuses on farm-to-table dining than in the Finger Lakes region. From Moosewood Restaurant to the Farmers’ Market, Ithaca is teeming with examples of healthy, fresh cuisine. The numerous vineyards and farms that populate the countryside are amazing examples of enterprises that are supported by locally sourced ingredients.

The line of logic presented by Edwards in the quote I referenced argues that living a fulfilling, purposeful life will inspire us to cut out the other junk in our life, most notably junk food, but my journey has been the exact opposite. By cutting out junk food, I found my passion in life. I realized that I could no longer settle for the life I was living in New York. By taking care of my body, I gained the courage to begin to think introspectively about who I am and what I want, and this led me to Cornell.