Home / Now At Cape Fear / CFCC Culinary Student Locks In Dream Job at Award-Winning Blackberry Farm Restaurant

CFCC Culinary Student Locks In Dream Job at Award-Winning Blackberry Farm Restaurant

Dylan Rhodes
“No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” Julia Child. And that’s just what Dylan Rhodes did.

Dylan Rhodes, 18, found all the ingredients for a great education at Cape Fear Community College and managed to land his dream job before graduation!

An Early Start

As a homeschooled high school student, Rhodes took advantage of CFCC’s Career and College Promise Program (CCP) and enrolled in college-level courses his junior year, positioning him to earn an associate degree just a year after his high school graduation.

“Not only did the Career and College Promise program allow me to graduate with my associate degree a year after high school, it also saved me a lot of money,” said Rhodes. “Now I’m heading into the working world with no debt.”

While Rhodes’s passion for cooking was evident to his friends and family, it wasn’t until his job at Kornerstone Bistro , a local favorite, that he fell in love with the art and knew he wanted to pursue a degree and career as a chef. Aware of the culinary arts technical training program at CFCC, Rhodes enrolled in the program.

“CFCC’s class format focused on both the production and serving of food, which gave me the practical hands-on training I can use working in a restaurant.”

Applied Learning

Rhodes worked while in school, allowing him to apply and expand his learned skills practically. He treated his job as more than just a way to earn a paycheck. “Whenever I’d meet the people I’d be working with, I told them that I was treating working like school. I looked at it less like earning money and more like building a career,” said Rhodes.

Through his hard work and networking, Dylan discovered career opportunities at award-winning restaurants on Blackberry Farm , one of America’s most celebrated luxury resorts. After an extensive interview process, Rhodes walked away with two different offers.

After his May graduation, Rhodes will start his dream job at Blackberry Farm.

“I am so proud of Dylan for pursuing this dream job at Blackberry Farm,” said one of Dylan’s culinary instructors at CFCC, Gwen Gulliksen. “It will be a life-changing experience for him, and I’m glad to have helped him in any way. He has a true passion for the culinary arts, and I see great things for him in his future.”

“It is so inspiring to see Mr. Rhodes not only excel in his studies at CFCC but pursue his passion and take a step toward achieving his dreams,” said CFCC President Jim Morton. “His success should largely be attributed to his great determination and focus and can serve as an inspiration to everyone that their dreams, too, are within reach!”

Words of Wisdom

To those looking to pursue their dream job through CFCC, Dylan had a few pieces of advice.

“Take all your classes seriously, even the ones you find boring. Work at the same time you are going to school. Go to work and tell them that you’re there to learn. They’ll treat you differently, and anyone with advice will always give it to you. There isn’t a single thing I could take away from Cape Fear that I could not use. You’ve got to stay focused on what you and where you want to be. Just decide where that is and make it happen.”

Interested in pursuing your dream career at Cape Fear Community College?

Find Your Dream Career

Translate »