Trixie Maguran Jacobson

After reviewing other universities, I decided to go to Northern Michigan University because of the program’s blend of hospitality business management classes with a variety of hands-on labs covering a range of topics. I felt this mix was more in line with my goals for after I graduate.  In addition, I fell in love with the outdoors of the UP and the many activities I could do either outside or downtown.

I decided on my major because I’ve always had a passion for cooking and the drive to be a part of the hospitality industry. My passion started with cooking with my family and grew from there. The cooking world is so vast and there is always new information to learn which makes every day in the kitchen exciting. I also enjoy the hospitality environment and the people a part of it.

One of my favorite things we ever did in our Professional Cooking two lab was breaking down a whole lamb and learning the different cuts associated with it. Outside of demonstrations such as this, our finals for our Professional Cooking one and two labs included working on full courses from idea generation to plating to present to our professors. I enjoy the challenge of these projects and the hard work paying off when I got my grades back.

I’ve had the opportunity to create and host my multi-course dinners on my own. Using the knowledge I learned in class and through my experience outside of the classroom, I was able to host these events and create all the courses to provide an experience for community members back home. These not only gave me more experience but got me to test out the skills that I’ve learned in the classroom.

At the moment, I am the vice president and treasurer of the Northern Michigan University Hospitality Club (NMUHC). We work with our members to put on events for the community and to spend time outside the classroom to expand our knowledge of hospitality and culinary. A recent yearly event we just did as a club was Chili Challenge. Amateurs and professionals of the community compete in their section to win one of the three categories; best use of heat, most unique, and best overall. The community participated by tasting each chili and votes for each person they think deserves each category. In addition, I am a member and student board member of the UP Chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Being a part of ACF has allowed me to be a part of dinners and events around the UP. One of the largest dinners we did was the OSF: Heart of Gold dinner. An annual healthcare fundraiser, me and some NMUHC members worked with ACF to create the dessert course, 200 cranberry tarts with apple, pear, and sweet potato sauce, a rosemary crumble topped with honey vanilla quenelle, and garnished with meringue cookies, sugared cranberries, and edible flowers.

Professional Cooking two was the most influential for me. I came to NMU thinking I was going to be a baker and wanted to own my own business. After that class, I found my true passion to be cooking and made it one of my goals to get my certifications to be a chef. Ever since I made this decision, I have not looked back.

After graduating from NMU, I plan to continue my education through experience and work towards my goal of getting my certifications to become a chef. I hope to maintain my skills to either get a great job at a respected restaurant or end up owning my own.

If you are interested in coming to NMU for the hospitality program, work hard at your classes and take any outside opportunity offered to you. The classes will give you knowledge of the industry, while the opportunities will give you the experience to expand your skill set. In addition, take time to explore the outdoors “UP” here. It is some of the most beautiful things to see in between the chaos of classes.