Jones Dairy Farm Awards Latest Scholarships to Two Culinary Institute of America Students
Culinary Institute of America (CIA) students Kaleena Bliss and Robert “Robbie” Rensel are the two most recent recipients of The Jones Dairy Farm Scholarship Fund at the CIA, according to Philip Jones, sixth-generation president of 120-year-old Jones Dairy Farm and a professionally trained chef.
Established in May 2006, the Jones Dairy Farm Scholarship Fund supports three scholarships each year. CIA juniors and seniors pursuing baccalaureate degrees in culinary-arts management can apply for the scholarship by submitting a short essay and original recipe using a Jones’ product. Awards are restricted to students with a demonstrated financial need and G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher. More information about the program is available by visiting www.jonesdairyfarm.com.
Vancouver, Wash.-native Bliss has focused on the culinary arts since childhood when she watched Martin Yan’s cooking show on television with her mother. As the first member in her family to attend college, Bliss has met the challenge of higher education head on and has excelled. She has been on the dean’s list three times and has maintained a perfect attendance record for two consecutive semesters. Bliss won first place in the supreme chef challenge and placed second in the CIA’s 2007 chili cook-off. She also received the Skills Center Exemplary Attendance award and the Skills Center Outstanding Professionalism award.
As a rising star at the CIA, Bliss knows where she is heading. “After I graduate, my goal is to travel abroad and work in various kitchens,” she says. “I would love to work in Spain and Italy and become an executive chef. Eventually I want to become a culinary educator for high-school students who want to break into the industry.”
Since arriving at the CIA, Petoskey, Mich.-native Rensel has proven himself both a scholar and a leader and his list of achievements is impressive. He has competed in the Skills USA Competition (placing in regional, state and national competitions). In addition, Rensel has made the Dean’s List, was the group leader of his A.O.S. class, received the prestigious Frances Roth Leadership Award, has been the president of the Gourmet Society for three years, has been active in both the Dinner Club and the Ice Carving Club, and is the vice president of public relations for Marist College’s Toastmasters club.
“The CIA student organizations have been one of the best growing and learning experiences I have ever encountered,” says Rensel. “The networking and personal-development skills I learned are a huge reason why I am at the point in my career that I am at today. The faculty inside the Culinary has been an incredible help to me, personally and professionally. They have opened up opportunities and given me guidance I would have not gotten anywhere else.”
Founded in 1889, Fort Atkinson, Wis.-based Jones Dairy Farm is a family-owned and operated company specializing in quality processed pork products including all-natural breakfast sausage, ham, Canadian bacon, cherrywood- and hickory-smoked bacon, liver sausage and scrapple. In honor of the scholarship endowment, the CIA renamed the Breakfast Cookery kitchen the “Jones Dairy Farm Kitchen,” where both breakfast- and lunch-cookery courses at the CIA are held.
“Like Jones Dairy Farm, the CIA is committed to the advancement of the foodservice industry by setting the ultimate standard of excellence,” says Jones. “It’s this high level of achievement that excites us about awarding the Jones’ scholarships for years to come.”
Jones Dairy Farm makes products with the old-fashioned quality and flavor one would expect from a company that’s been around for 120 years. Visit www.jonesdairyfarm.com for more information.
Photo captions: Kaleena Bliss and Robert Rensel