Penn State, The Final Blog: Brittany

Well you see...NACUFS is quite the association. Let me tell you a bit about this program. My professor sent out an email encouraging my class to sign up because she herself had completed the internship back in the day (or as she loving refers to is as the "dinosaur age"). On a bit of a last minute impulse, I frantically pulled together the extensive application. Several months after, and one long phone interview later, I received what I now know to be a life and career changing phone call: "We would like to offer you a spot at Penn State University." What an opportunity. Now that I am back in Wisconsin, Penn State feels a little bit like a dream. Every Penn State pen that pops up, every time I have to resist the urge to educate a stranger I see on an unsafe practice, every time I see a store that clearly purchased too many bananas...all of these things big or small remind me of how real and important the internship was for me personally and professionally.

I could write a novel about all of the things we accomplished this summer and it would rival the length of War and Peace. So alas, I will keep with the spirit of the blog and let the pictures do the talking.

Myself and Caitlyn meticulously plating the salads.

Our luncheon menu. 

And so it all started with a selfie...and so it shall end with a selfie.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone involved in this stellar organization. Life changing. 

We Are..Penn State National Association of College and University Food Service interns here for the summer to work with the dining services working with management as well as directors in order to cultivate our professionalism and learn about the field and we do cool tours and make awesome apple swans and we make friends like champions and leaving was really hard so we already bought plane tickets back to come visit!

Penn State, The Final Blog: Jessica

I cannot believe that my entire eight-week long internship has officially come to a close. I am back home now in California, and have had time to reflect upon what I have gotten out of this summer as a 2014 NACUFS intern. Getting chosen for this internship a few months ago was a gift in itself: a boost of confidence, and an exciting add to my resume. I never imagined what I was actually able to walk away with after my experience at The Pennsylvania State University.
As a graduating senior this upcoming spring, I was excited about the opportunity to develop myself as a professional. This absolutely was a core value of the internship program. From working on my LinkedIn profile, to creating business cards, to attending leadership workshops, I was able to gain something out of each experience that was set in front of me. Not only was I able to develop myself into the professional that I am today, I was able to work on my confidence and my ability to problem-solve. Not a moment was wasted in my mind.
One of the most exciting things about this internship is that I now have the ability to take my knowledge of foodservice management and apply it to my future. The skills gained during these past eight weeks have absolutely been a turning point in my career. I am overjoyed and so thankful for the experience that NACUFS has presented me, and that I was able to take full advantage of all that the internship had to offer.
If you are a prospective intern, reading this blog as I had to see if this internship is right for you for the summer... I encourage you to take the leap of faith as I did, and apply. You absolutely will not regret it.

Brittany, myself, Josh and Caitlyn holding our internship coordinator, Maria.

-Jessica

Penn State, The Final Blog: Caitlyn

Wow, I can't believe that my eight weeks at Penn State has come to an end.  For our final project, we were in charge of planning and executing a formal luncheon for everyone involved in the internship program.  This included everything from the meal to the colors of the linens.  Although this seemed like a daunting task at first, with the help of Maria, Chef Mark, and our mentors, the luncheon went off without a hitch!  The theme we chose for the luncheon was "A Midsummer Breeze".  For the appetizer, we served a yogurt berry parfait with pretzels.  The main entree was a Grilled Summer Salad, which consisted of a spring lettuce mix with blueberries, grilled pineapple, walnuts, cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, and a protein of choice, drizzled with balsamic dressing and served with flatbread.  Then for dessert, we were able to work with the bakery to create a milk, dark, and white chocolate trifle.  All of the food ended up being AMAZING!!

The beautifully designed menu!

Grilled Summer Salad

The room ended up looking fantastic!

Awarded our certificates of completion during the luncheon.

Before leaving, our internship coordinator, Maria, graciously invited us to her home for a delicious barbecue.  It was great to relax for a day and meet her whole family!  I am so thankful for the time I got to spend at Penn State with the most incredible staff, internship director, and friends I could have ever hoped for.  It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life and one I will surely never forget!

 

The greatest group of interns together for our final night!

Penn State Final Blog: Josh

                  Well, this is it; my final blog for my experience at Penn State. I'm actually sitting in a hotel room in the middle of Illinois as I write this. I've driven for 10 hours and I'm a little over halfway home. I ca't begin to describe how hard it was to leave this morning. Our supervisor, Maria, and all of us interns have grown so close together as a family it's unbelievable. I'm so very thankful for the time I got to spend at the University this summer. I've gained tons of experience, made many connections with people, and had a wonderful time.

           Our final assignment for the internship was to present a luncheon for members of the food service administration. We went with "A Midsummer Breeze" as the theme. We served berries and pretzels in sweetened yogurt as and appetizer. The entree was a Grilled Summer Salad that had blueberries, grilled pineapple, goat cheese, walnuts, and a protein of choice over greens with a homemade balsamic dressing. For dessert the Penn State Bakery made delicious chocolate trifles for us. The luncheon went very smoothly and everyone I talked to said that the food was fantastic. After dessert we were presented wiht our certificates of completion. We also played a slideshow showing a lot of the fun times we had over the last 8 weeks. It was a great way to finish up.

The Grilled Summer Salad with Steak.

Our delicious appetizers.

The fantastic menu that Mary put together for us.

Our beautiful table setting.

      I just want to say, once again, how thankful I am for this experience. I cannot think of a way I would have enjoyed my summer more. The summer of 2014 is one that I will never forget. Thank you.

Penn State 2014! Blog 11

The interns at Penn State have stayed as busy as ever! We just finished our second week of our management rotation. We got split into two groups, with Josh and myself going to Findlay dining commons for the first week, and Brittany and Caitlyn working at Pollock dining commons. Josh and I shadowed Steve Clemmons, an assistant manager. The first few days of the rotation, Josh and I followed Steve around, understanding what the managers were responsible for on both a daily and weekly basis. We asked questions and began to understand his thought processes about the flow of traffic, watched for groups of camps to come in, and monitored the status of the dining commons. Steve also worked with us on what he orders for the commons, such as all items that come from the Penn State creamery as well as produce.
The second week of our management rotation, the two groups switched. Josh and I thus moved to Pollock to work for a few days with Kevin Johnston. Kevin is also an assistant manager. This week was similar to the previous week, in that we were shadowing Kevin to understand how Pollock runs as efficiently as it does. Josh and I kept very busy here, with managing the floor to performing a safety inspection. I also got the opportunity to sit in on their safety committee meeting, which was interesting to see how they handle keeping the dining commons a safe place for both employees and customers.
It was interesting to be able to compare and contrast the two different dining commons and the way that they function. Overall, I was able to learn a lot from each of our mentors that I will be able to apply to my next week at Findlay dining commons. Many of the management techniques that I picked up will be important as I move forward as a professional. I really appreciated the time that they donated to us to train us; I feel very fortunate to have gotten wisdom out of experienced managers.

We also all got the opportunity to visit Penn State’s football stadium, the Bryce Jordan Center. Not only did we get to go see the stadium, we were allowed behind the scenes. We went to the football locker room, saw some of the areas that they hold special events at, and even got to sit in the seats of the suite holders. It was incredible to see such a huge stadium and hear about all the work it takes to keep it running. Bob White gave us an amazing tour!

Penn State Football!

Doing our best to keep up with the team!

Suite life!

Other than that, the other interns and myself have been working hard on our other projects for the internship. We gave formal presentations on a variety of topics and talked about our strengths and weaknesses with public speaking. Another project we have started on is the catering sheet that we are making for another dining commons on campus. We also have our farewell luncheon coming up soon that has required a great amount of planning and detail. More will be posted on the luncheon in the next week! That’s all for now!

Penn State! Blog 12

It is so strange to think about, but we are in the home stretch now and we started our management rotations this past week. Something that this entire internship has taught me is that while we may be learning specifics about Penn State, there are so many lessons that can be applied to essentially any job. For example, after talking to several of the managers, a common topic seems to be that with every job, there is so much more to it than what the job description states. You need to be able to wear many hats: manager, therapist, mediator, janitor, designer…you name it. Anything can happen especially in the food service industry, so you need to be ready and prepared for it. Knowing that every day brings something new to the table is exciting to me and even though it can bring stress, I would rather have the stress than be in a position that I do not find challenging or mentally stimulating. 

Prior to the start of our management rotations, the four of us decided to take advantage of a long weekend and spend it in Washington DC! During our time there we were able to go site seeing, watch the US vs. Portugal soccer match, and walk through the Holocaust museum. Several of us were even able to meet up with some friends that now live in the DC area. Overall it was a busy, yet exciting weekend. 

USA! Or at least we tried...

The Smithsonian National Zoo

We got to see the pandas!

Nacufs at Penn State! : Blog 10

          Well it's been a little while since my last post on here! In fact so much has happened that all four of us interns will be posting a blog this weekend! It's been a busy and eventful time at Penn State. I won't spill all of the beans because I have to leave something for the others to write about! Anyway, here's some of these last week's experiences.

Although Brittany is going to blog about our D.C. trip I thought I would share a few photos! We had a great time. Seeing all of the monuments and the capitol in real life was almost overwhelming. I'm a huge House of Cards fan, so it was great to see the real deal.

The White House from afar.

Obligatory Washington monument post.

We had an informative session last week about Finance and Budgeting. We were walked through the various budgets that Auxiliary and Business service controls; over 70 budgets in total! We learned how to read the budget sheets. We were taught how to read and understand, year to date formats, forecasting, and how to compares actual to estimates. For example, if a certain budget uses 140% of their estimated amount that is something that needs to be looked into. Either someone is spending too much money or there was some sort of unexpected large expense; such as an equipment replacement or repair.

We started our management rotation these last two weeks. Ive learned so much and getting this hands on time is more valuable than anything I could have asked for. Ive learned all about ordering and taking inventory. We have kept track of our par stocks and gained a better understanding of the FoodPro program. Out in the dining rooms we have learned to have a keener eye to look out for problems. I feel more trained to look for problems with the flow of guests through the dining hall. At first I was very nervous about taking charge as a manager, and the idea of directing employees seemed daunting. This was made worse by the fact that a lot of the employees are much older than I am. Now I have more confidence in my ability to direct employees. If I see a problem on the line or in the dining hall I am ready to instruct and help to solve problems.

Working in the dining halls was also fun because we got to celebrate the Fourth of July. We decorated Pollock Commons with red, white, and blue to really show our students a good time. Decorating was a lot of fun and gave us a chance to be creative.

 One of our dining areas in Pollock is super hero themed. So we framed the more patriotic heroes with rope lights!

   Jess posed as the most American girl of all time.

Finally, at the end of the day we got to enjoy the famous Penn State firework show. It's one the longest and largest in the country. I've never seen fireworks on that scale before. It was incredible!! Now we have one more week of management rotation left. We also have to present our final project and put on a farewell luncheon. With all of that on our plates this last leg of the internship should be very busy. We're nearing the end but our experience is still going strong!

Penn State 2014! Blog 9

Seven weeks down and one to go!  For the past two weeks, we have been doing management rotations at both Pollock Dining Commons and Findlay Dining Commons.  So far I've had all morning shifts, meaning I'm at work by either 4:30 or 5:30 in the morning.  Even though I'm not that much of a morning person, I've found that I really enjoy these shifts so that I have the whole afternoon to enjoy! I've also found a new love for black coffee.

Pollock Dining Commons

It's been really interesting shadowing a variety of managers around and seeing their different management styles.  I've found that I can apply a lot of what I've learned in the past weeks to these rotations, especially with the use of FoodPro.  I got to take inventory one day and then enter purchasing amounts into FoodPro based on the menu for that week.  I also had the opportunity to help with a monthly safety report, complete a maintenance request form, and assist in running a crew leader meeting before shift.

All of us interns also participated in a culinary challenge.  It was decided that the winning salad would be featured as the main entree for our final luncheon.  The only rules were that we each had 90 minutes to prepare and plate a salad that incorporated a protein (salmon, tofu, chicken, or steak), a cheese, and a nut.  It was a lot of fun and we all came up with some pretty amazing salads!  Mine was a spring mix salad with chicken, walnuts, dried cranberries, avocado and feta cheese, drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  It was a great experience to try our culinary skills and then get critiqued at the end by a panel of judges!

Jess gathering all of her salad ingredients

Josh preping his chicken

All of our completed salads!

Penn State 2014! Blog 8

Another week at Penn State has flown by! We started off the week touring the Berkey creamery, which was incredible.  Being an ice cream fanatic and working at an ice cream shop myself, I thought it was an amazing opportunity.  Any given week about 8,000 gallons of ice cream are produced to supply the creamery, all the dining commons, commonwealth campuses, and any other special orders.  In addition, they also produce a variety of cheeses, milk, yogurt, juices, and sour cream.  On the day we toured, they were in the process of making chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, which we got to sample right off the line!  It was so good! I also learned a little fun fact that Ben and Jerry learned to make their ice cream at Penn State.

Milk pasteurization process from the Penn State cows

Interns rocking the hair net style

Selfies in the -45°F freezer

Enough ice cream to supply Penn State for two weeks

Later in the week, we got to meet with Matt Wenzel to discuss the operations of the convenient stores, otherwise known on Penn State campus as C stores.  We learned how they order food, take inventory, and price all their items.  It was interesting to hear how the convenient stores are becoming more and more essential on Penn State campus for students on the go who don't have time to sit down and eat a meal at the dining commons.

For our focus group session we met with the SNA's, student nutrition assistants.  These are students at Penn State who are nutrition majors.  They have a wide variety of responsibility, but one major task is developing menus for any students eating at the dining commons with a food allergy.  To do this, they go through every menu item for every day and highlight what is safe to eat and what is unsafe to eat.  This is an extremely tedious process that includes looking up recipe information on FoodPro and even contacting manufacturers.  In addition, they have the opportunity to work on programs that are implemented throughout the semester in the dining commons.  For instance, one program was called "Skinny Dipping", which showed students healthier alternatives for veggie and fruit dips.  Another campaign they work on is RHEAL, Residential Healthy Living and Eating.  This is used to distinguish healthy eating options on campus for students

RHEAL campaign symbol

We decided to take advantage of our time off this week and went to a Spikes baseball game, a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.  Thankfully, the rain held off and it was perfect night for some baseball.  We also found the most adorable puppies at the Amish flea market that Chef Bill brought us to during the week.  I wish I could have taken them home with me!  All in all, another exciting and successful week at Penn State!

Me, Jess, and Brittany at the Spikes game

Cutest puppy at the Amish Flea Market

Penn State Blog 7: Exploring the World

                  It's been another fantastic week here at Penn State. Every day we face some new and exciting activity. As always our week has been packed. To start the week off we met with Melissa to discuss food allergies. We learned all about how food allergies work, how to handle them, and what Penn State is doing for students with food allergies. Food allergies are a very serious concern and can be life threatening. Penn State creates menu cards and provides nutrition information for every single item they offer. If a student has food allergies, the Student Nutrition Assistants will create personalized menus for them. These menus are color coded to show what the student cannot eat, what could be cross contaminated, and what will always be safe for them. I think it's incredible that Penn State Food Service is so involved in this way. It's something that needs to be much more common.
                  We also went to Belleville with Chef Bill this week. Belleville has an Amish market where vendors sell produce, pastries, and other items. We explored there for one morning which was really fun. It was great to see some of the traditional Amish goods. We also stuck around for a livestock auction. At the auction we saw people bid on pigs, horses, and milk cows. It was interesting to learn about what the buyers were looking for in each animal which Chef did a great job explaining.

                                             The group chilling with an Amish buggy.

               We had a great time out on the lake with Lisa Wandel. She took us kayaking one evening. Lisa was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and the area. She really made us feel at home on the lake. We played games such as Marco Polo, and even played a version of  "pole-bending" but with kayaks instead of horses. It was a blast!

                                                           Professional kayak team.

              We also got to dress up like adults and take some professional photos on campus! We had photos taken at the famous Nittany Lion Statue and at the Penn State Arboretum. While we were all anxious to get some camera time, it was about 90 degrees out that day. But we decided to sweat through our troubles and had a splendid time.

The gang along with our favorite mascot.

             
          It wasn't all fun and games this week. We had to get serious at some point. On Thursday we attended Sensitivity Training. This was a very informative session during which we learned a lot about the LGBTQQIA community (and yes, after the training I now know what all of the letters stand for!). This was a great way to learn how to be respectful and make sure no one gets offended in the workplace. It can be a sensitive subject for some people and I'm very happy that  Penn State is striving to be a place where anyone can feel comfortable and valued.
               All in all, this week had a very diverse array of things to do. We had a lot of fun and learned just as much as ever. Thanks again Penn!

Penn State 2014! Blog 6

Nope. I don't believe it. I do not believe that we have already been here for three weeks. In this busy week we have managed to fit in an assortment of experiences and cupcakes. Let's start with the experiences. 

Our week started with some recipe and product testing. On the menu for this session was fries, pulled pork sliders, and sriracha chicken. For the fries we sampled seven different kinds and had to decide if it was an acceptable product and then rate based on taste, appearance, quality, etc.. The kinds that are deemed acceptable and meet specification are then included in the bidding process we learned more about in the purchasing session. 

Caitlyn and Jessica sampling fries.

Everyone looking determined to sample recipes.

After our recipe sampling, we met with former NACUFS mentor, Marianne Howell, and discussed how to get the most out our experience as interns and we had time to sit down and discuss career goals. Being three weeks into the program it was a well timed activity which brought back some focus to our original goals. During a separate session, we were quizzed on our business etiquette knowledge. Did anyone else know that the proper way to eat a dinner roll was to rip it into small pieces all at once and then butter individually prior to eating each bite? We were all shocked for hours. 

During the week we also had the pleasure of meeting with Michele Newhard. Sessions involved the ever important topics of leadership and management styles. We started with an exercise where we were challenged to describe ourselves in one word and our life story in six. Looking for four steps to becoming an effective leader? Try first, fair, firm, and flexible. For management styles, we dedicated time to learning about the Native American medicine wheel. This activity allowed for us to reflect upon how we choose to lead and ways to best work with all sorts of other leadership styles to bring your one team to the desired single goal. 

Where we all landed on the wheel of leadership style. 

And now for the cupcakes. First off, we had the long awaited tour of the Penn State Bakery. This elaborate operation keeps every sweet tooth on campus pleased and I only drooled a little bit when we toured the chocolate storage area. Throughout the tour we learned much about the importance of maintaining equipment and the pros and cons of buying new versus fixing existing. At the end of the  tour we were treated to a cupcake decorating session.  

Caitlyn, myself, Jessica, and Josh (and Maria in the reflection) standing in front of the bakery's ovens. 

My cupcakes before adding sprinkles.

Josh's cupcakes after adding sprinkles. And more sprinkles. 

 So again, until next time, thank you for reading and I shall leave you with a quote. "Pull the string, and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it, and it will go nowhere at all." -Dwight D. Eisenhower

Penn State 2014! Blog 5

Hi everyone!

Another week has flown by! This week was packed with many fun activities, ranging from assisting in a catering event for Elite Center Gymnastics to going to a resume-building workshop. 

On Monday morning, we met with Jeff Heim, who is a senior instructor of Hospitality Management. We were very fortunate to spend time with Jeff, who is an expert in resumes. He gave us some of the basic rules of thumb to always follow, and also worked with each of us individually on how to improve our own personal resumes. The workshop was very helpful and we all got a lot out of it.

We also got the opportunity to tour the food warehouse at Penn State. It was incredible to see the large space that Penn State uses to store both its perishable and nonperishable food items. We got to hear about the new expansion that will soon be taking place.

Photo from the Penn State warehouse! Bulk ordering!

In addition, we also talked to a few women from the purchasing department. It was incredible to hear about the level of detail that they must focus on for their job. They handle ordering nearly everything that is food-related for Penn State. Whether it is plastic forks or a specific kind of eggs, each purchase requires a significant amount of time and thought. It was good to hear that the purchasing team works hard to keep costs low to save the students money.

Caitlyn, Brittany, Josh and I all helped out at the Bryce Jordan Center for a catering event for the Elite Center Gymnastics. We showed up a bit early and helped set up the event; from laying the utensils out correctly to setting up the candy station, we kept busy right up until the event took place. We then helped clear plates, refill the line items, served ice cream, amongst many other duties. One of our favorite things about the evening was the uniform. We were all very excited about the black chef coats and the walkie talkies! Overall, we all had a great time at the event and are interested in working another catering before our internship is over.

The four of us before the event!

Walkie talkie action!

Brittany and Caitlyn with their candy table set up

Until next time!

-Jessica