BU MET Degree Supports Engineer’s Pivot To Cheesemaker
Kimi Ceridon (MET’15)
Founder and Head Cheese, Life Love Cheese
Master of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy; Culinary Arts Certificate; Cheese Studies Certificate
Why did you choose to study Gastronomy, and what attracted you to BU’s program?
I also have a MS in mechanical engineering from MIT. I had spent nearly two decades in engineering and I was burned out on corporate work. I wanted to do something that was a departure from that and try a new field. I was very interested in local food systems and food sustainability. There were a few reasons I thought the BU MET Gastronomy program was a good fit. I was really interested in the policy coursework because I wanted to expand on my interest in local food. I didn’t ultimately take the policy concentration because the class schedules didn’t work out. But I chose the gastronomy program because it is one of the few food studies programs in the country. I really liked that it included experiential learning (as do the culinary and the wine and cheese programs). I wasn’t planning to continue in academia so it was important to me to have hands-on, experiential options. Those programs were taught by top industry professionals, who really brought career insights into the food world.
Due to my engineering background, I really appreciated the Science of Food and Cooking (MET ML 619) class because it used my technical skills. I was also able to apply those to some of the papers and projects I completed in the program. For example, for Certificate Program in Cheese Studies, I wrote a paper on the science of cheesemaking which was later posted on Homestead.org.
Were you able to use faculty as a resource? Is there a particular faculty member who enhanced your experience at MET?
I’d say Lisa Falso-Doherty and Assistant Director Barbara Rotger were the greatest faculty and staff resources for me, respectively. Both of them have been instrumental in helping Life Love Cheese grow and in introducing me to various programs. They both referred my company to others, helping me build a great foundation with a few key clients. I also took the Planning a Food Business (MET ML 655) course. I still refer back to the giant book of notes the instructor provided. The Gastronomy program has been central to my entrepreneurship journey.
In addition, it has been a pleasure to work with Potter Palmer, Academic Programs Manager Emily Balch and Ihsan Gurdal this past year as a co-instructor of the Cheese Certificate program. I really look forward to helping expand that program this coming year.
Are there any specific skills or competencies you acquired during your studies that qualified you for a promotion, professional designation, title change or other benefit?
I use the skills I learned from both the Culinary Arts Certificate and the Artisan Cheese Certificate programs to run my company. Both gave me practical skills, and were also important to my professional credibility. For example, I lead public cheese pairing workshops. Telling attendees that I earned certificates from both BU’s and Sterling College’s cheese programs and that I teach in BU’s cheese program lends to my credibility. Both are important for what I teach as well.
How were you able to adapt to some of the challenges of balancing work, home-life, and school? Did you benefit from MET’s flexible class delivery options?
I liked that the classes were at night, but I chose to study fulltime. I had quit my job as an innovation manager to attend the Culinary Arts program. After that, I worked part time at various jobs including teaching cooking classes, and coordinating programs for the Northeast Organic Farmers Association and Boston Public Market. I mixed that with freelance writing. I was fortunate to be in good financial shape after working for years in tech. It allowed me to take time off to focus fully on the program.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who is considering applying to this program?
Before starting, know what you want to get out of it. I was very burned out from the tech industry and all I knew was that I wanted to do something different with my life. I jumped right into this program, but didn’t really think about my expectations. It took me a long time to really figure that out after I finished.
Published September 2024