FORT ATKINSON, Wis., (May 6, 2009) - Vancouver, Wash.-native Kaleena Bliss is a recent recipient of a scholarship from The Jones Dairy Farm Scholarship Fund at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), said Philip Jones, sixth-generation president of 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 grade point average (G.P.A.) of 3.0 or higher. More information about the program is available by visiting www.jonesdairyfarm.com.
Bliss has focused on the culinary arts since childhood when she watched Martin Yan’s cooking show on television with her mother. Her fervor for the kitchen and desire to cook was the driving force in her education. In high school, Bliss took a restaurant management class for two years where she really became passionate about the culinary arts. She also became the a la carte manager at a local restaurant and competed in various competitions like Baron H. Galand's Culinary Knowledge Bowl sponsored by The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF).
Bliss continued her passion for food after high school when she worked as a prep cook and a line cook at a local hotel. It was around that time that Bliss decided to move across the country to attend The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. 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,” said Bliss. “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.”
Bliss is currently enrolled in the CIA’s Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) degree program and is expected to graduate in June 2009.
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.
"We salute the hard work and dedication Kaleena has exhibited during her CIA experience and look forward to following her career post graduation," said Jones. “Like Jones Dairy Farm, the CIA is committed to the advancement of the foodservice industry by setting the ultimate standard of excellence. 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. Still family owned and operated, Jones Dairy Farm is committed to the same fundamental principals today as when the company was founded six generations ago.
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees, as well as certificate programs, in either culinary arts or baking and pastry arts. As the world's premier culinary college, the CIA has a network of more than 37,000 alumni that includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz, Anthony Bourdain, Cat Cora, Harold Dieterle, Steve Ells, Todd English, Duff Goldman, Sara Moulton, Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi. The college has campuses in New York (Hyde Park), California (The CIA at Greystone, St. Helena), and Texas (San Antonio). In addition to its degree programs, the CIA also offers courses for professionals and food enthusiasts, as well as wine education. For more information, and a complete listing of program offerings at each site, visit the CIA online at www.ciachef.edu.
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