SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT

NATCHEZ — The Fall semester at Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s Natchez campus will see a new program among its long-standing traditions of career-technical programs. With fall classes beginning Aug. 19, the Culinary Arts Technology program will have its inaugural semester.

Students completing this two year program will earn an Associate in Applied Science degree and be able to enter the culinary field in such positions are sous chef, upscale line cook, adjunct teaching positions, food critic and restaurant management. They will be eligible to obtain a ServeSafe certification from the National Restaurant Association and a ManageFirst Professional Credential certificate from the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation during the program. American and international cuisines, knife skills, baking, sauce making, dining room management, butchering, restaurant sanitation and safety and menu planning and development will just be some of the skills honed in this program.

Susanna Johnson-Sharp, who studied at Co-Lin and received her bachelor’s degree from Mississippi University for Women, will teach the program. Sharp is well-versed in the culinary industry.

“I had my first sampling at MUW as an adjunct professor there, and ever since, I have had the teaching bug,” she said.

Sharp’s diverse culinary background doesn’t stop there. She served as a sous chef in a casino, general manager in the fast food industry, executive chef at a fine dining restaurant and is the owner of Aunt Suzie’s Catering.

A resident of Natchez since she was 12, Sharp is hoping to bring her love of cooking and the entire culinary industry to her students. She dreams of “bringing the Arts part of culinary to Natchez,” Sharp said.

Registration for the upcoming semester is currently under way, and new students are urged to attend the upcoming orientation session at 1 p.m. Aug. 13 in the W. L. Nelson multi-purpose room. Students are encouraged to come in to meet with a counselor and register from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. any Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, to beat the last-minute rush so they may get the classes they want before they fill up.

The career-technical division programs are designed to prepare students — in two years or less — for careers in various professions, such as accounting technology, air conditioning and heating technology, automation and control technology, business and marketing management technology, hotel and restaurant management technology, office systems technology, practical nursing, respiratory care technology and welding. These courses are taught by highly trained professionals in their field, with job placement assistance available upon successful competition of a program.

Co-Lin offers a variety of benefits to enhance the educational experience, including affordable tuition, campus activities, and a developed community spirit. The smaller classes allow students greater access to the top-level instructors, as well as the opportunity to build mentoring relationships. There is a mix of traditional high school to college students as well as nontraditional students.

For more information, contact Co-Lin Natchez at 601-442-9111 or at colin.edu.