Culinary

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Allison White, who recently graduated from Schoolcraft College, has been awarded the 2024 National Student Pastry Chef of the Year through the American Culinary Federation.

A recent Schoolcraft College graduate has been awarded the 2024 National Student Pastry Chef of the Year through the American Culinary Federation.

Allison White competed earlier this week at the ACF’s national competition in Phoenix, Arizona, against three other chefs for the title. She was named the winner after creating a pair of dishes using the required ingredients. The winning dishes were:

  • A Contemporary Sacher Torte made with pistachio shortbread, gluten-free chocolate cake, apricot mousse, a chocolate glaze and an apricot sorbet
  • A Warm Peach and Plum Strudel, made with blueberry balsamic compote, pecan cookie crumble, sour cream and brown sugar ice cream

“I’m ecstatic to earn this recognition. Baking has become a passion of mine and to be named the ACF’s Student Pastry Chef of the Year is an absolute honor,” White said. “I’m extremely grateful to everyone who helped me along this journey, including my instructors at Schoolcraft College.”

group of four holding an award
Retired Schoolcraft College Culinary Arts faculty Chef Joseph Decker, Allison White, Schoolcraft College faculty members Chef Heather Moore and Chef Drew Sayes.

White won a competition in May at the Culinary Institute of Michigan in Port Huron, which enabled her the chance to compete on the national stage. She has spent the past several months honing her dishes in the kitchens at Schoolcraft College, returning several days a week to perfect her entries.

She ran into trouble when arriving in Arizona: White’s cake layers she planned to use in the competition did not survive the flight. That’s when Schoolcraft College’s own president, Dr. Glenn Cerny, stepped up: Cerny and his wife own a home in the Phoenix area, which they opened to her to remake her cake layers right before the competition.

“Helping each other out is what Schoolcraft College is all about. Whether it’s here on campus or thousands of miles away, everyone at the College wants to step up and help our students however we can,” Cerny said. “Allison is a perfect example of what our students are made of: they’re resilient, talented and successful. She is a great representation of Schoolcraft College’s award-winning Culinary Arts program.”

Chef Heather Moore, CMB, CEPC, a Culinary Arts faculty member who worked with White, said she knew quickly that White was a great candidate to compete for such awards.

“Allison has a great mindset when it comes to baking and I’m not surprised at her success,” Moore said. “After seeing her in class, we knew she had the skillset and talent to be a successful competitor. Myself and the rest of the Culinary Arts faculty at Schoolcraft College are incredibly proud of her accomplishments.”

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Allison White will compete to become the American Culinary Federation’s Student Pastry Chef of the Year during a competition July 14-18 in Phoenix, Arizona.

A newfound love of baking began at age 12 for Allison White.

She enrolled in a cupcake decorating class as a part of Kids on Campus, the Schoolcraft College summer camp program put on for youngsters each year by Personal & Professional Learning.

person stirring a whisk in kitchen
A photo of Allison White participating in a Kids on Campus summer camp when she was 12.  

Now, 14 years later, she’s taking those skills she’s collected over the years and putting them to the test: White will compete to become the American Culinary Federation’s Student Pastry Chef of the Year during a competition July 14-18 in Phoenix, Arizona.

She received a degree originally in graphic design out of high school, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she decided to head back to school for something different. It’s been quite a journey for White, who came back to school to pursue a degree in the culinary arts, specifically in pastry.

“I love cooking in a normal kitchen, but the intricate detail and the whole science behind baking and pastries, that’s kind of where my heart’s at,” she said. “Plus, it always tastes good, too.”

She enrolled in several culinary classes, including the salon competition course, a section she particularly enjoyed. She then was approached by several Culinary Arts faculty members, inquiring if White was interested in being nominated to compete. She was honored and began practicing.

“Allison has a great mindset when it comes to baking and it was a no-brainer when we approached her to compete,” said Chef Heather Moore, CMB, CEPC, a Culinary Arts faculty member. “After seeing her in class, we knew she had the skillset and talent to be a successful competitor.”

She competed for the first time in February, her first such event. She ended up leaving with a gold medal from that competition.

Fast forward to the beginning of May, where White headed to the Culinary Institute in Port Huron. There, she put her best foot forward, creating several dishes put up against several student chefs from across the central United States. After the judging was complete, she got the word: she had won an individual award and won the chance to compete in the national competition happening in July.

chef glazing pastry in kitchen
Allison White preps for the American Culinary Federation Student Pastry Chef of the Year in the Schoolcraft College kitchens

She couldn’t believe her ears when her instructor told her the news.

“I started screaming at the point where they had to shut the doors because they thought something was going wrong,” White said.

If that wasn’t exciting enough for White that day, she then packed up and headed back to Livonia for another major event: Schoolcraft College’s 59th Annual Commencement, where she walked across the stage after earning an Associate in Applied Science Degree and a Certificate in Baking.

“It was a very busy day. It was insane,” she said. “It was a crazy day, but it was a good memory.”

Since graduating, White can still be found in the Schoolcraft College kitchens, working to prepare her two dishes for competition later this month. She’s testing recipes, including crepes and tortes made with a variety of sweet ingredients.

After the competition, she plans on sticking around and working as an assistant the next school year. Eventually, White said she would love to end up at a largescale baking operation at a place such as Mackinac Island.

“I told myself I have the summer to focus on competition to get myself to that national title level,” she said. “I would like to eventually go work somewhere in a big pastry kitchen.”

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The agreement will allow students to transfer from WCCCD to Schoolcraft College to access a seamless career pathway catering to the high-demand employment needs of the culinary arts industry.

Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) and Schoolcraft College are excited to announce a new collaboration in the field of culinary arts. A new agreement between the colleges provides students with a unique opportunity to access a seamless career pathway that includes multiple stackable credentials, catering to the high-demand employment needs of the culinary arts industry.

Under the agreement, students can complete foundational culinary arts courses at WCCCD, earning for-credit certificates in preparation to transfer to Schoolcraft College to build additional credentials that culminate in a Bachelor of Science Degree in Culinary and Dietary Operations Management from Schoolcraft. The program also offers accelerated options that combine industry-aligned classroom instruction with hands-on training.

culinary student stirring a pan on fire in cooking
A Schoolcraft College culinary arts student.

 “This agreement is a win-win for both of our institutions. Working together to better our students’ education is every college’s mission, and having agreements in place such as this one only help to serve the students both our schools serve,” said Dr. Glenn Cerny, president of Schoolcraft College. “We’re excited to welcome students from WCCCD to our campus to continue their studies and hope this agreement leads to other similar arrangements that benefit all our students.”

“Our mission has always been to offer our students pathways to better lives through higher education,” said WCCCD Chancellor Dr. Curtis Ivery. “We are proud to partner with Schoolcraft College to mark a significant step forward in culinary arts education, offering students a robust and comprehensive pathway to success in a thriving industry.”

This agreement will take effect later this fall with 15 students. For more information, please call 313-496-2345.

Main photo: Wayne County Community College District Chancellor Dr. Curtis Ivery, left, shakes hands with Dr. Glenn Cerny, president of Schoolcraft College. The two schools have entered into an agreement to provide students a pathway to earning a credential in the culinary arts.