by Eric Minnis, March 8, 2020

Over the Christmas break from University, I unfortunately, did not have the opportunity to travel home and spend time with my family. However, I was determined to not let my precious time go to waste. I remembered that international students are free to do as many stages as we possibly can and use that experience to learn something that we would not find normally in our hometowns. I’ve been following the restaurant Eden in the West Loop for quite some time and decided to give them a call.

I got into contact with the executive chef Devon Quinn and he allowed me to come to the restaurant to stage for a night. It was one of the most exciting moments ever, being able to work in a contemporary American restaurant. That night, with the skills I’ve polished at Kendall College, I was able to keep pace with the regular employees, working and learning all at one time. The staff was also very pleasant to work with and they even fed me something from the menu which was absolutely amazing! At the end of the night, I asked if I could come back to stage on another day and they allowed me to do so! It was definitely an eye-opening experience and I look forward to working with them even after graduation.