Oakland Community College Hospitality Management student Aaron Brown of Farmington Hills took first place at the Restaurant Service competition hosted by SkillsUSA in Atlanta, GA, this summer. His win also earned him a full-tuition scholarship to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York City to continue his education.
During the all-day competition, Brown and his peers from across the country rotated through five different student stations where they were observed, questioned, and timed by judges. They were evaluated on their knowledge skills such as table setup, wine service, hosting, preparing a table-side Caesar salad and creating a mocktail.
Brown, who is in his mid-40s, earned his electrical engineering degree from the University of Michigan two decades ago and currently works full-time as an electrical engineer in the automotive industry. But his love for cooking, inspired by years of watching Food Network competions, led him to OCC’s Hospitality Management program.
“I’ve been a longtime fan of competitive cooking shows like Iron Chef and Cutthroat Kitchen,” explained Brown. “Over time I realized I was looking for an outlet for my creative side.”
Brown earned his Baking and Pastry certificate in 2017 from OCC and completed a Culinary Arts degree in 2022. He’s now on track to complete OCC’s Hospitality Management curriculum in 2026, all while working full time as an engineer and attending OCC classes at night.
“OCC’s night classes make this all possible for students who need to work full time to support themselves and their families,” he said. “I came here because of the night classes, but came to love it at OCC because of how the instructors care for their students. I couldn’t have done it without the support of Chef Athena and the Culinary Arts program.”
Brown is also grateful to the OCC Foundation for their help funding his competition training and travel to Atlanta and supporting OCC’s growing Culinary Arts programs.
The more pragmatic “engineer” part of Aaron’s brain is aware of the physical demands of working in the hot, fast-paced environment of a restaurant kitchen.
“I really enjoy cooking, but I’m in my 40s,” he admits. “So, the hospitality management track will give me a better chance at a longer career.”
He added that the management experience he has from his current engineering job combined with his culinary arts degree, baking and pastry certificate, and time on OCC’s Ice Carving team makes him a good fit for a hospitality management position at a large hotel or resort.
OCC Culinary Arts instructor and mentor, Chef Athena Bolger, was at Brown’s side in Atlanta providing encouragement and moral support during the grueling, fast-paced competition.
“Aaron and I practiced two to four times a week for several months to prepare him for the competition,” said Chef Athena, who is also an alumni of OCC’s Culinary Arts program. “Aaron had to master eight unique napkin folds, expertly describe how menu items are prepared, and so much more under constant pressure of the clock,” she added.
“He sailed through a lot of tough topics and took first place by 10 points among 13 competitors—and even beat a competitor from the world-acclaimed Culinary Arts Institute. It was the icing on the cake,” she added with pride and a grin.
Brown’s win comes just as OCC prepares to open its new 78,000-square-foot Culinary Studies Institute on its Royal Oak Campus this August. The three-story facility will include new classrooms, demonstration kitchens, and five teaching kitchens—making it the most advanced culinary training center in Southeast Michigan. The program began when the College opened its doors 60 years ago in 1965.
“The new facility will help us expand our program and make room for more students,” said Dawn Marie Yelcho, OCC’s executive director of Culinary and Hospitality Academic Affairs.
She noted OCC is active in a number of culinary skill competitions and offers a number of culinary program opportunities.
"We hold skills competitions in our facilities including those for local high schools students. It’s important to us to provide young students an alternative to STEM-focused paths and a way to explore creative, hands-on careers in culinary arts.”
For more information about Oakland Community College’s Culinary Arts Institute, visit oaklandcc.edu/culinary.
About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is the leading workforce development organization that empowers students to become skilled professionals and career-ready leaders. They offer programs in more than 130 occupational areas from Culinary Arts to 3D Animation to Welding, and host student competitions worldwide.
About OCC
Celebrating 60 years, Oakland Community College (OCC) has educated over one million students since 1965. OCC offers more than 80 degree and certificate programs and is committed to student success with affordable tuition, support services, flexible class options and top transfer opportunities. The College serves more than 20,000 students annually while advancing our community through education, training and career support. OCC is nationally recognized as Michigan’s top online college, and seventh in the U.S., by Newsweek’s America’s Top Online Colleges 2025. Learn more at oaklandcc.edu.
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