City Tech

MARCH '07 - City Tech Alum Ebow Dadzie (class of '03) returned to his Alma Mater this month to address Freshman students in the school's award winning Hospitality Management Department. Invited by Professor Lynda Dias, who coordinates the department's Professional Alliance program, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association, Dadzie spoke to students in her Perspectives in Hospitality Management class.

Engaging the class with the story of how he began in school, Dadzie described himself as a restless student who was a good writer, but unable to sit still in class without the urge to fall asleep. He talked about getting an early start in the industry, at the Travel and Tourism program at South Shore High School, and his first industry exposure working at the W Hotel, which led to his decision to pursue a career in culinary arts.

Accepted at Johnson & Wales, Ebow told the class he declined, in part, because he feels that education should be offered free of tuition. Following his parents footsteps to City Tech (on full scholarship), Dadzie gave tribute to the late Professor Craig Whitman, whom he worked with as an assistant.

He raved about City Tech's SEEK program (Search for Education and Elevation
Through Knowledge) as just one of the many resources that enabled him to better himself as a student. "Don't worry about who's not in the program and who is, just do your thing and get the most of what you can from it."

Using the school's classroom technology, the self-titled "Mr. City Tech" referred to his website to illustrate his life story. He emphasized the tremendous influence the International Work Exchange program had on him, describing how the European mentality is different than the American way of thinking. He was immature at the start, he said, moreso than the French, even those much younger than he. Ebow spoke highly of the retired Professor Lorenzini, remembering how he visited him at his internship at Along with Lorenzini, Ebow gave credit to Professor Hoffman and Professor Reid for being strict teachers that made him think harder. He advised the class on the best way to accept unusual responses from professors and not to take anything too personally, or too hard. "If any professor doesn't give you a straight answer, it's because they are trying to help you, even though it may not seem like it at the time. They want to make you think about things differently," he explained.

Dadzie went through pages on his site to narrate the development of his career through his school participation in the Salon of Culinary Arts and Brooklyn Eats, to appearing on the Food Network Challenge and winning the U.S . Pastry Competition. He assured the students that it was normal for paychecks to be low when they were starting out, even if they had a degree. Working through school, and working very hard was an important part of achieving success, Dadzie stated.

He described the attitude he encounters from students who graduated from the 'elite' culinary schools, who have been trained to think that they are better than everyone else, and he strongly discouraged this way of thinking, "Our school has competed against all of these guys, and we beat them out two years in a row, so we're all the same, no one is better than anyone," said the newly appointed Pastry Chef of the Year.

Even though Ebow talked past the end of the class, the students remained engrossed throughout, and stayed for a question and answer period. Afterward, he was asked to lunch in the faculty dining room, but had to get back to his family-owned restaurant, Folukie, to plan a wedding cake.

Professor Karen Goodlad, who coordinates the Disney Internship program, invited Ebow to return as a guest speaker for the Anna Nurse Culinary Workshop Series. When asked if he had any ideas on what he might prepare at the event, Dadzie exclaimed, "I've had the whole thing planned out since I was a student here years ago!" He is living proof that dreams really can come true.