DMACC Culinary Arts Professor Katie Van Dyke (pictured above, far right) has been nominated for a prestigious award as one of the Iowa Restaurant Association's "40 Women to Watch in the Hospitality Industry" in 2022.
Every year, the Iowa Restaurant Association recognizes 40 women in Iowa's hospitality industry for their creativity, leadership and contributions. All of the nominees will be recognized in a special Celebrating Excellence Awards ceremony in November.
Van Dyke graduated from West Des Moines Dowling Catholic High School and enrolled in the Iowa Culinary Institute at DMACC (ICI) in 2010.
She worked at the Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel from 2012 to 2015 and at Prime Land and Sea, a Des Moines restaurant that no longer exists, from 2015 through 2016. Van Dyke then left Iowa in 2016 to move to California and work for a restaurant called Two Birds One Stone and for a two-Michelin starred team. She moved back to Iowa at the end of 2019 and started working for DMACC, while also starting her own business.
“Some of the challenges of working with the ICI students would be their eagerness to get to the top too quickly," Chef Van Dyke said. “That might sound strange, but it's all a process. They see the glimmering twilight of social media and what it looks like to be a successful chef through the lens of their phone. They aren't aware of the grind it takes to get to that level of success. Keeping them grounded and in the moment is one of the more difficult tasks."
Van Dyke said some of the most rewarding moments come in the form of seeing students' personal growth.
“Watching them become more confident, more efficient and watching when things start to click for them on a regular basis is so uplifting for me," Van Dyke said. “There are a lot of rewarding moments. I think the most is watching them take personal responsibility and taking control and charge over their own future."
Van Dyke said her advice for someone interested in going into the culinary profession is to learn and never stop learning.
"I've always approached the industry since day one with the attitude that I want to learn and know everything," Chef Van Dyke said. "Always being eager to learn and to adapt and to grow should be the perfect recipe to never plateau or hit the ceiling. There is so much to learn about food and techniques and culture that, if you're curious to learn, you will never run out of added information."
Chef John Andres, Director of the Iowa Culinary Institute at DMACC, said Van Dyke has been an invaluable addition to the ICI team of chefs.
“Her talents outside of the classroom have been instrumental in developing unique new dining opportunities at the ICI," Chef Andres said. “She has continued to share cutting-edge techniques and real-world experiences with our students."
For more information, contact: Chef Katie Van Dyke, klvandyke1@dmacc.edu
Original source can be found here.
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