Scholar Profile
"Focus on the task at hand and realize that you are
already successful..."
Catherine Marcial
Class of 2002
Culinary Arts Institute/Liberal Arts
Hudson County Community College
Jersey City Rotary Club Scholarship Recipient 2001/2002
Catherine Marcial’s love affair with the art of cooking began at a very
young age, four years old to be exact. For her mother’s lunch, Catherine would
make delicious salads. When co-workers at her mother’s place of employment
would inquire as to where she got such a tasty looking meal, her mom would beam
with pride as she answered, “Catherine made it…”.
While attending PS #17 in Jersey City, our young chef in the making would
spend her time in the school library taking out cookbooks to read while her
classmates took out books such as “Rainy Day” and “The Velveteen Rabbit”.
She attended St. Aloysius High School, participated in the Jersey City Youth
Corps, married and embarked on the journey of motherhood before finally deciding
to pursue her studies at HCCC.
Catherine considers herself blessed to have a mom who encouraged and
supported not only her passion for cooking but also her decision to attend
college. She also considers her receipt of the Jersey City Rotary Club
Scholarship a blessing that allowed her to continue to focus on her studies and
not have to worry about how she was going to pay for her classes without going
into debt.
Since she has begun her studies at Culinary, she has catered the annual Black
Moriah Film Festival, which is held at New Jersey City University and is
currently in the mist of creating her sister’s wedding cake for the ceremony
to be held this summer. Aside from her cooking, she also works part time for the
college as a Chef’s Assistant at The Culinary Arts Institute and a notetaker
for Special Needs Program. Catherine considers this work to be fulfilling and
her supervisor, Mr. Alan Levine, a counselor at our college speaks highly of her
and her abilities. He considers her to be one of the best notetakers.
When asked what advice she would give to students who attend or plan to
attend HCCC, her answer was profound and transcendental, “My advice to
students would be to focus on the task at hand and realize that they are already
successful. The fact that they have made this journey of going to school and
deciding to focus and do it, the goal is set and that in itself is great, great
that you are doing something, focusing and taking your time. Remember that each
day that you get up and go, that action, itself is a success. Just remember that
no matter how tough things may become don’t get discouraged.”
Catherine Marcial will graduate on May 30, 2002 along with 400 other
candidates, with an Associates of Applied Science degree in Culinary Arts. She
is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and is the recipient of a partial
scholarship to attend New Jersey City University where she will continue her
studies towards a degree in education.
Copyright
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Rotary Club of Jersey City