Q&A with CIA Hospitality and Service Management Professor
Author Annie B. Milostan ’25 is a Baking and Pastry Arts major.
Here at CIA, we are taught by some of the best chefs and professors in the hospitality and food and beverage field. In my four semesters here, I have had the pleasure of being taught by just a handful of the best here on campus. This semester I was honored to meet Ms. Brandi Renee Burgess as my service and beverage management professor. She teaches Wine and Beverage Studies, Service and Beverage Management, and front-of-house (FOH) in The Bocuse Restaurant. I had the chance to chat with her about her journey back to the Culinary Institute of America after she graduated.
1. What year did you graduate from CIA and what was your degree?
I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America with an associate’s degree in baking and pastry arts in 2013. I’ve since revived my academic pursuits and am in the process of achieving my bachelor’s in food business leadership.
2. What led you to come back and teach here at CIA?
My return to CIA as an educator was sparked by my longing to see more representation, a yearning that was born from my own experiences as a student. I am fervent about instilling in students the belief that they belong in this industry, particularly in the realm of fine dining, where the presence of minorities in leadership roles are a rarity. I am committed to being a living example that leadership, emotional intelligence, excellence, and success are conceivable and within reach, even in spaces where our presence is scarce.
3. A lot of students come to CIA with chef aspirations but leave with many more. Think back to your time at CIA, how did CIA expand your view of what is possible within the world of food and help you to make food your life?
Initially, like many of the students who pass through these halls, I had aspirations of becoming a great chef—pastry chef. While at CIA, I was introduced to the world of wine and exposed to the art of hospitality, and I was smitten. Regardless of my experiences outside of pastry, when I graduated, I had no inclinations of abandoning my goals. But when life took an unexpected turn, I found myself learning on the wine knowledge and service skills I had gleaned at CIA; which not only saved me from abandoning my culinary dreams but also led me down a new path into the dining room. In short, CIA provided me with the skills to keep food a central component of my life and the inspiration to be successful when diving into something new.
4. At CIA, students work both FOH and BOH in the restaurants here on campus. How does that prepare them for life after graduation?
Being exposed to and developing a working knowledge of the kitchen and dining room operations fosters a comprehensive understanding of restaurant operations. In the future, these students will better understand how to interact with a restaurant’s various systems and teams. Providing them with an edge and the ability to foster a symbiotic relationship between the kitchen and dining room by leading with empathy and insight, no matter where they land.
5. What is your favorite part about teaching CIA students?
My favorite part of teaching is mentoring. Encouraging and witnessing the students discover their potential and challenging them to think beyond what’s expected. Often, as a student or newcomer to the industry, it is easy to fall prey to the validation of others and to hold less weight on what you know and believe about yourself. I love getting the opportunity to help the students adjust the scale in a healthier and more sustainable way. For me, it’s also about being a mentor who can relate to their experiences, especially for women and minority students who are often underrepresented or othered in this industry; they need someone they can see themselves in.
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