When Aaron Foster, a 2003 graduate of Niagara College’s Culinary Management (Co-op) program, talks about important teachers and employers, there’s warmth in his voice and a big helping of respect in his talk. It’s clear the ways they inspired him. He absorbed the essential mentorship lessons and let them carry him to this moment.

The summer of 2021 marked the beginning of an exciting period in a career that has taken him to distant places. He recently stepped into the role of Executive Chef at the newly opened W Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. There Foster will oversee two restaurants by New York celebrity chef Andrew Carmellini and play a big part in generating revenue streams of more than 30 million dollars. “Nashville is like a fresh beginning,” he said.

The young boy who watched his father making sausages with his buddies in a garage in Port Colborne also worked alongside his mother at her restaurant, The Mercantile Gift Shop and Cafe. “The best leaders were like my dad, who was very calm and methodical and took time with me,” he said. “Under those conditions, I excelled.”

Diagnosed with ADHD, Foster has always felt immature for his age. One of the reasons he likes cooking so much is because it keeps his mind active. “I tell people it’s like having fifteen movies playing in my head on fast-forward all the time,” he said. “But when I’m in service or in a high-pressure situation, I slow down and can see everything. It’s like a chef’s superpower.”

He has met young cooks with a similar diagnosis and does not shy away from talking about it because he believes in raising awareness and helping cooks feel less alone. By his example, they know international success is possible.

At 27, after an early career in great kitchens in Canada, Foster travelled to Bangkok, Thailand, to work as the executive chef of the Red Sky restaurant in the Centara Grand hotel. There he led a team of 25 employees with little knowledge of the language. He needed to prove his worth to the owners who wanted to be the best. Bold and courageous, his striving paid off. In his first year, an influential Thai magazine crowned Foster best new chef in Bangkok, and Red Sky, best new restaurant.

Next, he landed at the Westin Singapore, where under the influence of an exceptional general manager, he matured into a polished international executive chef of a prestigious hotel. Employee turnover statistics speak to his talent with people. When he started, the turnover rate was 45 percent, and it dropped to 13 percent in the five years he was leading.

For most people, 2020 was a hard year. But for Foster, his life was exponentially more difficult. His wife battled cancer. He left the Edition hotel in Miami Beach, Florida to be with her. “As a family, we went through one of the worst years of our lives,” he said.

Through it all, Foster looks to the people who taught him the best lessons about compassion, humility, and respect, who he now calls friends. They’re still there and they’ve got his back.

Seven distinguished members of Niagara College’s alumni community have been nominated for Colleges Ontario’s prestigious 2021 Premier’s Awards. Each week leading up to the awards presentation on November 18, we are sharing stories about our nominees to celebrate their career achievements. All stories were submitted by NC Development and Alumni Relations and written by freelance writer Deborah Reid.

Alice Lee was a stranger in a new land when she moved to Niagara to pursue her interest in landscape design less than two years ago; now she is at the epicentre of a special project so deeply rooted in the community that it will leave a lasting legacy long after she graduates.

The Landscape Technician student, who is originally from Korea, is the designer of NC’s Saundra Patterson Memorial Garden project now underway at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. First announced in March 2021, the memorial garden will honour the memory of NC’s long-time ‘first lady’ Saundra Patterson- devoted partner of former College president Dan Patterson. Led by the School of Environment and Horticulture, and staff from the Teaching Greenhouse, the initiative aims to create a meaningful tribute to Saundra on campus. Students will also reap the benefits of new hands-on learning opportunities on campus as an offshoot of the garden project.

For Lee, designing the memorial garden was an experience she never would have anticipated when she moved into the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus residence and began the program in January 2020. She had been studying business and architecture in California before deciding to switch gears and pursue landscape design at Niagara College. While her parents still reside in Korea, they encouraged her to enrol at NC and move to Canada, a country known for the beauty of its landscapes.

Lee noted that her interest in the field stemmed from her parents, who have always been passionate about beautiful gardens.

“It’s about bringing joy to other people through designing a space,” she said. “Flowers make people happy.”

Lee is completing work on the memorial garden design over the course of the spring term to earn her Introductory Design credit. She was handpicked by program faculty to design the garden due to her unique situation after a deferred term during the pandemic. While she still required a credit for the course, faculty acknowledged that Lee had taken the initiative to learn the required design software on her own and became involved in program initiatives, like design competitions, during the deferred term.

“She was very ambitious,” said faculty member Carrie Zimmerman who teaches the design course. “As she was the only student in this position, we felt giving her this special project as her main landscape design assignment for the deferred course would help her to continue to grow as a landscape designer.”

Lee made it a priority to learn about Saundra and her garden preferences before she set out to design the space, and spent much of her time poring over photos for inspiration.

“I didn’t know Mrs. Saundra, but I heard a lot about her dedication to the school and how she had so much passion for the students,” said Lee. “I felt like I knew her, and I wanted to show my respect for her in designing this garden.”

The path of inspiration led Lee to a vision for an English-style garden, which will transform the campus’ upper courtyard. A pergola will frame the entrance and welcome visitors as they make their way down a path of stepping stones leading to a focal point: a decorative urn, which will contain seasonal flowers and plantings. Pastel-coloured blooms, as well as evergreens, will be planted throughout the structured gardens while special features such as decorative panels will define and add interest to the space. Underfoot, the paver will offer a vintage, cobblestone-like feel. The beautiful, elegant space will be one for the College community to enjoy for a short stroll or to relax and take a seat at one of its featured benches or tables.

It’s become a labour of love for Lee, who shares Saundra’s passion for English-style gardens. It’s also been one of intensity for the student, who has been working with program faculty and staff since the onset of the spring term to consult on design features and incorporate varying feedback into the highly anticipated project.

“I can’t lie and say that I didn’t have any pressure with this project,” said Lee with a chuckle. “But I enjoy doing it because I know that it’s important in memory of Saundra and that a lot of people are interested in what’s going on.”

Lee’s design was recently finalized in early August before she wraps up her final term at NC. While she regrets that she will no longer be on campus to see the fruits of her labour progress, she hopes to remain in Canada after graduation and would like to visit the Saundra Patterson Memorial Garden once it’s complete. Ultimately, her goal is to ensure the garden not only beautifies the campus but brings joy to the College community in memory of one of its greatest champions.

“I want my design to make people happy because everyone remembers Mrs. Patterson happy in the gardens,” said Lee.

Greenhouse manager Matt Orr looks over design plans for the memorial garden with Alice Lee on site in the upper courtyard at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Those on campus during the summer will notice that changes are already underway at the memorial garden site. Since mid-June, Greenhouse manager Matt Orr has been leading work taking place on the garden site involving three Horticultural Technician students and 16 co-op students.

The space has been cleared and graded and work has begun on digging for the foundation of the hardscape, which is scheduled to be completed by September. Structural plants – evergreens, shrubs, and trees, and then plant bulbs – will begin to be planted during the fall, while perennials and annuals will be planted next spring. Students will continue to work on maintaining the memorial garden once it is completed next spring.

Orr applauded the project and Lee’s design and noted that the memorial garden will be the first of its kind on campus.

“We don’t have anything like this on campus. We have a lot of pretty gardens but this will be our first truly design-focused garden,” he said. “And it’s all for a very special person. I’m really looking forward to the finished product.”

Professor, Horticulture and Environmental Studies, Dena Gavin recalled how important gardens were to Saundra who especially enjoyed them during the spring season. She said the memorial garden will incorporate many elements that Saundra loved, such as and urns and her favorite plants, and will create a great new meeting place for students.

“I think this garden best honours Saundra by being located at a place that she and Dan love so much as well as incorporating her plant design style,” she said. “I think she would be honoured to know the thought, care and love that is going into this garden.”

Saundra Patterson Memorial Garden and Bursary

Since the garden plan was announced in March, $50,000 has been fundraised for the Saundra Patterson Memorial Garden, thanks to the generosity of donors such as Carol and David Appel of Niagara-on-the-Lake who contributed a $10,000 matching-challenge gift and inspired several other $10,000 donations, along with many other generous gifts. An additional $36,136 has also been raised to date for the Saundra Patterson Horticultural Bursary fund, which will support student success at the College in Saundra’s memory. A tireless supporter of student learning, Saundra established this endowed Horticultural Bursary fund in 2006, which has provided financial support to many NC students over the years.

Donations to honour Saundra’s memory and support students through her Bursary Fund may be made by clicking here and choosing Saundra Patterson Memorial Garden and Bursary under Areas of Support on page 2 of the online donation form.

Related articles

March 26, 2021: Plans take root for Saundra Patterson memorial garden at Niagara College

January 28, 2021: Message from President Sean Kennedy: NC mourns the passing of Saundra Patterson

Niagara College Suwon (NC Suwon) will celebrate many milestones this year. While NC Canada gets ready to welcome its largest cohort for the Fall 2021 term, NC is proud to see our first graduate complete the full pathway program.

Originally from Korea, Jooyong Cha was the first NC Suwon student to transfer to NC Canada after completing level four of NC’s English for Academic Preparation (EAP) program. Cha went on to complete level five of the EAP program in Canada and enrolled in the Hairstyling program. This past June, Cha graduated, making him the first graduate to complete the pathway between NC Suwon and NC Canada.

“NC Suwon helped me adapt and transition smoothly to the Hairstyling program at NC,” said Cha. “The experience at NC Suwon helped me to better adapt to the unfamiliarity of Canadian life, and made it easier for me to make the transition even when I was studying at Niagara College.”

The very same month he graduated, Cha began apprenticing at a hair salon in St. Catharines.

“Niagara College life helped me adapt to the new environment I was faced with by getting a job at a hair salon, and the hairstyling skills I learned in college laid the foundation.”

Cha is applying the communication skills he learned at NC Suwon to interacting with his clients and colleagues.

This Fall term, Niagara College Canada expects to welcome more students through the NC Suwon pathway, furthering NC’s reputation as Canada’s global college.

NC Global Campus: NC Suwon

As Canada’s leading global college, Niagara College has partnered with academic institutions around the world to offer delivery of some of its programs in China, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, South Korea and most recently, Toronto, Canada.

NC Suwon is one of Niagara College’s global campuses that enhances student mobility and preparedness to life in Canada through English language skills acquisition and information about NC’s academic programs. Delivered at the University of Suwon’s state-of-the-art facilities in Suwon, South Korea, the program is developed, and administered by NC’s School of English Language Studies and delivered in partnership with NC’s Global Engagement department.

For more information on NC Suwon, please visit suwon.niagaracollege.ca/.

For more information on NC global campuses, please visit international.niagaracollege.ca/our-campuses/ or contact manager, Global Education & Training, Orel Ruiz, by emailing [email protected].

From June 14 to 19, students in Niagara College’s School of Business and Management, and the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Sport, competed virtually in the Interdisciplinary Case Challenge. The week-long competition was made possible through cross-departmental collaboration and the generosity of O’Malley, a long-time supporter of the college who donated the prize money.

The case competition has symbolic importance to faculty and students in the division of Business, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport, as it is the first time an NC case competition involved students from two schools.

“We’re especially proud of the Interdisciplinary Case Challenge as a shining example of cross-School collaboration in the division of Business, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport,” said Adam Weaver, associate dean, School of Business and Management. “The range of programs involved is fantastic.”

“The success of the Interdisciplinary Case Challenge speaks to the value of connecting dots across disciplines,” said Evan DiValentino, associate dean, School of Hospitality, Tourism and Sport. “We know interdisciplinary problem-solving happens routinely in industry, and the case challenge has given our students the opportunity to flex those problem-solving muscles. The School of Hospitality, Tourism and Sport looks forward to future collaborations that provide new and valuable learning experiences for our students.”

After a remarkable career in advertising spanning three decades, Terry O’Malley sees the value in giving back to aspiring business leaders. O’Malley, a St. Catharines native, is a Harvard University graduate and the former creative director and partner in Vickers and Benson Advertising (now Arnold Worldwide Canada) where he received many accolades for his work. Since 1997, O’Malley has supported several campaigns, scholarships, and bursaries for NC students.

“I’ve seen firsthand the importance of approaching problems like those in case competitions,” said O’Malley, who has been behind similar events at Brock University. “The real value is facing a defined task, backgrounding, researching, and solving the task in real time. It is so important for students to interact, brainstorm, critique, argue, and agree on an approach.”

“Support from eminent practitioners like Terry truly benefit our division – and Niagara College as a whole,” said Lisa Mendez, associate dean, School of Business and Management.

The ten students who participated came from four program areas: Honours Bachelor of Business Administration – International Commerce and Global Development (a four-year degree program); Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations (a two-year diploma program); International Business Management (a one-year graduate certificate program); and Business-Sales and Marketing (a two-year diploma program).

Each morning, students attended a virtual seminar guiding them on how to approach the case and develop a viable strategy before meeting with their group via Microsoft Teams. In the spirit of NC’s approach to applied learning, students were tasked with problem-solving the reopening of tourist attractions in Canada and developing sustainable solutions for a pandemic-proof Niagara Region.

Winning first place were Emily Massicotte from Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations, and Deontai Jennings from Business – Sales and Marketing. Massicotte and Jennings split the $1,000 grand prize. Second place received $700, and third place $300. The awards were applied to students’ tuition via financial aid.

“The feedback from students has been very positive,” said professor Stefan Johnson who coordinated the competition.

Johnson said that students were exposed to new themes and intense time constraints. “They had to think outside of the proverbial box and develop more unique solutions. Plus, the added challenge of conflict resolution – in the eleventh hour, under immense stress, students were forced to work together and find amicable solutions.”

The result? Johnson reports that many students are eager to coach future teams through case competitions.

Johnson has eyes on growing the competition. “We would like to expand into different departments where students from nursing, brewing, horticulture, hospitality, social work and more can take part in much more diverse teams. Those winning teams can go on to international challenges against other institutions. I am excited to continue to work with faculty leadership and the rest of the college to grow this experience.”

NC’s Adam Weaver, Lisa Mendez, April Tyrrell, and Patricia Beu – among others – provided support to students and judges throughout the competition. Judges included Melanie Sodka, professor, international business; Creator of Capacity Creator, April Tyrrell – Academic Business Manager, SoBM, and Kithio Mwanzia, Network Manager, SONAMI Ontario.

Participants included:

1^st place winner Emily Massicotte – Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Ops
1^st place winner Deontai Jennings – Sales and Marketing

2^nd place Isabella Wartabedian – International Business Management (P-G)
2^nd place Sohaib Faheem – HBBA – ICOM

3^rd place Rebeca Victoria – International Business Management (P-G)
3^rd place Dafu Zheng – HBBA – ICOM

Halyna Nizinkovska – International Business Management (P-G)
Alejandro Jaramillo – International Business Management (P-G)
Pamela Collado – Sales and Marketing
Jeunesse Manatad – Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Ops

Victory was on the menu for Niagara College alumna Erica Karbelnik (nee Hakien) who dazzled the judges on the finale of Top Chef Canada season nine which aired on June 7 on Food Network Canada. Karbelnik graduated from NC’s Culinary Management Co-op program in 2011, an experience that shaped her as a chef and inspired her love for local food.

Competing alongside her at the finale was Erica’s husband and NC alumnus Josh Karbelnik (Culinary Management Co-op, 2011) who cooked his way into the final four chefs on the Food Network Canada show before being eliminated. The high school sweethearts from Toronto were the first married couple to compete on Top Chef Canada.

“Winning is surreal. It is emotional. It is an out-of-body experience,” said Erica. “You go there with this dream of wanting to win and prove that you’re good at what you do. This industry is so hard, you give up so much. But it is a matter of not giving up and fighting for what you want, with cameras in your face, bright lights, and strangers all around you, you need to perform.”

“Our entire team of chefs at the Canadian Food and Wine Institute (CFWI) at Niagara College are so proud of Erica and Josh for this incredible culinary achievement. We were excited to watch them on Top Chef Canada from week to week,” said Craig Youdale, dean of the CFWI. “Seeing our grads build extraordinary careers and excel in culinary challenges like this will inspire our students to dream big.”

Flashback to 2011 at the start of their journey as aspiring chefs, Erica and Josh were living in Fonthill and attending classes at the CFWI at NC.

“The culinary program is so wonderful. You get to use so much of the local products. You don’t just focus on cooking but the whole culinary experience, from suppliers to produce to wine pairings,” said Erica. “We loved our professors. They shaped us and helped us grow.”

It was an experience at NC that inspired Erica’s creation of a dish for the ‘Eat local challenge’ in episode five of Top Chef Canada. “I made a seared porkchop with apple and wheatberry risotto which was inspired by a field trip to a pig farm in Niagara. I remember feeding the pigs apples and wheatberries.”

After graduating, the couple moved to Vancouver. Josh, classically trained French, began cooking ultra-fine cuisine for well-known Chef Scott Jaegger at The Pear Tree.

“Josh suffered from a tragic accident, losing two of his fingers in an ice cream machine. He thought he would never cook again. Scott Jaegger retrained him and gave him the strength and confidence. Now he cooks circles around people with 10 fingers,” said Erica.

Erica, classically trained French and Italian, explored her passion for pasta making before shifting gears as the operations manager and expediter at Wildebeest restaurant in Vancouver. After five years in Vancouver, Erica and Josh returned to Toronto.

With the COVID-19 pandemic taking a hit on the restaurant industry, the couple are looking forward to returning to their respective kitchens; Erica as the executive chef of Terrace Restaurant at Toronto’s Elmwood Spa, and Josh as the chef de cuisine at The Broadview Hotel. For now, the chef duo have embarked on their own catering company for private home events in the Greater Toronto Area.

“A lot of chefs have had to pivot,” said Erica. “Our dream is to have our own restaurant, but unfortunately because of the pandemic, the future is uncertain.”

After being eliminated in the semi-final round – placing fourth out of 11 professional chefs from across Canada – Josh supported his wife as sous-chef in the final five-course tasting menu challenge.

Along with the title of Top Chef Canada, Erica won a cash prize of $100,000 and a Lexus RX Hybrid Electric SUV. Josh took home $5,000 as the winning sous-chef in the final competition.

The win comes at a special time for the couple who are expecting their first child.

“Winning means everything to us. It is the start of our life, of our future. It’s a college fund for our baby, a house we can call our own, a restaurant we can own,” said Erica.

With their passion for Niagara, Erica says that they have considered moving back. “There is no place like Niagara. I love going to the farmers market, talking to the farmers, going to the wineries, picking out pairings. Not a lot of people know how special Niagara is, it really needs to be celebrated.”

“NC was such a big part of my and Josh’s life. The students who go to NC have to know how lucky they are … the people you are learning from, the wine, beer and horticulture classes – you can only get that at Niagara College. We were not just a number there. We were somebody that someone wanted to succeed.”

The full episodes of Top Chef Canada season nine are available at foodnetwork.ca, and to stream through STACKTV with Amazon Prime Video Channels, or the Global TV app.