Salt Lake Community College’s Culinary Arts program serves more than just food. It’s cultivating a diverse, passionate community of students and educators dedicated to the craft of cooking.
The culinary program has been preparing students to become food service professionals for over 25 years. Students of every age can be seen taking courses and participating in club events.
“We have kids from 18 [enrolled], and Joe is my best friend, [and] he turned 85 this year,” said Berkeley Mitchell, president of the SLCC Culinary Club. “I wanted to go somewhere where there were going to be people of all ages, all races, all everything.”
The Culinary Club is open to all SLCC students regardless of their major. The club hosts regular events that blend food, culture and fun. Mitchell described one of the events as a “Ratatouille”-themed dinner watch party, where students cook and enjoy food inspired by the Disney movie.
The Culinary Arts program continues to grow in visibility and impact, with students collaborating across departments and contributing to campus events. The club often gets invited to help with meals for events; Mitchell enjoys hosting events together with the nursing club.
Whether it’s a themed dinner, a classroom lesson, or a club collaboration, the culinary program proves that food can be a powerful tool for education, creativity and community.
Franco Aloia, a culinary professor at SLCC, shares his passion for building community through food.
“My primary focus is my students,” Aloia said. “I see myself in them. Cooking professionally is about more than just food — it’s communication, time management and resilience.”
Aloia teaches foundational culinary courses and emphasizes the importance of mentorship and growth.
“The kitchen will teach you,” Aloia said. “Things break, burn, fall apart, but if you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you’ll make ground.”
The kitchen will teach you … Things break, burn, fall apart, but if you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you’ll make ground. — Franco Aloia
Both Aloia and Mitchell are proud of the passionate and wonderful people they work with in the culinary arts program.
“You should be doing something you love,” Mitchell said. “And when you have a good recipe and good instructors, you can do anything.”
