Humanities

"Leaving school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but from what I heard about the course a lot of people said that it would be the best thing for me to do. I always loved cooking from a young age, I used to bake with my nanny all the time"

St Angela's Secondary School, Waterford past pupil Alannah O’Reilly discusses the confidence she gained while completing a two-year Culinary Arts course

What course did you do? 
Higher Cert in Culinary Arts. 

Where are you from? 
Ballygunner, Waterford 

Why did you pick this course? 
Leaving school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but from what I heard about the course a lot of people said that it would be the best thing for me to do. I always loved cooking from a young age, I used to bake with my nanny all the time, so I said that since the course had a pastry module aswell that I would definitely be interested in doing the course. So, I went for it.

What was your favourite part about the course? 
We did a pastry module, I love baking. I love cakes, I love everything about pastry. 

Did you do work placement? 
Yes, I did work placement in a little café in Waterford called `The Pantry’. Since then I have now gotten a job in ‘Bellissimo’ in Adrkeen, Waterford.  

What advice would you give to somebody thinking about doing the same course? 
I would highly recommend it because even though it is just a two-year course, I think I have matured so much. Before I went and did this course my confidence was low but now, I am doing things I wouldn’t have done before. All the lecturers were so easy to talk to. My classmates were great. Everything was just brilliant. 

Why did you choose WIT? 
I didn’t want to leave home just yet having only come out of school. I wasn’t ready to travel yet. 

What stands out the most from your experience at WIT? 
The lecturers bring out a side of you that you didn’t even know you had. Everything about it just brought out a side that I didn’t know I had. 

Interviewed by Susie Brennan at Conferring 2018  

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