Outstanding Students

Shah Trupti

Where are you from?

I was born in Indore, a city in central India, famous for its unique food and delicacies. I moved to the United States almost 15 years back and since then living on northeast side of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Why did you choose Kirkwood?

For the last couple of years, I was thinking to pursue a career in hospitality industry and was looking to acquire required knowledge, skillsets and a diploma. But I was having a lot of anxiety to go back to collage after a gap of almost 15 long years. After exploring hospitality courses offered by various colleges, I attended an orientation session at Kirkwood Community College. After talking with faculty members my anxiety turned into excitement, and I felt comfortable and motivated to enroll in the course. Almost eight months in the course now, I can say with my experience that I made the right choice by choosing Kirkwood.

What is your major and how did you choose it?

My major is Bakery and Pastry Arts. I chose this course because it brings together two of my passions, baking and art, and gives me opportunities to apply my creativity to make something which not only tastes good, but also amazes people and makes their occasion memorable.

What has been your proudest moment in Kirkwood?

After reflecting on my time during the course and remembering all the anxiety I was having at the beginning of the course, I believe being named an Outstanding Student is the proudest moment for me during my time in Kirkwood.

What are your plans after Kirkwood?

For first few years I like to pursue career in food industry as a professional cake decorator, food blogger and content writer with the goal of starting my own bakery in long term. I also like to stay connected with education industry and become a faculty to share my knowledge and experience with future aspirants of food and hospitality industry.

What inspires and motivates you?

My family members are my top motivators and cheerleaders. For baking and pastry art, I draw my inspiration from celebrity baker Ron Ben Israel and try to follow and apply his techniques and methods in my work.

Tell us about who you are outside of the Kirkwood – hobbies, family, other interests, etc.

Outside of Kirkwood, I am a proud mother of two daughters, a wife who loves to paint, dance and decorate home. Every week I carve out some time to indulge in my hobbies which refreshes my mind and sharpens my creativity.

What does being named an Outstanding Student mean to you?

Being named an Outstanding Student means a lot to me and my family. I feel it is not just an endorsement of my skills and work ethics but also a recognition for my family who have adjusted, sacrificed and adapted a lot in the last one year so that I can completely focus on my education and get ready for my professional career.

Categories: Outstanding Students