Culinary Student Puts Training to Work at Pretty Lake Vacation Camp

Jai Smith started taking law enforcement classes at Kalamazoo Valley before the culinary school was opened, but wasn't as passionate about police work as she was about food. After taking a break from college, she returned to take culinary arts classes. She earned a culinary arts and sustainable food systems certificate and will graduate in December 2023 with an associate of arts degree in culinary arts and sustainable food systems.

The mother of three opened Black Truffle Catering and Events in 2018 and is now the culinary director at Pretty Lake Vacation Camp in Mattawan.

"This is the most rewarding position I've been in," she said of Pretty Lake, where she's worked full time since July 2021. "The campus is amazing and the mission is in alignment with my life and my goals. I'm happy to be here finally." She explained that she placed first in the Stone Soup cooking competition for the directorship in 2018 but didn't feel qualified to take on the role at that time. She later applied for the position, but wasn't offered the job until three years later.

From June through August, Smith's job is to provide three meals and two snacks per day for 100 campers and 30 to 40 staff members. She also supervises five to six employees and is busy from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

"I love walking into the dining room and watching kids enjoying their meals," she said. Every meal includes fresh fruit and vegetables and campers may request as many servings as they want. During her first year on the job, one camper kept coming back for more cantaloupe and told her that he hadn't had the melon in years.

"Our conversation about the lack of fresh options available to him at home encouraged me," Smith said. "The thought of something as simple as cantaloupe being considered a treat made me realize how important my role was in this position. I was grateful that I could give him something healthy and nutritious that he hadn't enjoyed in over three years. Using my gift to bring joy to others through the art of food is what keeps me striving for excellence."

The culinary instructors at Kalamazoo Valley also helped her establish high standards, she said. "Kalamazoo Valley Community College definitely hit the mark with all staff in the culinary department," Smith said. "Three people - Joel Boone, Stephanie Hughes and Cory Barrett - were the most supportive. Each one pushed me to be the best that I can be." Boone encouraged her to open her catering business and Hughes was a wealth of information and helped Smith to develop her business plan.

Barrett, winner of Food Network's Spring Baking Championship in 2019, recently moved to Iowa to open his own restaurant, Barrett's Quality Eats. "It was easy to admire him," Smith said. "He's amazing at what he does and he always made sure his students were his priority. It meant a lot to me to have access to someone like him."

Smith feels fortunate to have had such a positive culinary training experience. "It can be hard to access culinary resources because the field is so competitive," she said. "That's why the instructors are so valuable."

When not at Pretty Lake, she continues to operate her catering business. Smith's specialty is small bites and desserts. "I eat with my eyes first," she said. "I take presentation very seriously." She's understandably proud of what she's accomplished and encourages her children to figure out where their passions lie. "If it's something you enjoy, no matter what anyone else says, do it. I didn't choose to do this for the money. I do it for me."

She offers this advice to her 17-year-old son and others who are making career decisions: "Make a decision for your life based on what you like. Think of school as a bridge that connects you to the life you want for yourself."