Getting involved at ACC can lead to some unique learning opportunities. These experiences take you out of the classroom and connect you with new communities and offerings to explore.

Vanessa Trujano joined the Office of College Relations & Marketing as an intern in fall 2024. As part of her job, she develops content to share with students and the community. The position gives her both professional experience and opportunities to take part in things happening around the College she wouldn’t have been able to before.

Check out how Vanessa is cooking up some new experiences.

Written by: Vanessa Trujano

The spring semester brought with it cold, busy days and the weight of coursework that never seems to ease. As full-time students, many of us find ourselves caught in an endless cycle of assignments, deadlines, and responsibilities. It can be hard to notice the world of opportunities unfolding around us. The idea of stepping away, even briefly, feels almost impossible, and the thought of venturing into unfamiliar campus spaces could be intimidating.

However, taking a little step out of our comfort zone might make a difference! You might end your day with floury fingers, warm, made-from-scratch Italian pasta, and even some fresh, warm bread.

On Tuesday, January 28, I joined Chef Paolo Taricco’s Culinary Demo at the Culinary Arts suite in ACC Highland. It was my first time to walk inside the area. As a student, every time I walked by the Culinary classrooms, I would wonder about the delicious pastries and exotic meals other students were crafting. After long days of frantically walking up and down around Highland Campus, hunger began to set in. I could see fresh ingredients on the tables through the large windows that peered into the culinary kitchen classrooms. It’s enough to make anyone ponder the possibility of tasting whatever our skilled culinary students were crafting on fancy plates. 

Being on the inside for once was an insightful and fun experience. I was assigned to attend the event, collect key moments, and develop a piece about them. I was in the middle of that when one of the assistants kindly asked me to join. They set up ingredients on a working station while Chef Taricco performed demonstrations on pasta dough kneading. Although I joined the participants late, I was still carefully guided through the meticulous and rewarding process of making my own Plin Pasta (Agnolotti del Plin) from scratch!

Chef Taricco is a renowned Italian chef and the head instructor for Alba Accademia Alberghiera’s Piedmontese Heritage course in Italy. He traveled to Austin to visit ACC and meet our students. He brought more than just his expertise to this session; he offered a glimpse into the rich culinary traditions of his homeland, Piedmont. As he demonstrated the delicate kneading and folding of pasta dough, Julienne Clark, an interpreter and international partnership agent for the academy, provided insight into the region’s deep-rooted food culture. 

I worked my dough into shape, trying to mirror Chef Taricco’s motions, envisioning the picturesque descriptions of the Italian countryside. As Julienne explained, this was exactly the purpose of the demonstration—a fun, hands-on teaser for the upcoming Piedmontese Heritage: Traditional Flavors & Techniques course, set to take place in summer 2025. As part of ACC’s Study Abroad program. ACC students who attend can spend two weeks in Alba, Italy, training at the prestigious Alba Accademia Alberghiera. 

But even for those who aren’t packing their bags for Italy just yet, events like these show how stepping outside our usual routines (whether studying abroad or simply walking into a department we’ve never explored) can open doors to new experiences. If nothing else, they might just leave you with the satisfaction of crafting your own fresh-made Italian meal.

ACC offers several ways to help students find work both at the College and with partners. Career Services can connect you with resources and support to help you assess your interests and strengths and discover transferable skills that can take you into a high-demand career with a strong future. For more information, visit austincc.edu/careerservices.

There also are ACC work-study students through the ACC GROW program. 

Check out more offerings through ACC’s Handshake.

Tags: ACC GROW, career services, College Relations and Marketing, Culinary Arts, job, students