Susan Hoss
Des Moines, IA
AOS Culinary Arts 1997
Owner, Main Dish Media
After leaving NECI on my second internship, I became a pastry chef at a resort inn in California and was there for one year before taking a position as an editor at a food magazine in Des Moines, IA. I was there for over ten years, working my way up to Managing Editor; developing recipes, writing articles, managing the production of a bi-monthly publication from start to finish. In 2008, I started a company with former colleagues of the magazine, providing food related content (in the form of words, video, photography, graphic design, etc.) to interested clients.
REMEMBERING NECI: Before starting NECI in 1995, I taught English in Tokyo. I knew that my transition back to life in the States needed to be challenging and different in order for me to avoid the usual culture shock that often happens when people return from foreign countries. Having never lived east of the Mississippi River, I knew that life in Vermont would be different for sure, but the challenge came in the classes. I didn't have much restaurant experience, nor was I interested in opening a restaurant. I wanted to be a food writer (I have an English degree, too) and I felt that the only way to be credible in the field was to have a culinary degree as well. I knew I could get the best education at NECI with its small classes and hands-on approach to teaching.