Wednesday, January 27, 1999
Time out
Former electrical engineering student Josiah Sloan dropped out
of school to pursue his passion for cooking
By Trina Enriquez
Daily Bruin Contributor
Sometimes happiness lies not in the degree but in the career
itself.
College degrees are stepping stones to fulfilling careers – but
some students, like Josiah Slone, discover that their career path
is taking a different route.
Slone, a former electrical engineering student, attended UCLA
for nearly three years before deciding to leave the university and
pursue career as a restaurant chef.
"Occasionally, students get jobs in the entertainment industry
or the arts and decide to put their college careers on hold for
awhile," said Jane Crawford, director of Letters and Science
Counseling.
Yet unlike Slone, some students may withdraw for a quarter
because of family emergencies, financial issues or medical
reasons.
"It’s usually a constellation of problems that causes (students)
to withdraw," Crawford said. "But the vast majority of those who
withdraw for one quarter come back in the next."
According to the U.S. News & World Report 1999 college
rankings, UCLA has a retention rate of 95 percent. Factored into
this number is a school’s record at satisfying students, and the
higher the satisfaction, the better the retention statistics.
Though he liked electrical engineering, Slone dropped out of
UCLA after deciding to make a career of his life-long passion for
cooking. It took some time before that decision came to fruition,
however.
As a college student, Slone enjoyed whipping up meals for
friends and was soon called upon to cater to an increasing number
of people.
"I really enjoyed cooking, and everyone asked me, ‘Why are you
studying engineering? You ought to be a chef,’" Slone recalled.
"That was my transition."
Because a college education is such an asset while
job-searching, though, many question the wisdom of leaving the
university before earning a degree.
Slone remembered that despite previous encouragement to become a
chef, "a lot of people thought I was really crazy for dropping
out."
However, he continued, "I decided that if I was going to be
doing something for 45 years, it had to be something I was
passionate about."
Like many incoming freshmen, Slone was unsure of what major he
wanted to pursue upon enrollment at UCLA.
"It’s easy to know what you’re good at," said Slone. "It’s hard
to know what you’re passionate about."
While in high school, Slone knew he enjoyed cooking but didn’t
seriously consider the possibility of becoming a chef.
Slone speculated that if he had voiced a desire to become a
chef, his college counselor might have questioned his decision,
since he’d taken Advanced Placement courses in high school – and
because he enjoyed electronics and working with his hands, he
figured that engineering was what he should pursue.
Nearly three years and many catered meals later, Slone left UCLA
upon receiving a job offer to cook for Renee’s, a restaurant in
Santa Monica.
"There’s a big change of pace from going to class and working
your own hours to working during evenings and weekends when you’d
normally want time off," Slone said.
The biggest challenge, he went on, was coordinating how fast and
efficient he could become at his work.
"It’s not something you can read in a book – it’s something you
learn on the job," Slone said.
At the same time, the classes he took helped him think about
things analytically.
Like tackling a math or physics problem, he assessed situations
by breaking them down into logical pieces and attacking them a bit
at a time. In that respect, his college training proved
indispensable.
"A college degree is not just career- or job-related," said
Albert Aubin, Counseling and Career Services coordinator at the
UCLA Career Center. "A lot of students have a more utilitarian
view: ‘How am I going to be able to use this information?’"
Yet along with critical thinking skills, multicultural
experience and the ability to listen closely are assets picked up
while acquiring a degree – assets many consider invaluable.
"The value of a liberal arts education lies in the skills you
gain – no matter what comes up, you’re ready for it," Aubin
said.
Slone realized that the ability he acquired to think critically
while solving engineering problems proved crucial when success
meant managing 30 orders at a time for customers waiting to
dine.
Currently, Slone is preparing to move to Jamaica, where a
position as a head chef at the Bloomfield Great House awaits
him.
Though he looks forward to living in a less urban environment,
his ultimate goal is to open his own restaurant.
Before deciding to cease study of electrical engineering, Slone
said, "I didn’t wake up every day saying, ‘This is what I really
want to do with the rest of my life.’ After I started cooking
professionally, though, I became very motivated.
"Now when I wake up, it’s easy for me to focus on what I’m
doing," he added. "I feel like a much happier person."
Whatever route a career path takes, though, "You want people to
do something that’s satisfying to them," Aubin said.BAHMAN
FARAHDEL/Daily Bruin
After leaving UCLA at the end of the winter quarter of 1998,
Josiah Slone, a former third-year electrical engineering student,
became a full-time chef.
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