A single high school culinary class was all it took for Carrick Donnelly to discover his passion for food.
“I liked the class,” said Donnelly. “It helped me find out how much I enjoy making food that looks good and getting compliments on what I made."
That early interest led him to CMU Tech, where he recently earned his Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts. His education came with plenty of hands-on training, especially during his internship at Hotel Maverick’s Devil’s Kitchen restaurant.
He started at the front of house, learning the flow of service as a host, server assistant and expo. Soon after, he moved into the kitchen, where he rotated through the pantry, grill and even a few lead shifts.
Donnelly impressed the team with his work and earned a full-time position before graduation. Today, he works alongside his former internship mentor, Chef Ernie Brown, Hotel Maverick’s Director of Food, Beverage and Culinary. Brown spent years working on the Las Vegas strip with culinary icons like Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay before bringing his experience to CMU. For him, mentoring students like Donnelly is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
“The idea of being on a campus and training and mentoring people was exciting for me,” Brown said.
For Donnelly, that mentorship is exactly what he craves at this stage of his career. Right now, he’s focused on absorbing new skills and gaining as much insight as possible from the experts around him.
“I’m soaking up everything from people who have a lot of experience in the industry,” Donnelly said. “I just want to gain as much knowledge as I can.”
With his education, work ethic and passion for food, Donnelly is well on his way. His story is one of growth and promise from a single culinary class to a full-time career in the kitchen.
Watch Carrick Donnelly and Chef Ernie Brown in episode two of Life in the Trades as they team up with CMU Rodeo Coach Branden Edwards for a busy day at Devil’s Kitchen.