Saying Thanks for Vital Scholarship Support

Luncheon Brought Scholarship Donors and Recipients Together

RALEIGH, N.C. (November 17, 2015) – Aranza Portugal is looking forward to completing her degree in culinary arts next spring – something that may not have been possible without the help of a scholarship from the Wake Tech Foundation. “There are no words to describe how grateful I am,” she says. Portugal was one of several culinary students who had a chance to meet and thank their benefactors at a luncheon today. Wake Tech’s Culinary Arts department held the event to bring scholarship recipients together with the generous donors who provided scholarship funding.

“The way we see it, these are the chefs of the future,” said Barbara Levine, who represents the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, an association of top Triangle chefs that funded two of this year’s scholarships. “We’re hoping these students will stay and work in the area after they graduate.”

Other donors at the luncheon included Mounir Saleh, owner of Sassool Restaurant in Raleigh, and Norman Couture, who established a scholarship in memory of his friend and former business partner, Greg Rasor. Rasor, who passed away in 2014, was one of the first graduates of Wake Tech’s Culinary Arts program in the early 1990’s.. “We were looking for a way to honor Greg’s memory,” said Couture. “This is a great way to encourage others to pursue a career they love.” Couture also presented the scholarship recipient, Jacqueline Enoicy, with a set of kitchen knives.

The luncheon was held in Flavors, Wake Tech’s student-run dining facility. Guests dined on seared sea scallops, lamb chops, and an assortment of desserts. Scholarships are vital for many Wake Tech students, who must balance work and family demands as they try to build skills and credentials for future career success. Last year, more than 750 students continued their education with the assistance of a scholarship through the Wake Tech Foundation.

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