Going back, moving forward ADULT STUDENTS LOOK TO MERCYHURST NORTH EAST FOR CAREER CHANGES
By Abby Badach
’ Whether you ve lost your job or just can t ignore the urge to switch industries – it s never too late to go back to school. Since 1991, Mercyhurst North East has welcomed hundreds of adults searching for a supportive place to help them make a career change. The paths that led them here are as unique as they are: ’ ’
DUANE HEMPHILL Age: 43 • Major: Hospitality Management – Culinary Arts Graduated: May 2013
Duane Hemphill will be the frst to tell you he didn’t always walk the straight and narrow path in his younger years, getting in trouble in school and around the neighborhood. But even with his missteps, his love of cooking was a force that provided consistency in his life and a calling to do something more. After enjoying work at local restaurants and a nursing home kitchen, he knew he wanted to move up in the industry – and that meant fnding a place to earn his degree. Hemphill chose Mercyhurst North East, taking classes during the day and working kitchen jobs at night to help pay for school. “I like making pasta dishes, seafood – anything, really,” he said. “I wanted to go to a school that would put me in a real kitchen.” What he didn’t know was that his dream would be challenged with a series of heartbreaking personal obstacles. While in school, Hemphill lost his grandmother, his sister and his niece. Then, his son was shot and he tended to his recovery. Finally – with less than a year of classes to go – his apartment burned down from a grease fre. With no renter’s insurance, he had to start from scratch. Still, he never gave up on school.
“I wasn’t raised to be a quitter,” he said. “I want to set an example for my kids.”
Now, Hemphill is a sous chef at the Lake View Country Club in North East, Pa. – a position ofered to him once he completed his internship there. He’s turned his life around, thanks in part to the support he received through Mercyhurst North East. “Even when I needed to take time of to be with my family, my professors were fexible and supportive,” Hemphill said. “It wasn’t always easy, but I’m glad I went back.”
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