2009 Scholarship Recipient Highlight:
Heather Rousseau
Recipient of the 2009 Plugrá European-Style Butter Scholarship
Heather attended school for business management, and after acquiring her Bachelor’s degree, took some community college classes in pastry in eastern Michigan before enrolling in The French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago. It was a decision she mulled over for four years before feeling ready to apply and make the move to Chicago. Heather joined the January 2009 term of L’Art de la Pâtisserie – The Professional Pastry and Baking Program.
At The French Pastry School, Heather loved learning the classics in pastry, like tarts, entremets and viennoiseries, and gaining an understanding of the importance of using high quality ingredients. Creating cakes was exciting for her, especially making gumpaste flowers. Heather had a lot of tools used in making gumpaste in her possession, but she didn’t know how to use them properly (friends and family had often offered them to her as gifts). The most challenging part for Heather was trying to meticulously follow directions. Having had previous experience in pastry, she was used to moving quickly. While in L’Art de la Pâtisserie, she had to force herself to slow down and perform each method accurately. Practicing and remaining patient, she said, creates the better end-product.
"Having someone else there who has years of experience, showing us what’s right and wrong – you learn from their years of trial and error."
Heather gained a great appreciation for her mentors – her Chef Instructors at The French Pastry School. “Having someone else there who has years of experience, showing us what’s right and wrong – you learn from their years of trial and error. ‘I’ve tried a hundred times so you don’t have to.’”
Since graduating from L’Art de la Pâtisserie, Heather has worked diligently toward creating her own business, SugarHigh, LLC. She opened her bakery in Frankenmuth, Michigan in May of 2009, and has since been featured on news channels such as ABC12. More information on Heather Rousseau’s business may be found at www.sugarhighllc.com.
For complete Scholarship details click here.