Alumni Spotlight

Melissa Gamble

Melissa (Mayes) Gamble, 44, of Mt. Pleasant, PA, attended Westmoreland County Community College from 1999-2002, 2012-2014, and is our featured alumnus.

So what made Gamble want to attend Westmoreland after high school?

“Westmoreland offered awesome culinary and food service classes. I was probably about eight or nine years old when I decided what I wanted to do. I was ALWAYS in the kitchen with my mom and when I was younger my dad was a baker. I'm so, so much like my dad, and as they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. As I got older and decided I still wanted to follow my plans, I understood that jobs would always be available in the food industry. On the other hand, my dream to own my own ice cream shop probably started at age seven. I never imagined my dreams would come true! Also, the college being close to home was important as I wanted to stay close to my family and friends,” said Gamble.

While at the college, Gamble studied Culinary, Baking and Pastry, Food Service Management, and Dietary Management. Her fondest memory was when they raised funds and took a Bus Trip to New York and also made ice sculptures.

“We ate at Tavern on the Green and saw the Broadway performance of STOMP. We got to go into the Twin Towers and it was gorgeous inside,” says Gamble.

She also fondly remembers making ice sculptures. “The ice sculptures were a project in Garde Manger class. We had to partner up and we carved them outside of Commissioners Hall (now Health and Culinary Center),” adds Gamble.

Gamble was also on the fast-pitch softball team for a semester. She had played since she was five-years-old, so quitting after high school and not playing was tough. They welcomed her onto the team, but then work got in the way and she unfortunately hung up her cleats.

Did Gamble ever have a favorite instructor?

“Chef Cindy Komarinski and Cheryl Shipley were two of my favorite instructors throughout my years there. They were fun and made college interesting. We are still in contact with each other after 25 years!” states Gamble.

Now that he has graduated from Westmoreland, what is she up to now?

Gamble shares, “With my love for cooking and baking, and after my twins were born, I stayed at home five days a week and worked weekends when my husband was home with the kids. I started baking cupcakes and decided to make a Facebook group. Within a few years, my little "Simply Delicious" group hit over 3,000 followers. We noticed in 2018 that Suzy's was for sale and my husband said that we should buy it. I thought with three young kids I could never do it...but on June 1, 2019, we bought the previously Suzy's Frozen Custard and merged our names. I didn't want to change the name of the already beloved Frozen Custard shop that Mount Pleasant was known for. Fast forward six years later, we have a staff of 16 and are thriving. It's a lot of work, long hours and devotion, but I absolutely love my rewarding job. It's definitely a family business. My oldest son, Bryce, started working there when he was 13 (now 17). My twins, Dante and Dominic, just turned 12 and they help at the shop. They both know how to make all the frozen custard. We teach our kids that nothing in life is handed to you, that you have to put forth the work to get the reward!”

Her business has a mobile Frozen Custard Cart. They attend community events and are as involved as possible. They donate and help many local school sports teams.

Gamble credits all of her classes and instructors at Westmoreland for helping to prepare her for owning her own business.She wouldn’t be where she is today without the ones who helped her out in her academic journey.

“I’d like to thank, Andy, my husband of almost 20 years; my oldest son, Bryce, 17, who is currently a culinary student at the CWCTC; and my twins, Dante and Dominic, who joined me in my return to Westmoreland in 2012 (in my belly),” states Gamble.

In her spare time, Gamble loves watching crime shows and cooking and baking shows. She and her twins love watching Nailed It on Netflix. They have movie nights all of the time. They are huge Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler fans.

Gamble encourages Westmoreland students to DREAM BIG!

Kenzie Parkinson

Kenzie Parkinson, 20, of Jeannette, PA, attended Westmoreland County Community College from 2022-2024 and is our featured alumnus.

So what made Parkinson want to attend Westmoreland after high school?

“I was awarded the Presidential Scholarship, so it was very affordable for me to get my education while commuting from home and work. The culinary program was also well recommended and highly regarded,” says Parkinson.

Westmoreland has one of the region’s best culinary programs and has graduated some of the state's (and country’s) top chefs, including one of our own alumni, Rich Rosendale, who holds the prestigious title of Certified Master Chef.

At Westmoreland, Parkinson studied Culinary Arts. While some people take up studies in another county or another state, Parkinson has far exceeded this. She is currently furthering her studies in the south of France for Patisserie.

While looking back at her college days, Parkinson has a memory that sticks out the most.

“In my last semester at WCCC, I had a day of labs that started at 8 a.m. and went till 8-9 p.m. Between the two labs I had a 3-hour break. During the first half of that break I would study and do homework, but the second half I always, always reserved for myself. I would walk around campus for at least an hour (sometimes I would run) and practice my French with podcasts. It was truly my most cherished time,” states Parkinson.

Did Parkinson have a favorite instructor?

Parkinson states, “Chef Schmucker is such a down to earth, respectful and hard-working person. He has a way of teaching the most high end cooking techniques, dishes and plating all with a rare, admirable humbleness.”

Now that she has graduated from Westmoreland, what is she up to now?

“After graduating, I continued to work at the restaurant I had been at through my studies (J. Corks, Greensburg). When I was accepted into a French Patisserie and Culinary School, I decided to search for jobs in bakeries. Luckily, I found a place right in my hometown willing to teach me for a few months before I departed. Now, I am happily living and learning in a small town on the Mediterranean Sea,” says Parkinson.

That is truly fantastic.

With that being said, how has Westmoreland prepared Parkinson for her current career?

She exclaims, “Having a solid background in culinary arts has definitely prepared me for this journey I am walking through now. Many of the people I am learning alongside have never set foot in a professional kitchen, and soon we will be moving into our planned internships. Whereas many of my fellow classmates are troubled over working in the industry, I have previous, first-hand experience in all of the terms and equipment we are using, and I have the confidence to carry myself professionally and help others.”

Parkinson could not have done this alone. She gives credit to her parents and my dog (Fudge) who kept her going with much needed encouragement and hugs.

When she isn’t in the kitchen, Parkinson enjoys singing, music, knitting, reading, Muay Thai, and eating soup.

Her advice to current college students?

“Don't trap yourself by thinking you've chosen a path and you can never do/be anything else. Go after what you want, even if you change your mind sometimes. All experiences are good experiences, but not every experience is a good one. Take everything you do as an opportunity to learn,” says Parkinson.

She concludes with a quote from Oscar Wilde.

"We are not nouns, we are verbs. I am not a thing - an actor, a writer - I am a person who does things - I write, I act - and I never know what I am going to do next. I think you can be imprisoned if you think of yourself as a noun."

Westmoreland robotics student, Katie Lynn, is the first female machinist at her company. Click here to read more about Katie and her story.

Click here to read a Tribune-Review article featuring Westmoreland alum, Victoria “V” Jennings.

Emily Beerbroer instructs culinary students at The “Culinary Corner Cafe” at the Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center.

Click here to read more about Emily and her story.

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