Discover Our Students’ Experiences Through Their Own Words: Marc Cassel and Suzan Fries

“We met while attending El Centro’s Food and Hospitality Institute over 20 years ago,” says Marc Cassel.

“I worked at several restaurants afterwards, including Baby Routh, The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Star Canyon and Azalea. I then served as executive chef at The Green Room. Suzan and I now run our seafood joint on Peavy Road. We like the creativity of the profession. Working with young people keeps us young. El Centro helped us develop a stronger work ethic and apply what we learned.”

Marc Cassel began his culinary career after reading an article in 1988 about the chef apprenticeship program at El Centro.

“I always had wanted to be a chef,” he says. “Like a lot of other enthusiastic 'retreads,’ I was looking for a new career, and the program at El Centro was financially within my means compared to the debt of attending a private chef’s school.”

He graduated from the El Centro chef apprenticeship program in 1991. Suzan and Mark have catered to the palates of Dallas diners for decades. Their cooking pedigree includes Baby Routh, The Mansion, Star Canyon, Dragonfly and a legendary nine-year run at The Green Room. 20 Feet Seafood Joint is located at 1160 Peavy Road in East Dallas, 972-707-7442.

A student with a red jacket poses for a photo in a downtown setting

Stephanie Gutierrez

Culinary Student

“At El Centro’s Culinary and Hospitality Institute, I’m learning how to plan a menu and use time management in the kitchen. Now with SkillsUSA, it’s teaching me to get where I want to go.”

Culinary and Pastry Arts

Albert Pantoja III

Senior Accountant American Home Mortgage Servicing

“My experience was really good; I learned a lot about different types of loans, underwriting and loan origination. The program gave us a broad overview from the get-go. I didn’t have any previous experience in mortgage banking at all, so it really helped me to prepare for changing jobs into the industry.”

Banking and Finance

Tammy White

Project Manager Verizon Telecom

“The most important thing I learned in my education was a sense of accomplishment and purpose, and that nothing is impossible as long as I am willing to expend the effort to reach my goals. I have been promoted a number of times in recent years, into positions of more and more responsibility as a direct result of my education.”

Business, Business and Management