‘Fireside’ internship lights culinary student’s passion

Among the hundreds of students supplementing their hands-on Penn College education through internships this year was Emma J. Turner, a culinary arts technology, professional baking and applied management student who became the first intern at Fireside Tavern, a busy restaurant and event space in Strasburg.

“My title at Fireside Tavern was ‘roundsman,’ meaning I rotated throughout all of the stations,” Turner, of New London, explained. With a staff of four hustling to fulfill dinner orders for 400 customers on busy weekend nights, every station provided eye openers – and confirmation she’s found a career she loves.

Turner is a Dean’s List student, a member of the Alpha Alpha Alpha National Honor Society for First-Generation College Students, represented the college on the Pennsylvania Farm Show’s Culinary Connection stage, and was among 28 Penn College students hired to complete weeklong internships at Churchill Downs during the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

Emma J. Turner, a Penn College culinary arts technology student from New London, helps in a kitchen at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby festivities. Photo by Amanda L. Farr-Lepper, assistant professor of culinary arts.

“Emma was a very driven student from day one,” said Chef Frank M. Suchwala, associate professor of hospitality management/culinary arts and Turner’s internship coordinator. “She always was open to completing extra tasks in class and was a leader among peers. When you look at students as potential employees, I always ask myself if I would hire them in my own business. In this case it would be a resounding yes. Her future is so bright she needs sun glasses.”

Turner started her Fireside Tavern internship working with the prep cook.

“Prep was multiple 50-pound bags of potatoes at a time, 12 to 15 gallons of each soup, 100 pounds of meatloaf a week, and preparing 8 to 12 quarts of at least 10 different sauces – and so much more. I was amazed at how much needed to be prepared, and then seeing by the end of the week there was about nothing left over,” Turner said.

She also helped with banquets before moving to “the line,” first in the “garde manger” station. At Fireside, that meant she was preparing salads, appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and foods from the fryer.

“I got a taste of the rush,” she said – but it was her next stop that had her hooked.

“After only a week or two of (the garde manger) side, I was moved down to the entree side, where I was in charge of putting all the proteins in the oven at the correct time, preparing all the sauté items, and assisting my co-worker with plate set ups and refills,” she said.

The busyness – and Emma’s job satisfaction – reached a new level.

“It was the most heavy-hit station, where you’re working in no A/C, the temp is reading 115, you’re working with fire, the screen is filled to the max with tickets (orders), you’re running out of range-top space after already having six pans going, and you’re running around like crazy,” Turner described. “That there, is my favorite part. Some call me crazy, but it’s the adrenaline rush that I love, and it was very eye opening to experience such a thing.”

It was an experience she said she could have only gotten through an internship, one reason internships are required in the college’s baking & culinary program – and many others across campus.

“I think what prepares you for that time of pressure is to just be out there in it,” she said. “School taught me the basics and gave me an understanding of flavor pairings and what it was like to prep; I just don’t believe you can be taught how to work in an environment like Fireside unless you are there, literally in the fire.”

Not only did she advance her kitchen skills, but, Turner said, she learned to master other real-world realities: working 40- to 50-hour weeks, showing up consistently on time and managing time.

“They taught me how to keep going when you feel like giving up, how to work faster when you feel like it’s impossible and still be able to maintain a cool head,” she added.

Internships not only benefit students: They’re also helpful to employers, who often recruit their Penn College interns – who employ their hands-on education to hit the ground running – to full-time positions. Turner is no different, leaving Fireside with a job offer that she “will definitely be considering” following graduation.

To learn more about Penn College’s baking & culinary majors, visit www.pct.edu/culinary or call 570-327-4505.