Tools for the Trade

The TTC Foundation fills many needs for students who have the passion, desire and bravery to take on the challenge of earning a college degree but lack the financial support to get there.

I am a graduate of the Culinary Institute of Charleston (CIC) at Trident Technical College and have been teaching here for five years.

When CIC students begin the program, they must invest a significant amount of money for uniforms and equipment, including either a culinary kit or baking and pastry kit. These kits contain all the tools students need in the culinary and baking labs.

They are not cheap, in price or quality. It is a substantial investment that students may not have factored into their overall college costs and could end up as the final roadblock in the admissions and onboarding process at TTC.

That kit belongs to them and will be part of their story. It will remind them of the hours of chopping vegetables, piping out icing, filleting fish, and gently folding in the finishing touches on the creations they made while at CIC. It is the seed of the lifetime of equipment that will grow with each additional knife or offset spatula during their personal journey in the world of culinary arts.

I appreciate that the Foundation’s equipment fund assists students in this way. These funds won't go to books, tuition or living expenses. Instead, the money goes to the kits that represent the skills and craft of our industry.

My family gives to the Foundation because I know it helps so many of the students that I see in class and around campus. The Student Equipment Fund is one small way we help students reach their personal goals.

Joe Branton
Culinary Arts Instructor
Culinary Institute of Charleston at Trident Technical College

Chef Branton is a 2010 graduate of the culinary arts program at TTC and holds a baccalaureate degree in English and history. He has worked in the food service industry for over 10 years holding multiple positions in Colorado and here in Charleston. Branton's culinary skills earned him the 2009 People's Choice Award at the Almost Famous Chef Competition in Napa Valley.

Click here to make a donation to the CIC Student Equipment Fund.

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