Congrats to Kyle Dryden for being chosen as one of Sullivan's Alumni of the Month. Kyle graduated in 2010 from the Louisville Campus. He answered a few questions for us about his experiences at Sullivan University. 

How do you feel about being chosen as Alumni of the Month? 

I am very humbled to be chosen as Alumni of the Month. Sullivan University prepares so many fine students. I am truly honored to be recognized as one of them.

What was your program of study and why did you choose it? 

I studied Culinary Art on the Lexington Campus and Baking and Pastry Arts at Louisville Campus. I may be guilty to sound cliché, I always had a passion for cooking, entertaining, and for making people feel welcomed. After the economy took a nose dive in 2008, I found myself without a job and I was looking for change. I heard great things about Sullivan Culinary Program and I had to join.

Where are you currently working? Tell us about what you do and how it relates to your program of study.

Currently, I am living my dream at Walt Disney’s World. I am part of the Grand Floridian Bakery Cast. I create desserts, fresh breads, cakes, and chocolate & sugar displays for our guest staying at our Resorts, as well as Magic Kingdom. I am applying all the skills I was taught from Sullivan to achieve the best for our guests. 

How did Sullivan help prepare you for your career goals?

Sullivan helped prepare me to achieve my career goals by having a caring and brilliant staff of instructors, chefs, and directors who cared about my success as much as I did. I never once felt I was unable to accomplish any of my goals from my Sullivan Family. Instead, I encourage to never give up no matter how many time someone told me “No!”

What are your future career/educational goals? 

Thanks to Sullivan University, I have so many opportunities in my future. I am thinking about return to Sullivan to earn my bachelors’ degree in hospitality management and or in business. In the near future, I do plan on moving to California to work for Chef Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. Years down the road, I see myself running a bakery or restaurant of my own .

What was your favorite thing about Sullivan?

I had the greatest time as a student at Sullivan. All the chefs, instructors, and directors at the Lexington and Louisville campuses were such a joy and inspiration.  The superb staff at the Lexington Campus Library was always helpful and excited to see me at 6:30am for my morning research.  

Some of my favorite things about Sullivan University was Chef Foster, Chef Spendlove, Chef Hallman, Chef Armstrong, Chef Walls, Chef McBride, Chef Wollums , Chef Turner, Chef Woherle, Mrs. Allen, Mrs. Dee, Mr. Jeffery Stone and his Bow Ties, Mr. David Tudor, Mrs. Julie Saifullah, Incredibly Food Show, the entire Lexington Campus Staff and my fellow classmates.

Do you have a valuable tip or advice that you would give to current students?

“Do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it.” 

Angela Riggs has been named Sullivan University's Dean of Early Childhood Education. Previously the Director of the department, it has become very apparent that Ms. Riggs' responsibilites and accomplishments are best acknowledged with the title of Dean.

Dean Riggs earned her BS in Early Elementary Education with an emphasis in mathematics from WKU and her Masters in Early Elementary Education with a specialization in mathematics from the University of Louisville. She has continued her professional development over the years by attending several workshops and sessions related to her field of specialization and higher education in general. 

Congrats to Adam O'Bryan as being chosen alumnus of the month from the Ft. Knox campus. Adam graduated in June of 2011 with his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accounting.

He is currently working as Directorate of Public Work, Business Operations & Integration Division in Fort Knox. Adam said his degree from Sullivan definitely helped him obtain this position.

At Sullivan- Ft. Knox, he liked the class scheduling process and flexibility, as well as the locked-in tuition rates.

Adam's favorite instructors were Abby Drane who taught Accounting, and Math instructor, Mike Johnson.

His advice to current students is to stay in school and do not quit. Adam says that he encourages other alumni to return to Sullivan to further their education.

Chef Darnell Ferguson ('08) recently opened SuperChef's Breakfast in Louisville. The unique menu includes items such as beignets, granola encrusted french toast, and red velvet pancakes. The restaurant is located on Brownsboro Road and open for breakfast daily from 5:30am - 11am and on Sundays, 5:30-4pm.

Since graduating, Chef Ferguson has worked in the kitchens of Proof on Main, Napa River Grill, and the Seelbach Hotel. He has also had the opportunity to work as a chef in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as well as cook for US Delegates and a former President. 

Visit SuperChef's Breakfast on facebook and twitter.

Alisha Payton-Hardison graduated from the Baking and Pastry Arts Program in 2005. She is the owner and Certified Pastry Chef of Dalisha's Desserts, a bakery and dessert cafe in Owensboro, Kentucky.

Alisha developed a passion for culinary arts and baking at an early age. She would bake in college for friends and family before she came to Sullivan University. She knew Sullivan was right for her, after her visit.

Alisha developed her business Dalisha's Desserts, after graduation, and began working out of her home. She got so busy that she had to turn away orders and knew she needed a bigger working space.

She entered a local contest sponsored by the city, for a rent-free space and won 15,000 in seed money.

To see Alisha's space and learn more about Dalisha's Desserts, watch our video here.

The Sullivan University System is currently seeking a Sales Consultant for the Dale Carnegie Training.  The incumbent will be responsible for connecting with the corporate market in the assigned territory to provide development solutions through Dale Carnegie Training.  The successful candidate will be a college graduate with a proven track record in developing successful client relationships. High energy, superior communication and organizational skills and the ability to produce and deliver dynamic presentations are essential!  This position will require the ability to travel and work flexible hours in order to meet the needs of our clients.

For more information or to apply, please go to https://home.eease.com/recruit/?id=1214691  

Kasey Kirk-Dillow is a 2005 graduate with Associate degrees in both Culinary Arts and Professional Catering. 

Kasey began cooking as a child with her grandmother. She had the opportunity to study abroad where she fell in love with cooking and decided to attend Sullivan once she returned home.

Kasey is currently the Executive Chef of The Miller House, an American Restaurant with Southern flair that also provides full service catering on and off site. Located in Owensboro, Kentucky, The Miller House was opened in 2009 by Kasey's parents after they purchased the historic building and spent years renovating. 

Check out our interview with Kasey at The Miller House here.

Career Services

Louisville Campus:

Tony Farmer, Director:tfarmer@sullivan.edu

Louisville, e-Learning & Fort Knox Webpage

3101 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY 40205

(502) 413-8600
(800) 844-1354
(502) 458-7467 (fax)

Lexington Campus:

Julie Saifullah, Director:   jsaifullah@sullivan.edu

Lexington Office Webpage

2355 Harrodsburg Road
Lexington, KY 40504

(859) 514-7680
(800) 467-6281
(859) 514-7675 (fax)

Fort Knox Campus:

Barbara Dean, Executive Director, bsdean@sullivan.edu
Amy Bishop, abishop@sullivan.edu

63 Quartermaster Street
Fort Knox, KY 40121
(502) 942-8500
(800) 562-6713

Alumni Affairs Office

Hazel R. Matthews, Director of Alumni Affairs, hmatthews@sullivan.edu

Nicole Goodin, Associate Director - ngoodin@sullivan.edu

Brittney Helm, Administrative Assistant - bhelm@sullivan.edu

Duane Pierce, Web Administrator

If you found your way to Lexington in October for the Incredible Food Show you may have had the chance to see for yourself why fellow graduate Brigitte Nguyen ('08) is on her way to becoming a star.

Her introduction of Giada DeLaurentis on Saturday and her own dinner segment on Sunday prompted many visitors to suggest that Brigitte should get her own tv show. It has finally happened.

"From the Kitchens of... with Brigitte Nguyen" debuts November 7, 2010. The Sunday morning  show at 10 am on the Cooking Channel (Insight 209, DirecTV 232 Dish Network 113) will feature Brigitte going behind the scenes  to find the best recipes from the top test kitchens in the country.

More photos and videos from the Incredible Food Show are online on our Flickr page. The link is on the left.

Welcome to our new online community.  Membership is FREE and available exclusively to our alumni and friends!

This is Sullivan's private, online community created exclusively for alumni.   It is a secure, password-protected environment established by Sullivan University.

Once you register, an email will be sent to confirm your membership and validate your email address.  Be sure to click on the link in this email so your account can be activated.

Become a member and take advantage of the following services:

• Reconnect with faculty and former classmates
• Organize class reunions
• Discover ways to support your school
• Share alumni news and activities

Features include:

• Message boards for In Memorial, Lost/Missing Alumni, Career & Volunteer Center, Class Notes, School & Alumni News
• Alumni directory that's searchable by class, by name or by occupation
• Lost / missing alumni directory to help find people that others are looking for
• Social networking (Facebook, Skype, MySpace and LinkedIn) support

Search for friends and make new connections with the online community!  All you need to do to take advantage of all the community has to offer is to proceed through the registration process to establish an account.

Sullivan University  has a nearly 50-year history and the video above was developed for the Alumni Weekend in 2010. Plans are already underway for the 50th Anniversary in 2012, including an Alaskan cruise. The video looks back on the school's history. It was shown as part of the Saturday evening Alumni Weekend Gala Dinner in Louisville on November 6, 2010.

Jerry Broderick ('07), Executive Chef of Harrodsburg's historic Beaumont Inn weighs in, along with a number of southern food experts, in the Oxford American Southern Food Poll.