A Dream Actualized

Leaving an occupation you’re skilled at, that has a good salary to boot, is difficult, even when you no longer enjoy it. That’s why a job layoff that forced current NCC student, Carrie Stasiak, to pursue her dream career was a blessing in disguise. 

Stasiak, 54, worked as a human resources manager for managed services companies for many years but no longer enjoyed it. The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly challenging for human resource professionals as policies, procedures and protocols continuously changed. Despite the difficulty, she persevered. 

“While the rest of the world was cleaning out closets and making sourdough bread, my world was the complete opposite. I was working harder and was more stressed than ever,” Stasiak said. “Working from home left me feeling completely isolated, but I was glad I had a job at least.” 

Even as the nation started to emerge from the pandemic, she found her work unfulfilling. With two children in college, she was not in a position to quit and give up her salary. Meanwhile, the company she worked for was reassessing its staffing needs and decided to cut about half of the workers for whom she provided human resources services. 

One Friday afternoon, about a year ago, she was commiserating with a colleague and confided that what she really wanted to do was bake bread. That Monday, as if fate had been listening, she learned that her position had been eliminated. 

“I felt the blood drain from my body,” she said. “I was miserable. I was burnt out, but I still remember that feeling of, ‘Oh my God, what do I do now?’” 

A couple of days later, she began to put her situation into perspective and think about her options. Her oldest child was married and lived about an hour away. Her two youngest children were on track to graduate in about a month. Her husband had retired and was collecting a pension besides working another job. 

“So, I took my own advice and decided to pursue a career making bread. It was my time. For the rest of my working life, I’m going to do what I love unless I win the lottery; then, all bets are off,” she joked. 

Stasiak has loved baking bread for as long as she can remember. Her grandmother had a bakery and diner in upper Manhattan. Her earliest memories are of being a small child in that warm environment, enjoying the sweet, comforting aroma of baking bread. Today, the memories fill her with joy. 

Life delayed her dream of being a baker. Stasiak became a mother at 18. Rather than going to college at that time, she chose to stay home to raise her baby, intending to go to college someday. But then, she had two more children and later, got a job to help support the family and put them through college. 

Last year, she suddenly found herself with an empty nest and no job. With her family’s support, she applied and was accepted to NCC’s culinary arts program. She also secured an internship with Pocono Organics, a 380-acre regenerative organic certified farm in Blakeslee, near her Chestnut Hill home and close to NCC’s Pocono campus. 

In August 2023, she began classes, and in as little as three semesters, she will obtain a specialized diploma in baking and pastry. The program consists of hands-on instruction, during which, she gets to work with industry experts to gain the knowledge and skills to create, prepare and present a variety of desserts and baked goods. She produces an array of diverse desserts, bread-based products, pastries and sweets, using traditional and specialty recipes. She has already made pizza dough, hot-crossed buns and Stollen, a fruit bread of nuts, spices and dried or candied fruit. 

Stasiak enjoys working with instructors with impressive credentials and experiences. Many of them are involved with the restaurant scene in the Lehigh Valley, which helps students make connections. Some have graduated from prestigious schools, including the Culinary Institute of America, and some have studied and worked abroad, including in France. Their varied experience provides students with diverse perspectives, she said.   

Students work in a fully commercial kitchen equipped with everything they need, including proofers and industrial-sized mixers. Using this equipment, students learn to work with the large batches used by restaurants and commercial bakeries. 

Stasiak is one of five returning students in her class of 21 peers. She said, there are no age divisions. Instead, she has much in common with her younger classmates, especially their love of baking.  

“They’ve been incredibly supportive,” she said. “They’re terrific and very inclusive. I enjoy working alongside these cool young adults.” 

The flexible course schedule – two weeknights from 5 - 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 2 pm – enables Stasiak to work full-time. In October, she started working in the bakery department at the Kalahari Resort in Pocono Manor, which she loves. She intends to continue working at Kalahari after graduation. 

While juggling studies, work and family is challenging, Stasiak knows she’s on the right path. She stays motivated by a quote that she read somewhere, “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” 

She even has a side hustle in mind. Stasiak and her husband purchased a 1970 recreational vehicle and plan to refit the vintage camper as a pop-up bakery to take to festivals and other special events. 

“I would encourage people not to be afraid of following their dream job,” she said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have a family and community who support me. Looking back on everything, I’m glad I lost my job and decided to change careers. I no longer get up with a pit in my stomach. I feel at peace.”