Our Students Come From Near and Far - Meet Pastry Student Georgina "Georgie" Budd
Interview with Georgina “Georgie” Budd
A charming red-haired Australian from the city of Tamworth, Georgie Budd loves her new life in Seattle as a second-quarter pastry student at Seattle Culinary Academy. After visiting the city two years ago as a tourist, she promised herself she would come back one day to live here. Now on a student visa, Budd has shown keen interest in the pastry program and settled in to all that the city has to offer. A graduate of a commercial cookery program in New South Wales, Georgie had a strong background in culinary arts before applying to the pastry program at SCA. With a vision for a catering company and a passion for elaborate, beautiful pastries, she is brightly enthusiastic about the opportunities for learning from the experienced chefs that teach the program. Her advice to anyone considering the program as well? “Do it,” she said. “There’s only so much you can know until you try. As long as you work hard, people respect that. There’s no expectation when you enter the program, so you have the freedom to explore.”
The depth of experience in the teaching team is one of the things Budd appreciates most about the pastry program, as well as the interest they take in each student. “ I like the relationships you form with your instructors,” she said. “It’s very hands-on, and there’s a personal touch.” Since she came in to the program with academic and industry experience already, she said, she has been encouraged to expand her skills beyond the standard curriculum, a privilege she greatly enjoys. Trying out new techniques and new recipes has been a lifelong interest, and she recalled racing through her homework in high school so she could have enough time to try a new recipe for her family of four.
Incorporating both sweet and savory recipes into her future career is a goal for her, she said, and while the vision is still forming, Budd sees the possibility of owning a catering company focused on private parties as one that would incorporate her interests in party planning and cooking at the same time. She likes working with customers in the pastry case rotation for this reason, noting that she likes the social aspect of it, as well as working on a team with her fellow students.