Kiara Brown in Speakman Hall at Temple’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management. (Photo courtesy of Kiara Brown)
Name: Kiara Brown
Major: Tourism and Hospitality Management
Hometown: Washington, DC
“Philadelphia has a vibrant food and restaurant scene which made it the perfect choice when exploring universities to transfer to,” says Brown, who will earn her degree in tourism and hospitality management in May.
During her first semester at STHM, Brown took a course, Leisure and Tourism for a Diverse Society, with professor Debra Blair. Because it was Hispanic Heritage Month, the class went on a Latin dining walk, tasting traditional Latin cuisine at various Philadelphia restaurants.
“Integrating experience into the classroom really resonated with me since I love to cook and was not able to have this type of experience at my previous university,” Brown says.
“This memory also stands out for me because as a transfer student it gave me the opportunity to meet students from different majors that I wouldn’t have necessarily had the chance to meet.”
Brown was able to transfer her love for food onto the screen as a host of “Feel Good Cooking,” a TUTV cooking show. She learned about this opportunity during Temple’s Weeks of Welcome, the annual campus life street fair held during the first week of classes. Episode themes have included college comfort foods and how to make a dish inspired by the children’s book “Stone Soup.”
Kiara Brown with Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri. (Photo courtesy of Kiara Brown)
“We took one episode on the road to visit Marc Vetri at his restaurant Vetri Cucina where he showed us how to make his famous carbonara dish. This was so exciting to meet him and get a firsthand look behind the scenes,” she says.
In addition to Brown’s onscreen cooking experience, she has expanded her skill set with internships at the Army Navy Country Club at Bank and Bourbon inside the Loews hotel.
Dishes created and prepared by Kiara Brown. (Photo courtesy of Kiara Brown)
Inspired by her mother, who is also a chef, Kiara plans to be a traveling private chef upon graduation and eventually open a restaurant.
“Looking back in time, the best advice I would have given to myself as I embarked on my collegiate career…‘be patient and allow God to guide me,’” Brown says.
“Things may crumble before they get better, so it’s OK if everything doesn’t go as planned.”