Enjoy internationally inspired cuisine, live cooking competitions and an evening supporting the next generation of culinary professionals
Psychology major Emerald Moreno is inspired by a passion for understanding and interpreting others, along with a deep faith that psychology is her calling. She plans to transfer to a university to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology, minor in Spanish, and continue exploring a future in law.
After a major surgery and months of recovery, Tracey Kushner faced a decision that would reshape her future. In 2024, she returned to San Diego Mesa College determined to finish the degree she had started years earlier.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — San Diego Mesa College proudly celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2026 during its annual Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 29, 2026, honoring 1,958 graduates who earned more than 2,017 academic degrees and 414 certificates. A total of 727 graduates participated in the ceremony, joined by family, friends, faculty, staff, and community supporters.
March 10, 2017
San Diego, CA ---- Today, San Diego Mesa College announced two celebrity guest chefs who will be participating in “Taste of Mesa,” a cooking-show style fundraiser celebrating the grand opening of the newest state-of-the-art kitchen and on-campus restaurant, Culinary Outlook. Celebrity chefs will be able to experience Culinary Outlook firsthand, alongside students, during this exhilarating hands-on event.
The fundraiser, scheduled for the evening of Thursday April 6, will feature Maeve, founder and owner of Sugar and Scribe, Food Network Champion 2015 and winner of Best Bakery, Best New Restaurant La Jolla, along with Executive Chef, Kevin Templeton of Barleymash, San Diego Celebrity Chef 2014-15 and recently featured on Food Network’s ‘Beat Bobby Flay’.
“If you have been to any restaurant in San Diego, chances are good that a portion
your meal may have been prepared by a Mesa College Culinary Arts student,” stated
Dr. Pamela Luster, President. “Our goal is to prepare our students to contribute to
San Diego’s amazing culinary scene, and with this event and the support of our celebrity
chefs, we can do that.”
“Taste of Mesa” will showcase Culinary Outlook, and feature internationally-inspired cuisine and three cook-off competitions between alumni, students and an advanced baking team. Guests will be able to bid on food-themed silent auction items such as restaurant gift cards, liquors, wine and culinary tools. VIP ticketholders are invited to judge the culinary competitions, watch the celebrity chef competition, and receive a culinary gift bag. Culinary Outlook, hosted in the new Mesa Commons, was funded by voters via Propositions S and N.
The proceeds from “Taste of Mesa” will be used to purchase ingredients and supplies that will help train students for the farm to table style restaurants that are becoming more common in today’s market and prepare them to become valued employees in the service industry.
“The students need to learn what is changing in the industry, and we need to teach them more before they leave,” Culinary Arts/Management Professor Tonya Whitfield said. “With this fundraiser, we can do more for them.”
Tickets
for the Taste of Mesa are $25 for students, $50 for the general public and $125 for
VIP. For tickets, visit www.sdmesa.edu/tasteofmesa. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Anne Zacovic at [email protected]. For alumni involvement, contact Professor Tonya Whitfield at [email protected].
Find San Diego Mesa College on Social Media:
Facebook.com: sandiegomesacollege
Twitter.com: sdmesacollege
Instagram.com: sdmesacollege
Youtube: youtube.com: sdmesacollege
Snapchat: sdmesacollege
LinkedIn: San Diego Mesa College
Prez Pam Luster: twitter.com: sdmesaprez
And download the iMesa app for free
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Tags: Culinary Arts, Taste of Mesa, Press Release
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
[email protected]
(619) 388-2759
Enjoy internationally inspired cuisine, live cooking competitions and an evening supporting the next generation of culinary professionals
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — San Diego Mesa College proudly celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2026 during its annual Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 29, 2026, honoring 1,958 graduates who earned more than 2,017 academic degrees and 414 certificates. A total of 727 graduates participated in the ceremony, joined by family, friends, faculty, staff, and community supporters.
San Diego, CA — San Diego Mesa College will honor its 2026 scholarship recipients during the 33rd Annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 recognizing the academic excellence, resilience, and aspirations of its students. This year, the college will award nearly $250,000 across 114 scholarship opportunities, resulting in 281 individual awards to 202 students. Sixty students will receive multiple scholarships, underscoring both their accomplishments and the Mesa College community’s continued commitment to student success.
