UConn Dining Services was pleased to host two interns this summer through NACUFS (National Association of College and University Foodservice).

Abigail (Abby) Karikas is from Curtis, Ohio and just completed her junior year at Bluffton University.  Abby is majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics and is interested in the dietitian’s role in university food service.  Abby is a student manager for catering at Bluffton.  She chose UConn as her first choice for NACUFS host school because we are a large university with a focus on sustainable practices.  Abby wants to get management experience in larger kitchens, such as menu planning, ordering and how we utilize products from local farmers.

Mariel Camacho-Arriola is from Shoreview, Minnesota and have completed her junior year at University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.  Mariel is majoring in Nutrition with a minor in Food Systems.  Mariel is very interested in food service operations on a large campus; how do we maintain quality on such a large scale.  She is looking at possible careers as an inspector for the USDA or food buyer for a large distributor.

Among other tasks, Abby and Mariel worked on-staff at the department’s two UCann Cook Camps this summer, Cooking Camps 101 and 102, teaching eight to ten year olds how to read and prepare a variety of meals. They will both appear on the cover of the Fall issue of UCuisine.

As a show of appreciation, Abby and Mariel left their mark at UConn (see photo).