South Central College expands annual "Grateful Gathering"

NORTH MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) -The South Central College Culinary Arts program puts on a Thanksgiving meal for the school and community alike.

The “Grateful Gathering” sells out most years and this year used 25 turkeys to feed nearly 300 people.

This year was a little different, as the college’s Architecture program had an event of their own; a gingerbread house contest where visitors could vote for their favorites and buy one to take home, an addition that leaders at the college said is meant to teach the students collaboration with groups that they otherwise wouldn’t work with.

The expansion of the existing tradition was overseen by George Taylor, the school’s Dean of Business and Industry who has been at the college for just four months.

“No matter your program or degree area or the field that you go into there is some form of collaboration because not everyone has the same skill set,” Taylor said. “What we’re trying to impart on students is the value of the collaboration and how that collaboration successfully impacts the outcomes that the students are trying to achieve.”

Taylor said that the evolution and improvement of existing processes are something that he prioritized as soon as he arrived at South Central College.

“There are turkey dinners everywhere, there are competitions everywhere but how can we combine the two to create something that’s really going to impact and make a difference in our community and then what is something that we can offer that we can build upon moving forward,” said Taylor.

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