Before Arielle Perkins, WakeMed’s Pastry Chef began with Morrison Healthcare in the fall of 2020, she was worried that she would just be “scooping applesauce and making jello.” A lot has changed since then. Arielle shared “Never in a million years did I see myself working in a hospital. Little did I know it would offer me a world of endless possibilities.”
Beginning her Career with Morrison Healthcare
Arielle’s love for cooking began at a young age. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in culinary arts, she began to work for Walt Disney World in high-volume catering for the parks. Later, she was transferred to a high-end restaurant where, ironically, the pastry chef there became allergic to flour! Arielle remembers, “I took over pastry, and thus my love for sugar began.”
Her love for sugar and desserts is more than just a job and Morrison has allowed her to express that in ways she never dreamt of. She has been able to share her love for cooking with patients, nurses, other hospital staff, and the community.
Arielle’s Passion… Helping Others
“There’s nothing more empowering to me than bringing people together with desserts and food that I pour my heart and soul into. Giving that back to our patients means everything,” said Arielle.
With Morrison, Arielle has made special desserts for patients and nursing staff, taken over desserts for WakeMed’s catering department, and made new recipes for desserts that are now being provided to three hospitals. And she’s not done yet.
Arielle hopes to take over patient desserts to give them “a glimpse of ‘the outside’ while they are here ‘inside’.” Her long-term goal is finding a way to have a pastry program in all our hospitals, allowing us to show the world that “we are way more than just hospital food”. To others who may be nervous about entering the healthcare industry, she advises “Give it a chance! You never know what opportunities may come from just one risky decision.”
How Morrison Helps People Connect Their Passions to their Careers
When Arielle first began with Morrison, menus were strict and she was not given much autonomy. However, in just under a year, she has been able to make her job all her own and try things she never imagined. She says this could not have been done without the amazing support and encouragement from her team at Morrison.
In addition to her desserts, Arielle wants to share with others how much she appreciates the opportunities that Morrison Healthcare has given her. We can’t wait to see what she’ll do next!
