Biography

 

Good day fellow students and colleagues! My name is Nathan Stevens, my parents raised our family in the strong frosty winds of Northern Alberta. I was always hoping to find my place somewhere far away... with a lot more going on! Growing up both my parents were teachers, so our home was a knowledge nurturing environment. I love taking mountain nature walks, relaxing on sandy beaches with friends, snowboarding in the winter, and camping in the summer are the ways I like to spend my spare time. As children we always had the summer months off, and most of that time our family spent taking road trips together. We lived and adventured in a VW van for almost two months every summer, and I loved it! After graduating high school, I attended college for graphic design and fine arts in my hometown of Grande Prairie Alberta. I then moved to the beautiful, picturesque city of Nelson BC, nestled in the steep mountains of the West Kootenays. After two years of living in Nelson and learning to blow glass, I decided fine arts wasn’t for me, and I returned to Grande Prairie to study Business Administration and Marketing. After graduating College, I decided I wanted to see what it was like to live in the urban sprawl of downtown Canada, also known as Toronto. While I did not find a career in marketing, I worked many nights as a bartender, a server, or as catering staff for many types and sizes of events across TO. I enjoyed interacting with my industry peers and creating guest experiences that were both unforgettable and rewarding. It was much laughter filled evenings of merriment. As time passed, I wanted a bigger role with more responsibility, and began to seek out a career in hospitality. In 2013 I began to study to become a sommelier to help elevate myself into restaurant management. After 2 years of study, I graduated with my certificate and found work as a sommelier at an immensely popular Italian Restaurant in downtown TO. It wasn't long before they promoted me to floor manager and thus began my career in restaurant management. In 2016 I became the General Manager at a 175-seat restaurant in Toronto's Bloor West Village. My new role as GM began to provide me with the responsibility I was looking for. The learning curve was steep and fast, I still had lots to learn to be an excellent restaurant manager. I read books, watched many online tutorials, learned by experience through trial and error, and constant communication with other management professionals. In 2017 I took a floor manager role at a newly opened restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. This position had fewer responsibilities than my earlier role as GM, but then hey... it was New York! After working a brief time in the Big Apple, I moved back to BC to open a place with my brother in Kelowna. The adjustment from NY to Kelowna proved to be far more challenging than I expected, and I desired a change. The restaurant sold in February 2020, and I decided to move back to Nelson BC, where I now call home. During the COVID pandemic, I began look for another change in my profession, as it was proving difficult to find a role in Nelson that best suited me. It was around that time I saw an ad looking for post-secondary hospitality instructors. That’s when the light bulb in my head went off... I want to be a teacher! With two teachers for parents and every instructor telling me growing up, "You should be a teacher, you’d be good at it!", it was a “no brainer” decision. I've been training hospitality team members for many years now and it has always been one of my favorite parts of the job. The learning environment in a formal institution can be different than that of a restaurant dining room, but with my wealth of experience and knowledge I am confident I can bring those two environments together. I am eager to share my knowledge with students who like me, love the excitement of the hospitality industry. The idea that I could learn how to bring my past experiences and professional knowledge into a classroom setting has given me a brand-new direction and purpose! I’m extremely eager to begin teaching in the hospitality and tourism field. This is what I'm supposed to do. This is my reason for being here! Nathan Stevens