During her visit to Iowa Central Community College Thursday for their Career Visit Day, Keala Crawford, of Perry, found out that after kneading it a little bit, in order not to have it stick to everything, you have to put a little flour on the table when working with cake fondant.

Of course, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do that.

Culinary Arts program baking instructor Christina Murray showed her the trick.

“Use your finger,” she said, “Just flick it to the side like this.”

Crawford was one of about 150 students from Fort Dodge, Webster County and as far away as Nebraska that came to the school to have a chance to experience a class firsthand. She opted for the baking class for one simple reason.

“It’s something I’m interested in,” she said.

While she’s still deciding on a career choice and college major, Crawford was interested in finding out what would be involved with a culinary choice.

“I get a look into what I’m getting into,” she said. “I don’t like surprises.”

She said she enjoys baking and cooking at home which involves finding new recipes to try.

For Murray, she was hoping that Thursday’s sessions with the high school students would show them how broad her field actually is.

“Hopefully this will broaden their horizons,” she said. “Baking is a bigger world than just cakes and pies — there’s chocolate truffles too.”

Even for students who elect to take the course and then not pursue a career in baking or culinary arts, the program will give them lifelong lessons in other life skills, Murray said.

Crawford tended to agree.

“It’s a life skill you’re going to need; everybody has to eat,” Crawford said.

There’s another advantage.

“It’s good job security,” Murray added.

In another kitchen on campus, culinary arts instructor Geoffrey Phillipson was showing Perry students Sandy Villalobos and Carla Ramirez the prep and cooking area where a class of students were preparing food.

“They’ll get to see things made from scratch,” he said. “It’s not as difficult as some imagine.”

Phillipson is an advocate of natural whole foods and meals made without prepackaged ingredients. If available, he prefers to get those ingredients from local sources.

He hopes the visiting students leave with a basic understanding of his profession.

“If they can get some insight into the industry and learn that there’s a need for it,” he said.

He was enjoying himself.

“I like any opportunity to talk about food,” he said.

Villalobos was a little surprised when she was handed an apron, directions to the hand washing sink and assigned a student to work with.

“I thought I was just going to tour the kitchen,” she said.

She got to work with second-year student Jacob Meeske, of Weeping Willow, Nebraska.

He was enjoying the experience too, even if it made them both tear up — yes, the first ingredient was a finely chopped onion.

The student’s teacher, Tina Kenney, said that 34 students from her school made the trip to Iowa Central.

“Most of them have never been to a college visit,” she said.

She got put to work too, making the same recipe and chopping a similar tear-inducing onion.

“I’m just trying to be a good sport,” she said while wiping away a tear.

The visiting students got to spend time in almost every area of the school’s varied curriculum during their visit and also attended several sessions as a group to learn about the college in general and how their educational experience there might translate into their career choice.