Written by Sara Hinds
A few months after Jared Taylor ’25 graduated from Doane, he landed in Antarctica. After a quick promotion, he's now one of two sous chefs at the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. It's cool temperature wise in the South Pole (it's hit -101°F windchill!) and it is as cool living there as one can imagine. We asked Taylor what his day-to-day life is like and was thrilled with the amount of penguin pictures sent. Like anybody, he faces challenges. Cooking for people with limited access fresh fruits and veggies ("freshies") to start. A gigabyte cap on his internet usage. Like any good chef, though, he comes up with creative solutions and is happy with his final product. Learn more about Jared's time in Antarctica below!
How did you learn about the opportunity at McMurdo Station?
When I first heard about the opportunity to work here in Antarctica I was in the middle of sophomore year. I was actually looking for jobs out in the fire watch towers to do over the summer, when I came across a job listing for McMurdo Station. I remember thinking about how cool of an adventure it would be. At the time I even looked at whether I could apply or not. Unfortunately, the contract seasons didn’t align with my schedule so I had to move on. This last April, however, I was looking for a job post-grad when something in the back of my mind reminded me about the job opportunity here in Antarctica. It took me a day or two to find the job posting, and then once I did I thought, "hey why not finally go for it?" My initial applications were actually all for the South Pole. In my mind if I was going to go to Antarctica I might as well go to the Pole. After a few weeks I finally heard back, not for Pole but for McMurdo. Without missing a beat I told them I would love to interview. I just wanted to get down to the ice. After two interviews I had an alternate contract meaning if someone with a primary couldn’t go I was in a pool of people to get chosen from. Around August I finally received my primary contract. I arrived at McMurdo Station on October 21, 2025 (October 20 stateside). I lived there for just over three months before I moved to the South Pole on January 28 (27 stateside). I’ll live here till around mid-November as part of the 70th Winter Over Crew!
How has your Doane experience/education impacted your current career path?
My Doane experience impacted me in a lot of ways. While I was there, the idea that you could do anything you set your sights on really seemed to be a theme in my mind. I feel like a lot of times professors and staff were always trying to push us to not sell ourselves short. For me, it seemed like every crazy idea I had there was always someone there telling me to go for it.
When I applied to come down here to Antarctica I really didn’t even think I would get here. I remember joking with two of my roommates Spock and Brock about how I applied for a job in Antarctica, and just talking about how insane it would be if I got the job. I feel like that’s what Doane is about though. It’s taking those crazy ideas that others don’t have or aren’t willing to try and doing it.
We hear all the time about how Doane builds leaders, and how they want us to go out and lead/take charge of our lives. I think that message hit me, and that’s part of what made me apply. I’m doing things I would have never thought of, and seeing new places. When I look back I recall being so nervous when I transferred to Doane my freshman year. Quickly though, I found the community and support from everyone there, and I was able to thrive. While cooking is definitely not the career I intend on having for the rest of my life, I don’t think I would have taken the leap to even come here if I didn’t have so much encouragement from Doane in showing us that we can really go where we want and be who we want. I even carry bits of Doane with me while I am here. From the SKO Doane and Thomas the Tiger charm on my crocs that I am always walking around in, and the Doane football shirt that I can often be seen wearing when I am in the gym. The lessons I learned not just in the classroom, but on the football team helped to get me here. I feel confident in saying that had I remained at my college before Doane I probably would not be at the South Pole right now, much less in Antarctica.
Is the recent change from production line cook to sous chef a lateral move or promotion?
The change from production cook to sous chef was indeed a promotion. It was a necessary step in order for me to work here at the Pole. Since during the winter the Pole only operates with five people total in the kitchen, two spots are for the Sous Chefs, the third is my boss, and then we have two dining stewards. For me though, it was a bit unexpected to hear that I was getting one of the two sous chef positions. I had originally applied to be a steward/production cook. I have to say though I have been very happy with my new position, and embraced it with full confidence.
Can you describe what your day-to-day is like (working and off days)?
Day-to-day life is a bit different here at the South Pole than it was at McMurdo. Life at McMurdo is very college-esque. Honestly it reminded me a lot of Doane. There is always something going on, friends to hang out with, a recreation department sponsored party every weekend, 5k, 10k, half marathon, and even a full marathon, tons of hikes to go on. Simply put, McMurdo just always has things to do. One of my favorite things to do when I was there was going on hikes. It was always super nice to just get outside and walk around. Many of the hikes you could do solo which was nice because with a population of anywhere from 700 - 1100 people it can be hard to find time to just be alone. One of my favorite hikes was the Hut Ridge Loop. The views on this trail were so beautiful. You have a great overlook of the Ross Sea and McMurdo Sound. There was even a little outcropping that you could sit on and just look at the water and the mountains in the distance. Apart from that I was always out and about hanging out with friends. We’d do things like watch movies, play board games, go to bars and shoot pool. Things of that nature. A lot of this community helps make McMurdo so special.
This season they had a 2.5gb limit on our internet usage per week, and at the time it really seemed like a nuisance since it made it hard to talk with folks back home, but now looking back at it I think it was fantastic. So many more people were just living in the moment. You wouldn’t often see people just on their phones like you do back home. People were present and engaged in what was going on around them! It was like stepping into a different time. No one is constantly scrolling, talking about politics, or what bad thing happened that day. We were all just living in the moment building community and supporting each other. As sappy or cliche as it may sound we honestly became like a family. Everyone had each other's back, and helped one another along the way.
As for the work at McMurdo it is really just like any other kitchen job I have had. I mean the small difference, of course, being we didn’t always have “freshies” as they are referred to down here. That is fresh fruit and veggies. Oftentimes, you would also discover that maybe we were out of something. So the job definitely required you to get a bit creative when it came to cooking. This was fun at times. Sometimes you’d find a combination of foods you wouldn’t usually put together that happen to work really well together. My shifts at McMurdo changed while I was there. My first six weeks I was on the lunch shift so I clocked in at 0500 and prepared lunch along with seven other production cooks. I have never made food in such a large quantity, and it was intimidating at first. We would serve lunch from 1100-1300. After which we would clean up, and give the kitchen over to the PM cooks for dinner. Off work by 1500 everyday was nice. Since we had a few hours before the rest of the community got off work and could usually find an open laundry machine.
The next six weeks I spent out at Williams Airfield. This was probably my favorite place to work at McMurdo. It was about a 30 minute to an hour drive depending on the day and conditions of the ice road. Willy Field, as it is often referred to, is out on the Ross Ice Shelf with a great view of Mt. Erebus, the southernmost volcano in the world. My shift out at Willy started at 2100 and ended at 0700. I was what we called a MidRat. I loved it out there. I was cooking for about 30-50 people a night, and was front row for all the c-130 arrivals and departures. As someone who had just got their pilot license back in September, being around the planes was a dream come true. It was honestly my goal all season to get to cook out there, so when I got offered the spot I took it no questions asked!
South Pole living is a bit different. We still have things to do outside funny enough. Actually, since being here I was able to attend a friend’s wedding at the geographic pole, spend time in an igloo, and I have even gotten to tour the Ice Cube Neutrino Observatory. We have finished sending all the summer folks home. The final plane left on Feb 14, it’s been just us winter folks since. There are 45 of us here for the winter. We have grown into our own little community and are enjoying our time here together!
As far as activities go there is still something going on most days here as well. We do a pretty good job of building a community. I mean we have to, it's crucial. One of my favorite places here to hang out is the greenhouse. It is a nice place to just sit and read, and in a place so devoid of life, just seeing some green plant life really helps to boost your mood. We also have a pretty nice weight gym, and even a pretty nice large gym. The large gym is where things such as basketball and volleyball take place. If sports aren’t for you we even have a pretty nice library, and even a craft room. There is definitely no shortage of things to do here.
Work for me here is also a bit different. I am no longer a production cook. I was given one of the two Sous Chef positions here at the Pole for winter. My current job is dinner service. I come in to work around 1000 and I stay till 2000. I am the lone cook in the kitchen during my shift, which I quite enjoy. I am able to listen to my music, and just get to work. One cool thing that I also get to do is set the dinner menus. I actually didn’t know that coming into the position. It has been fun, but a little challenging at times. Trying to come up with a menu that 46 people will like has its challenges. There are 5 galley workers total for the winter here at Pole. We have the breakfast/overnight baker Sous, our lunch FSS (food service supervisor), and me our Dinner Sous. The other two: one is a steward coordinator the other is a production cook/steward. It’s a close-knit group, but we all work well together and have so far been setting each other up for success this winter. I am super excited!
What has surprised you most living in Antarctica?
Honestly, a lot surprised me about Antarctica. It was nothing like what I had imagined when I left the states. One of the big things was the diversity of the people here. With so many jobs it attracts people from all walks of life. I’ve met people who have been coming down here since before I was even born, and then I’ve met some who, like me, were here for their first time. One of my good friends that I made down here, this was his first time out of the states at all. Another big shock for me was the weather. In my mind, I always thought of Antarctica as a cold barren tundra, but that isn’t the full case. McMurdo during the summer season reaches temps as high as the low to mid 40s. I often would just walk around outside in shorts and a tee-shirt. Honestly, it was how nice it felt.
How quickly you make friends here also was crazy to me. Before you get down to the ice you are supposed to spend three days in Christchurch, New Zealand. I got delayed for 12 days and met some of my close friends there. Since I got to the Pole, many of them have kept in contact with me via email. Ryan, Kody, Mandi, Issac and Dara all have made the switch from McM to Pole so much easier. I think what really surprised me was just how quickly we all became friends, and how invested we all are in each other's lives now. This is not a place I was expecting to meet people who were going to impact me as much as they have, but here we are. I cannot wait for the next time I will get to see these folks!
What’s something you treasure/remember about your time at Doane?
There is a lot that I remember about Doane that I would say I treasure. I think the biggest was my roommates. For two years, the seven of us got to live together, and I think 99.9% of my favorite times at Doane are because of Spocky, Brock, Eric, Marty, Miller, Koep and Jason. From the video game tournaments that Koep would host in the room, to the pranks me and Eric would pull on each other. There are just too many things to even attempt to narrow it down. Doane brought the seven of us all together through football, and I am forever grateful for that. From the longest road trip to Florida ever in my small car for spring break where everyone complained the whole time, to some of the many late night talks we all had. I look back on all of it and just think how lucky I was to get to experience it. I mean I never knew what to expect every time I walked into the Hansen room I called home. I feel like there was always something new in the room, or someone was in there doing some absurd thing. Before I left for Antarctica, I spent some time at Doane with them. They all thought it was a bit crazy, but supported me. I honestly needed that. Despite how excited I was I can honestly say I was nervous as all get before I left. Having the support and encouragement from them was super needed. So I think if I absolutely had to pick one thing that I remember and treasure most about my time at Doane it has to be them. They made my Doane experience what it was, and definitely made it so there was never a dull moment.
