Learning to cook isn’t just about knife skills, timing, or technique. It’s not solely about plating or the need to be an artist either. It’s about who you are and how you incorporate seasonal, local ingredients to express creativity through dishes. Cooking is about understanding that there is more to transforming food than simply applying heat in different ways. I have learned that ingredients should always be the star of the show—not complex techniques designed to mask underwhelming components.

For me, cooking is about bringing people together to share an unforgettable meal. There are countless ways to unite people, but a memorable meal is one of the most powerful.

From a very early age, I turned to cooking to occupy myself instead of playing video games or watching TV. By the age of 13, things started getting serious. My parents decided my siblings and I were old enough to live alone for short periods while they traveled for business. Despite having the option to order takeout, I wasn’t satisfied knowing I could create healthier, more affordable meals for my sisters. It wasn’t until COVID hit that I suddenly had more time than I knew what to do with. Instead of binging Netflix, I treated cookbooks like textbooks. I worked through a dozen cover-to-cover, learning as much as I could from chefs I admired—David Chang, Morimoto, Corey Lee, and Grant Achatz. After months of intensive cooking and receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback, I realized I had both talent and a genuine passion for cooking. From that moment, I knew I wanted to pursue cooking in as many forms as possible and see where it could take me.

As restaurants began to reopen, I knew it was time to get my foot in the door. After applying to almost every restaurant in San Francisco, I landed a job as a line cook at Monsieur Benjamin, the sister restaurant to the 3-Michelin-starred Benu. After five months working Saute and Fry, I decided to fulfill a dream before heading to university. At Le Cordon Bleu, I earned my Bachelor’s in Cuisine, Pastry, and Molecular Gastronomy from the #1 culinary school in the world in just over a year, graduating in 2023.

Despite graduating from one of the most prestigious culinary schools, I decided to keep pushing myself. I enrolled at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, to hopefully be graduating with my Masters in Accounting. Within weeks of starting college, I found a job as a freelance private chef in Highland Park. Balancing life as a full-time student and private chef, I worked 30 hours a week planning, prepping, and executing six-to-eleven-course dinner parties for groups ranging from 10 to 25 guests.

The summer before my sophomore year brought another incredible opportunity. I worked as a finance intern for Emeril Lagasse Jr. at his flagship restaurant, Emeril’s, in New Orleans. After proving myself, I transitioned into a line cook role during dinner service. Following my month in New Orleans, I spent the rest of the summer working at the 2-Michelin-starred Californios in San Francisco.

By my sophomore year, I decided to take another leap. I bought a wood-fired pizza trailer and named it Pozzo Loco, expanding my capabilities to serve diverse crowds. Initially, I attended various food truck events around DFW, but I quickly realized these events didn’t align with my goals. I shifted my focus, utilizing the pizza truck as an extension of my private dinner parties to host cocktail-style events.

The summer before my junior year marked one of my proudest accomplishments—working on a yacht in the Mediterranean. Following my final exams, I took a one-way flight to the South of France with no job lined up. I walked up and down the docks of Antibes, handing out resumes and taking every interview I could get. While chefs in yachting are always in high demand, my age—21—proved to be an unexpected hurdle. Despite strong interest in my skills, I was repeatedly turned down due to my age. But perseverance paid off. After two relentless weeks, I landed a head chef position on a 30-meter private/charter yacht. I cooked tasting menus every night for 10-13 guests and prepared three meals a day for an 8-person crew. It was far more work than I ever imagined—13 to 16 hours a day with barely a day off between charters. Over four grueling months, I had just three days off in total.

That summer marked the biggest leap in my culinary journey. I gained invaluable experience adapting to clients’ diverse preferences, dietary restrictions, and feedback. I returned to my old and new clients armed with a fresh set of creative ideas and a renewed vision for how I believe dinner should be served. As the new year begins, I’m excited to raise the bar even higher, focusing on exceptional service and putting my customers first.