I have always had a passion for food, but I never considered pursuing a career in cooking. Despite growing up watching TV cooking competitions, the idea of participating in one never crossed my mind. Cooking was always my favorite hobby and pastime, while I was pursuing what I thought was my dream career as a financial advisor.

I grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, and later moved to North Carolina to attend business school at UNC Chapel Hill. However, life had other plans when I met a boy. In 2019, two years after graduation, I became an army wife. I soon realized that it would be extremely challenging to establish a career as a financial advisor with the frequent relocations that came with being an army family. I saw this as an opportunity to pursue my passion, so I decided to enroll in culinary school and start a business as a private chef.

After a year of sharing photos on Instagram from private chef jobs and culinary school, I received a direct message. It was from a casting agent for Hell’s Kitchen. Despite feeling unqualified, I am a big believer in saying yes to every opportunity that comes my way. Within a few months, I graduated and boarded a flight to LA. I grew up watching @hellskitckenfox, and I knew it would be a complex competition, especially as someone who had never worked in a professional kitchen before. Still, regardless of how I performed, my goal was to keep my composure, stay tough, and not get caught up in the “Reality TV” part of the competition.

The show was the most formative experience of my life. I am so proud of how I performed. I grew so much as a chef and as a person. Learning from Chef Ramsay, the sous chefs, and my fellow competitors was an unbelievable opportunity. The lessons were innumerable.

If I could do that, I can do literally anything now. I’ve learned that you must say what you need because no one can read your mind. Stand up for yourself, and don’t let anyone else write your story. You can only control your own actions and reactions. You will never regret following your passions. I am beyond lucky to cook for a living.

What is your favorite street food?

Stuffed pita or gyro

Which restaurant or food stand do you recommend? (Different from yours) (Add its Instagram handle if possible)

Fish Cheeks in NYC

What is your guilty pleasure?

Ice Cream

What ingredient do you find overrated?

Uni

What ingredient do you think is underrated?

Black garlic

What is your favorite kitchen tool?

Vitamix

What is your worst kitchen nightmare?

I recently had my deep freezer lose power and I lost sooo much meat. That happening again is my new nightmare.