Since I was five years old, my father owned a restaurant in Florida. In 2007 he sold it, and we moved to Boston to open a new restaurant. I was always around the industry, but it wasn’t until after graduating high school that I started working in the restaurant full-time. More managerial work than cooking, though.

In 2014, I decided to take cooking seriously and enrolled in culinary school. One day I met a chef who told me that if I dropped out of culinary school, he would teach me everything I needed to know and pay me. He said if I wanted to return to culinary school, it was my decision, but it sounded like a great opportunity I couldn’t pass up because I would be getting paid to learn! So, I worked with him for two years, from 2015-2017.

After, I decided to embark to New York to work at Eleven Madison Park, where I met Chef Charlie. I returned briefly to Boston to help my father, then went back to New York, and after, I went to DC for a time, always searching for new knowledge and opportunities.

Today, I am a Sous Chef, where I work with a great cook, friend, and Chef. Together we have both witnessed our growth in the industry. My daily pursuit revolves around surpassing my limits and evolving into the best version of myself. The pressure I face is not external; it emanates from within as I continually challenge myself to reach new heights.

I advise anyone looking to enter this industry to remain consistent and believe in yourself. Everyone’s trajectory is different, but the one consistent action between those who made it is that they stayed true to themselves and saw it through to the end.