Not long ago, Sharin felt discouraged. She loved her job at a grocery store bakery and really wanted to advance. She shared her aspirations with her supervisor. “She said I had to put in years,” Sharin said. “I wanted to do this now.”
Then, her sister showed her a flyer for Second Harvest Food Bank’s Culinary Training Program.
“My whole family knows I love cooking,” Sharin said. “I jumped on it.”
The free, continuing education opportunity offering adults facing barriers to employment with the culinary and life-skills training needed to pursue a full-time sustainable career in the food industry.
In the 16-week program, students attend classes Monday through Friday in person at the Food Bank.
Students enrolled in the program gain valuable hands-on experience learning in a teaching kitchen with a team of award-winning chefs.
“It’s been a really thrilling and fun experience,” Sharin said. “It has exceeded my expectations.”
She’s enjoyed doing the baking she loves, and has learned new things, including making sauces, cooking fish and sharpening her knife skills.
“My favorite part is literally chopping up all the onions, peppers, fruit – I’ve got it,” Sharin said proudly.
The class took a field trip to tour the professional kitchen at a hotel in Orlando, and Sharin fell in love.
“I could see myself working there every day,” she said.
In addition to learning in the kitchen, the class has taught Sharin life skills – she most appreciated the financial education with Chase Bank. She said that presentation taught her how to save and about app-based resources to assist with that.
The classroom portion also has boosted her confidence.
“It’s really given me that boost, that confidence,” she said. “They really push you and mentor you and give you the confidence you need to succeed.”
That confidence has led to big goals, and she’s motivated to reach them.
“I want to be a chef this year. By 2025, I want to be a pastry chef. By 2026, I want to be a private chef. By age 30, I want to own my own bakery shop,” Sharin said.
This is a significant mindset shift for Sharin and an increase in inspiration since before she started the program. After graduation, she secured employment at an area hospital.
“Without this program, I never would have (continued education) because I’m always working to pay bills and stuff so it would have been on the backburner for a long time,” Sharin said. “Without my sister telling me, I would have been stuck in the same old 9-5 job, tired coming home, doing the same thing. Whereas here, I actually can move forward and stay on the right track.”
