In New Orleans, where delicious smells fill the air and cooking is an art, our Class of 2024 Aarón Sánchez Scholarship recipients are growing just like seeds planted in good soil. They are continuing to thrive at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute, having been through many modules in just 5 weeks including learning knife skills, the five mother sauces, meat and seafood fabrication, and more.
We are incredibly proud of Christian Lopez, who comes from Los Angeles County and was selected by his peers as their class leader. He will be honored by wearing a special lapel pin on his chef's coat at graduation!
We are providing additional support as they learn about and explore this exciting city. They relocated here during Carnival season, so learning about king cake culture involved plenty of tastings and parades. They’ve also had their culinary courses enhanced with a financial literacy workshop and a social media skills class, helping to prepare them with additional life skills to become the next generation of culinary leaders.
Our talented scholarship recipients are learning about several career paths available for individuals with a culinary arts education. They’ve toured the Hilton New Orleans Riverside to learn about large-scale hotels and banquets, enjoyed a tour and tasting at The Windsor Court to experience an upscale hotel operation, and enjoyed a coffee cupping and tour of French Truck Coffee’s roasting facility.
Meanwhile, they’re also working part-time jobs and developing important life skills such as teamwork, creative thinking, and not giving up when things get tough.
We're so proud to see them grow. It's like watching a garden in spring! Keep checking in with us to hear more about their adventures and successes. Every day brings new opportunities for them to shine.