From college to culinary

First Yr. Lady Bear Softball 

Every parents' worst nightmare! Their "baby" decides college isn't for them. I was a collegiate athlete at Morgan State University and I decided to throw my college softball career and scholarship away -on a leap of faith. With my love for food, determination,competitiveness, and a pinch of stubbornness I took the plunge. After all the yelling and screaming comes the silence-and with that understanding. Understanding that what I want and what they (my parents) want for me are two different things. Understanding that I am my own person. I took a leap of faith to do what I love most. Even in this economy money can't buy happiness....To find that one thing you love...The one thing your know you want to do for the rest your life and go for it takes determination. I've been told (many times) that I need to make my own mistakes and, well, I guess I'm diving in head first!

Jennifer and myself in action @ CCA :LCB

This is where California Culinary Academy comes in. I was researching culinary schools and of the many Le Cordon Bleu came up. Now my first choice wasn't necessarily Le Cordon Bleu. I had my eyes set on the prize. I wanted to stay on the East Coast near all my friends and current boyfriend (<3 sappy I know :) from my old college (yeah the one I dropped out from). The Institute of Culinary Education in NY was where I wanted to be.... A Greyhound bus away from my friends but thousands of miles away from my Best (West) Coast and family. Of course things don't always happen exactly like you wish they did. Not only was ICE 25k for one year, I also didn't have a job (ever for that matter!), or even a place to live. So, sadly, I had to leave the East Coast and return home to the Best (oops I mean West) Coast.

CCA:Le Cordon Bleu was my new plan of action...Straight out of college-luckily I didn't have to take out any loans my first year. My plan of action was to regroup when I went home, get a job, and save up money before I started CCA:LCB in the lovely San Francisco starting January. I came home (from second year attempt at college) around end of September and until January I was going to be busy working (Yeah right! In this economy?? What was I delusional!?). I found myself on my butt all day or in bed sleeping. I felt completely miserable and worthless. That's when I decided I needed to start school ASAP! No waiting for a job, no getting settled (as my family suggested), but dive right into what I wanted! I signed up for the Nov. program at CCA:LBC and I was headed to SF...oh wait... with nowhere to stay.

 At one point I considered being a live-in-nanny for free rent off craigslist. Can you say crazy!? What was I thinking?? There could have been a strong possibility she was a murder by night and mom by day! You never know in California! A bit of exaggeration your right. Well luckily my mom is a lender and she helped a family friend buy a house. He needed renters and I needed a place to stay so I was in business! Off to San Francisco I went! Jobless but hey I wasn't homeless! 

Now back to CCA:LCB (off topic and possibly tmi before; sorry). If you haven't heard of LCB have your heard of their scandalous lawsuit (this is where your suppose to be shocked!)! Basically they were sued by former students because they were mislead by what LCB (Pasadena, CA) would help you accomplish at the end of your schooling. LCB stated that after completion of their courses each person would graduate and become a "Chef" (obviously wasn't true). Students were taking out loans up to 54k for 4 year programs in hopes of becoming the "Next Food Network Star" or some super paying chef that gets paid a hefty salary. You know.... the chefs that easily make three or even four digit salaries a year, yeah the ones that have the nice white teeth, and the fake tans, you get the picture.

Any-who, you must be asking me why I chose a school with a reputation like that. Welp, I'd have to say the convenience of the California location and the new program they offer  (much cheaper then 54k for for years by the way). After a lawsuit if I was LCB I'd want to change my curriculum too sheesh!! Basically I'm enrolled in a "12 month" program which is really 9 month in class and 3 working your externship for a lump-sum of 17k in loans. Yay me! One thing people have to realize is once you've committed to your passion you have to go for it 110% and thats what I'm doing. I realize I won't be the next Gordon Ramsey or Rachael Ray. I also know I can find my niche in the food industry to create a profitable revenue doing what I love most.... Cooking! Occasionally sharing my knowledge and sometimes naiveness with others in this blog can help me widen my horizon with my love for food. I want to be a food journalist and I thought what better way to start then make my own blog!

So now you've heard about my transformation from collegiate athlete/ college drop out to culinary student and blogger :)