My road to hospitality began in late 2012 with life changing news to go along with it. My love for food and cooking was inspired by the limitations that were put against me. In 2012 I was diagnosed with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). A life threatening disease that affects my kidneys filtering system and juristically raises my blood pressure. In hearing this news I was given new rules to live by. One of which was to eat better. So no more fast food everyday I need to eat more home cooked meals that didn’t have a lot of salt. Unable to find sandwiches to be an easy alternative I had to learn to make other foods if I had any shot of making this easier. Several months later I fell in love with the kitchen! The respect for the art, and the science behind every recipe. Immediately knowing that I had a passion and wanted to make this a career. I made a lot of career choices growing up. None of which made me feel like this industry does. Branching out and getting a job field I now have a love for serving. In hopes to one day open my own restaurant; making people light up with the service you provide makes everything worth it. Living proof that a blessing can come from a curse.

Have you ever hesitate to travel to a country or place simply because you can not speak their native language? When I was in elementary school, I realized that many tourists have this problem. Thus, ever since then, I wanted to study hospitality. I speak Mandarin, Cantoese, Taiwanese, English, and (in progress) Korea. Ultimately, I wish to use my language skills to provide the best hospitality service for whomever comes to my hotel. I went to Bard High School Early College, which enhanced my academic career by two years speed. I graduated high school this year with an associates degree, which pushed me into this field even earlier, giving me more time to train myself into providing the best quality service at my future hotel.

Coming out of High School i had my mind set on working in the fashion industry. I worked at a clothing boutique in my town for a number of years and i really thought it was my calling. I decide to go to Savannah College of Art and Design my senior year of high school and it took three months for me to learn that i hated it down there and that the fashion industry was not for me. I ended up going to NCC for two years to figure out what i wanted to do. And that is to become a sommelier and to run a vineyard. I did my research to see what is the best major to have for me to be bale to pursue this career and then see what schools offer said program. City Tech offered hospitality management and has a great reputation for hospitality management. My goals is to be able to get a better understanding of the industry and to learn the skills that would make me run a vineyard to the highest standard.

Coming from someone who had no clue what they wanted to be in life or couldn’t decide if they wanted a bowl of cereal or a steak sandwich I think I’ve come pretty far. It’s still a process but my decisions in where my future is headed is in a much better space. Taking liberal arts in my previous school (Queens borough Community College) has helped me better understand that I needed time to find MYSELF! Majority of High School I participated in programs that my family thought was fit for me. And they simply were not. I took Medical Assisting courses in high school and originally planned on doing nursing at QCC but I realized and finally admitted to myself that I was miserable just thinking about doing it! And I completely sucked at math and science. It was a disaster waiting to take course. So I chose liberal arts and tried to check out everything I could. I had to experience a variety of different classes to get a feel of what I would like. I ended up taking a semester off and decided to work part time and let me tell you guys I hated it! Working on a job that required me there during graveyard shift hours (UPS) helped me become SO MUCH BETTER at time management! I had to wake up so many hour early and prepare myself for those shifts. Sometimes they would be at the crack of dawn and a lot of times before that! But thanks to that job I am so early to things now compared to a few months ago. I think everything is slowly falling into place, like me taking up Hospitality Management. I think a personal strength I have is being able to stay happy even during dark times. Being happy is not easy as one would think it is! It takes a lot of inner love and inner power to possess the skill of being truly happy! You have to accept that everyday is not sunshine but who said you can’t be your own sunshine? Who says you can’t be another persons sunshine? Anyhow, I love to eat! I seriously do. I remember watching Man versus Food and other shows like Chopped and Baking Wars on the Food Network and Traveling Channel and I’d tell my mom “Oooooh I want to do that! I want to travel and eat!” I knew I wanted to for sure be a food critic after watching “Ratatouille” yes it’s a kid movie but I loved it and still do. It’s so inspiring. No I don’t like rats but maybe if the rat from that movie made me a plate of food I just might try it! haha. I love traveling as well, I don’t get to do it much but when I do, I do it well. It’s so many places I have never seen. I can’t wait to do more. To me writing about some great food can never be wrong! What’s better? Maybe when I do my happy dance right before I’m about to eat but besides that I think I’m coming closer to my goals and I realized that everyone else’s time frame to do things is not the same as mine. So we shall see where things go this brand new semester but as for now things are looking good for this leaf named Blessings that’s flowing in the wind!

As my years of high school were winding down I wanted to pursue a career in music studying vocals and teaching music to young adults. I attended the College of Staten Island thereafter to promote my music career further. However, that pursuit was cut short as I later found out that the college did not offer the hands-on experience that I required. After this disappointment, I transferred to City Tech with a new goal of following a social work major. Unfortunately after completing two semesters I realized that I did not have the same passion for social work as I did for music so the question I posed to myself was “what was I going to do now?”
As a child, I always enjoyed cooking as I would watch my mother in the kitchen cooking for hours every day and I developed a love for the kitchen. After a long consideration about what I would like to pursue, and the support of my husband I set myself on a path of the culinary sciences. I have always liked to experiment in the kitchen and try different flavors in the food I make and I very much enjoy cooking and watching others enjoy my cooking. I intend to make my skills in the kitchen translate into a career as a successful chef. I aspire to one day open my own restaurant, tying the flavors of the west indies with other cultural recipes I intend to learn about on my journey.

I am a student who aspires to become either a culinary or pastry chef, although that has not always been the case. Before transferring to New York College City of Technology, I was studying at Hunter College and trying to find what I love to do. I was stressed by my second year and always asked myself, “What am I doing with my life?”. By the end of my second year I chose a major that I no longer had an interest in, and realized this college was not for me and I had to transfer out. It was not until my friend, a student at NYCCT, told me about the hospitality management program at her college, that I felt that this college was for me. I had friends and family who supported my decision and told me that I should do something I love, which is cooking and baking.

Transferring to NYCCT was the best decision I made and it allowed me to meet new people with the same interests as me. I have become motivated to learn more about the hospitality industry and hope to apply what I learn in the future. Although I have zero working experience, I will always strive to do my best, think positively, and get the work done no matter what difficulties I may encounter.

As the youngest child of my family, I was spoiled a bit. I did not have any dream job nor did I want to pursue one. I always wanted to just play games and nothing else, But when it was time to search for something I wanted to pursue I had a hard time. Nothing interested me but when I saw a TV show about a man called Jacques Pepin a very famous French chef that changed the way cooking was done. It was at that moment I wanted to be a chef, the story of Jacques Pepin made me realize that cooking was enjoyable.

As my years in high school was coming to an end, I had to come up with a decision on what career path I wanted to follow. I blindly followed the crowd and decided that I should pursue a career under medical degree. It took me four semesters to finally realize that I had chosen the wrong career. I initially transferred to City Tech to major in Dental Hygiene, spent a semester and then changed my major into Hospitality Management, this is my semester as a student in this major. I had previously worked in a couple of restaurants and realized that I liked customer servicing. I chose this major as it gives me the opportunity to explore the different paths of hospitality and decide on what really interests me. Some of personal strengths are: hardworking, dedicated and determination to improve my skills.

Always eager to learn something new. This is the statement that best describes me. Unafraid to try new things; be it food or experiences. This method has lead me through life. As a student progressing into the professional world I am often unsure of myself and where I want to go but I know hospitality is where I want to be. I am a guppy in the hospitality industry and not yet sure where in the industry I will land. Hard working and unafraid to step into leadership positions; where I often fall short is in confidence. I am excited to push myself and work through that by jumping into field all about making others feel welcome and comfortable. Lover of people, lover of food, lover of travel, lover of life.

I am a former computer systems major but decided to make a switch to hospitality management. After two semesters in computers I realized what I really want to do is something more people oriented that can incorporate my love of travel. My academic goal is to cliché as it sounds, learn as much as possible. Gaining new knowledge or starting a database of knowledge on a new subject brings me joy. In my studies I hope to take what I’ve learned to help me become a more well-rounded person. More specifically I hope to learn the finer details and inner workings or the travel/tourism industry. I am also excited to try my hand at cooking classes. I think it may be an eye opener to something I may be more interested in than I had thought. I have yet to have an actual job but where I lack in career experience I have abundance in life experience. I have experience in selling and serving in volunteer work and have logged lots of hours in my grandmothers kitchen. My career goal is not yet clear but id like to be established in the tourism field.