Our Food Service Training Academy (FSTA) students learn more about themselves and about working in a commercial kitchen every day. We checked in with Jasmine and Nestor for an update on their culinary — and life — journeys.
Jasmine told us she joined the Academy for the cooking and baking aspects, but appreciates the program for its life skills component; she has gained confidence in the kitchen and in herself.
“It’s definitely strengthening me as an individual,” she told us.
As for Nestor, the main lesson so far has been that teamwork is key. In the past, he struggled to trust or rely on others, but he now knows how to work with and support his team members. In recent weeks, he started his first culinary job at Daughters of Israel, which was provided to him through our job-placement office. “At my job, they’re blown away that I know a lot of the things that they didn’t expect,” he said. “They didn’t expect me to walk in there knowing the tricks of the trade.”
Nestor told us what he enjoys most about the FSTA: “Everyone loves the kitchen. They’re showing me how to love it also.”