Hector Ugalde
Chef-In-Training Alumni

HectorUgalde_alaMar

Generously Sponsored By: Frontier Co-Op
Age, at time of internship: 17
CIT Intern: 2017
Restaurant Host: alaMar Restaurant and Bar
Wraparound Program: Oakland High
Favorite Dish: Wings and the Dominican Bowl
Hector’s Story: Immigrating to the US from Mexico when he was 3 years old and growing up in rougher parts of Oakland, he confesses to feeling stuck in an environment of crime and violence. He’s always turned to boxing and cooking to keep him focused. Cooking’s important to his entire family, so much that his mother supported them with her taco truck, where some of Hector’s first lessons on hard work came from.
Proudest Moment: Personally bringing out the food that he created to grateful diners that appreciate his art.
Future Goals: Hector’s eager to bring his cooking skills to the next level, while getting his degree at Laney College. He plans to cook and save up so that he can leave his neighborhood behind and travel the world, live abroad, and cook at restaurants and box to support himself.

TESTIMONIAL

“Honestly, I just didn’t want to be a bum in the streets, and I wanted to work with my hands. I could never imagine myself in a suit-and-tie, office setting. I wanted to work with something everything needs – so I chose food.”