Generously Sponsored By: An Anonymous Donor
Age, at time of Internship: 16
CIT Intern: Summer 2019
Restaurant Host: La Folie
Wraparound Program: Huckleberry Youth
Intern’s Story: “Hi, my name is Katelyn Neroza, I am a first generation Filipina woman coming from a low-income background as well as emotional and physical abuse. My parents are divorced, my father, whom I live with, is disabled due to several strokes, as well as my grandmother. The weight on my shoulders on a day-to-day basis is heavy, and I am expected of myself and for the sake of my future to strategically work my way through life in order for this under-privileged adolescent to thrive in adulthood. My light to becoming a jazz musician, as I attend School of the Arts, is dimming due to my limitations. But a kitchen has always been of use to me, a knife has always been my instrument, and through the Sprouts Chef-In-Training program, my career, financial, and emotional goals of becoming a chef has been solidified in my teen years. This program has helped me blossom my potential and feel accepted into a community who is as passionate as I am about pleasing the senses through food. I intern as a line cook and prep chef at La Folie on Polk Street. A high end French restaurant in a high-income neighborhood intimidated me, but with the support of case managers and partnered chefs, Russian Hill became a tiny home for me to experiment and learn and grow. Without this program, I would have years of the culinary ladder to climb and catch up to. I was, am, and will be ready for the future of the culinary world thanks to the Sprouts Chef-In-Training Program.”
Future Goals: “I want to conquer the culinary industry, and I want to revolutionize it. I found my home.”