Marie

Generously Supported By: Clover Sonoma
Age, at time of Internship: 22
CT Intern: Summer 2023
Restaurant Host: Shaws Candy, Chef Harper
Referred By: The Arc
Intern Story:

Meet Chef Trainee Marie (“M”), who has been interning at Shaws Candy in San Francisco with Chef Harper and the Shaws SF team. HUGE congratulations to Marie who has done such a stellar job as an intern, she has been hired at Shaws Candy!!

Marie had never thought about a career in the culinary field until she was inspired to learn to cook by her sister, a chef in a bakery. She would like to be able to cook Lithuanian dishes like her sister and share her knowledge with friends. Marie loves to read with a special fondness for Harry Potter, but has had to strive hard at reading given the hardships of her childhood – she was born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Lithuania and also has speech and auditory processing problems. She now lives with her adoptive parents here in California. These challenges have obviously not stood in Marie’s way given her success during her internship with Shaws Candy. Marie’s chef mentor Harper states that she has a strong attention to detail and is one of the most positive people he has ever met. We’re so proud of you, Marie!

Sara

Generously Supported By: Morgan Stanley
Age, at time of Internship: 16
CT Intern: Summer 2023
Restaurant Host: Waterbar, Chef Parke Ulrich and Josh Su
Referred By: Enterprise For Youth
Intern Story:

Sara has had a sweet tooth for as long as she can remember. She followed her interest in sweets and began watching videos of baking tutorials on Youtube, after which she would bake for herself as practice. Sara was able to continue pursuing her passion for baking at a professional level in the Summer of 2023 with the Sprouts Chef Training Program during her internship at Waterbar. There, Sara worked under Chef Parke and Chef Josh. 

During her internship, Sara preferred to focus on pastries and began learning the ins and outs of working in a bakery. She especially enjoyed plating beautiful desserts and earned the opportunity to practice her chocolate writing using piping bags. During her internship, Sara was also able to improve her macaron-baking skills. A highlight of her work was being able to bring her hard work home for her family to sample and enjoy.  

Sara specifically chose to join the Sprouts Chef Training program to pursue her passions. She is still working on finding a career path she enjoys and used her internship to explore her existing interests. From a young age, Sara was aware of her family’s financial limitations and felt she needed to be strategic in selecting an extracurricular she felt strongly about and that would help her grow professionally. Sara was dually enrolled in her internship as well as summer coursework and her dual participation helped her improve her ability to work with new people and practice time management.  

Sara continues her exploration of self both inside and outside the kitchen. When she is not baking, she enjoys playing card games and is a member of her school’s bridge club. Sara also enjoys reading short stories and manga. Sara is grateful for the opportunity Morgan Stanley provided her by supporting her internship and left the Sprouts Chef Training program as a more well-rounded young professional. 

Ra’Mauri

Generously Supported By: Sprouts Community Member + Open Table
Age, at time of Internship: 16
CT Intern: Summer 2023
Restaurant Host: One Market, Chef Mark Dommen
Referred By: Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)
Intern Story:

Ra’Mauri arrived at his Sprouts Chef Training program with experience: he had already completed an internship with the Ralph Bunche Culinary Academy with Chef David. There, he worked as a student chef at the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) central kitchen where school lunches are designed, tested, and prepared from scratch. The positive feedback Ra’Mauri received from Chef David encouraged his passion for cooking and, therefore, launched his internship with the Sprouts Chef Training Program under mentor Chef Mark Dommen at One Market.

One of the reasons Ra’Mauri was selected for the Sprouts Chef Training program is that he strives to excel at everything he does. Ra’Mauri worked to build on the food preparation basics he learned at the Ralph Bunche Academy and greatly improved his knife skills over the course of his internship. Ra’Mauri also grew in his efficiency and precision in chopping vegetables, such as onions, and learned how to prepare dishes like coleslaw and latkes under Chef Mark.

Ra’Mauri has several role models that inspire him to cook, the first being his grandmother. He enjoys cooking for her and learning from her. Another role model in Ra’Mauri’s life is Alexander, the first winner of Master Chef Junior, who inspired Ra’Mauri to enter (and win) a cooking competition of his own. His last main role model is Snoop Dogg because, in addition to being a famous musician, he pursues and excels at other interests as well, like cooking. Similar to his idols, Ra’Mauri has a variety of unique talents and interests. Outside of perfecting his cooking skills, Ra’Mauri is a passionate drummer, artist, and enthusiast of science and engineering. With his drive and cooking background, culinary school is a strong possibility in Ra’Mauri’s future.

Kevin

Generously Supported By: Open Table
Age, at time of Internship: 16
CT Intern: Summer 2023
Restaurant Host: Anaviv’s Table, Chef Darren Lee and Chef Arnon Oren
Referred By: City Youth Now
Intern Story:

Kevin began his internship at Anaviv’s Table with the goal of expanding his recipe repertoire. He felt confident in his omelets, quesadillas, and pupusas, but wanted to be able to prepare a wider variety of dishes for himself and his family. Kevin additionally wanted to gain cooking skills before leaving for college so that he could feed himself more creative dishes beyond cooked eggs. Kevin got the perfect opportunity to obtain his developmental goals under mentors Chef Arnon and Chef Darren. 

Kevin’s internship began by strengthening his knife skills. Chef Darren demonstrated to him the safest way to cut and prepare veggies and had him practice a variety of techniques. As Kevin improved his knife skills doing kitchen prep, he also grew closer to the other kitchen staff. Wanting to keep busy, Kevin found himself reaching out to his coworkers to see how he could assist them and try new experiences in the kitchen. Over the course of his internship, Kevin also picked up effective seasoning techniques, such as sprinkling salt from high over the dish, rather than close to it, to ensure even seasoning. 

Kevin used his internship with Sprouts Chef Training to investigate his interests and learn more about himself. When he is not cooking or studying, he enjoys dancing, including hip-hop, contemporary jazz, salsa, and ballet. Kevin is still deciding what he wants from his future and works hard at school to maximize his options. Kevin is grateful to Open Table for supporting his internship and giving him the chance to use his kind, curious, and open mind to explore his personal and professional development. 

Kelly

Generously Supported By: Individual donor from Sprouts community
Age, at time of Internship: 18
CT Intern: Summer 2023
Restaurant Host: Californios, Chef Val M. Cantú and Pastry Chef Sophie Hau
Referred By: New Door Ventures
Intern Story:

Kelly began her internship with Sprouts Chef Training with the goal of learning how to cook more than microwave ramen. Ever since Kelly had seen Gordon Ramsay coaching kitchen staff on television, she had wanted to learn more about the culinary world. However, when it came to her internship, Kelly was nervous about the prospect of meeting new people and working in an, initially, unfamiliar kitchen. She was placed at Californios under mentors Chef Val and Chef Sophie.

The supportive team at Californios helped Kelly feel at ease quickly. She grew confident in speaking up and asking questions and became much more comfortable with her technical skills such as using a knife to make quick and even cuts. Kelly especially liked the feeling of being part of a team, like when the whole staff worked together to clean the kitchen. Because of the communal nature of kitchen work, Kelly’s professional communication skills naturally grew. Kelly additionally strengthened her organizational skills while learning how to properly label and put away various ingredients. 

Kelly values her internship for building her professional and personal skills (and she also wants to take home Chef Sophie’s shortbread recipe!). Going forward, Kelly is interested in continuing her education by studying physics and STEM topics. In her free time, Kelly enjoys reading classic literature such as Animal Farm by George Orwell, Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. She also likes taking her dog, May May, to the dog park. Kelly knows the skills she gained during her internship will serve her well in the future.

Jahasiel

Generously Supported By: Individual donor from Sprouts community
Age, at time of Internship: 17
CT Intern: Summer 2023
Restaurant Host: Almond and Oak, Chef Rico Rivera
Referred By: Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)
Intern Story:

Jahasiel has always enjoyed the communal nature of cooking. His philosophy is, “If everyone has to eat, and you have the ability to make the meal better, why wouldn’t you?” Jahasiel practices cooking meals on his own time; his friends enjoy his burgers, and his family likes the steak and pasta dishes he prepares. In 2023, Jahasiel got his first chance to work in a professional kitchen at Almond and Oak, under mentor Chef Rico Rivera.

Jahasiel is driven toward earning a career in the culinary industry. He appreciated working under Chef Rico’s guidance to learn formal food preparation techniques. Additionally, Jahasiel’s communication skills strengthened as he asked lots of questions during his shifts to ensure he was completing each kitchen task correctly. Over the course of the internship, Jahasiel became encouraged when recognizing his progress in his knife skills, a skill he is actively working to perfect. Throughout the summer Jahasiel grew closer with the staff of Almond and Oak and, as his relationships grew, felt he developed his ability to accept feedback without getting discouraged; instead, he learned to leverage feedback to make his cooking skills better. 

Jahasiel’s mantra is to continually improve himself, both inside and outside of the kitchen. Jahasiel’s internship helped him find his professional voice, which will aid him in his future dreams of someday owning a restaurant. When he is not perfecting his favorite dishes, Jahasiel enjoys reading philosophical books that change his perspective on things; at the time of his internship, he was reading I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. Jahasiel is grateful for his internship and knows his skills in responsibility, honesty, and determination will help him find a career in the culinary industry.

Hannah

Generously Supported By: Individual donor from Sprouts community
Age, at time of Internship: 19
CT Intern: Summer 2023
Restaurant Host: Butter Love Bake Shop, Chef Esa Yonn-Brown
Referred By: The Arc
Intern Story:

Hannah began her internship at Butter Love Bakeshop at age 19, and enjoyed every minute of it. No stranger to kitchen work, Hannah is the self-proclaimed “Queen of the Dish Bin,” and had experience bussing tables from her past cafe work. As a chef trainee, under the mentorship of Chef Esa Yonn-Brown, Hannah gained experience in the back of house and learned how to make a myriad of tasty desserts. In fact, Hannah puts so much care into each and every pastry, that, when asked to pick a favorite dessert, Hannah replied, “I can’t choose a favorite! They’re like kids!”

In terms of career development, Hannah hopes that her internship with Sprouts will show future employers that she can work well with others and be a team player. Outside of gaining pertinent professional experience, Hannah’s number one goal for her internship was to have fun!

In terms of obstacles she’s overcome, much like desserts, Hannah has trouble picking just one to talk about. Hannah recalled a time when breaking a glass in front of her coworkers sent her into a spiral of embarrassment. However, in this instance, her coworkers were so kind and forgiving that she learned from her mistake and took the incident as motivation to learn to better work with purpose and focus.

In her free time, Hannah enjoys writing, watching movies and TV, and walking her Burmese Mountain dog, Odin. She hopes to be a writer in the entertainment industry and plans to use her attention to detail, her ability to work well with others and accept feedback, and her passion for writing to get there.

Gerson

Generously Supported By: Individual donor from Sprouts community
Age, at time of Internship: 17
CT Intern: Summer 2023
Restaurant Host: 3rd Cousin, Chef Greg Lutes
Referred By: Enterprise For Youth
Intern Story:

For Gerson, cooking became a way to make time pass during the Covid-19 lockdown. He started by making pancakes, tacos, and burgers for his family. Gerson then went on to perfect his signature dish, chicken parmesan. Gerson joined the Sprouts Chef Training Program in 2023 with the goal to learn new, fun recipes and also practice stepping outside of his comfort zone. He interned at 3rd Cousin under mentor Chef Greg Lutes.

Throughout his internship, Gerson improved his communication skills with other kitchen staff and became comfortable with his coworkers. Specifically, he became more confident in speaking up and asking questions. Gerson learned how to make a variety of pastries, and liked the process of plating them. He also greatly enjoyed learning how to make shortbread. 

Going forward, Gerson is interested in restaurant management and real estate. His internship gave him insight into the challenges of restaurant management, and he hopes to provide supportive working conditions for future employees. To further supplement his income, he would also like to flip houses, and possibly become a real estate agent. When he is not cooking or watching house-flipping remodels, Gerson enjoys playing soccer. We hope in addition to envisioning his future, Gerson also achieves his goal of perfecting his pupusas.

Guillermo

Generously Supported By: Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP LLP)
Age, at time of Internship: 19
CT Intern: Summer 2023
Restaurant Host: Osito, Chef Seth Stowaway
Referred By: New Door Ventures
Intern Story:

Guillermo (AKA “G”)  feels about cooking the same way he feels about drawing: it is an art. G especially enjoys cooking dishes for his grandma such as steak, catfish, salsa, guacamole, french fries, and, his personal favorite, carne asada. Though he has practiced in the kitchen, G made it a personal goal to learn new recipes in the summer of 2023. G received the opportunity to extend his recipe knowledge when he joined the Sprouts Chef Training Program at Osito restaurant where he learned under mentor Chef Seth Stowaway. 

During his internship, G enjoyed the kindness and hospitality of the restaurant staff who supported his growth and development. During his time at Osito, he was taught technical culinary skills and he particularly enjoyed executing the ins and outs of plating and garnishing. G also liked shucking corn, juicing, and practicing safe food handling. G started his internship with baseline knife skills but Chef Seth taught him extra knife safety and G credits Chef Seth for leaving his internship with all 10 digits. Working in a kitchen environment additionally helped G improve his professional skills, more specifically, his personal goal of bettering his time management. 

As far as culinary goals, G is most interested in learning how to make sauces such as bechamel and marinara sauce. To do so, he wants to use the freshest ingredients, as he believes “fresh ingredients are everything.” G gets his creative inspiration from his father, who wanted to attend culinary school before he, unfortunately, passed away. 

Outside of the kitchen, G enjoys drawing pictures of those he loves. He is also self-taught in MMA, as a form of self-defense. G loves animals, (especially his favorite animal, the squid) and intends to go to school to become a biologist. G is thankful to BCLP LLP for supporting his internship and knows that the skills he gained over his internship, along with his strengths of humor, resilience, and creativity, will help him build a bright future.

Devin

Generously Supported By: Chef Uniforms
Age, at time of Internship: 17
CT Intern: Summer 2023
Restaurant Host: Nopa, Chef Laurence & Chef Sean
Referred By: Enterprise For Youth
Intern Story:

Devin has been cooking and baking with his mom, aunt, and grandparents since he was seven. For him, cooking is about giving, whether it’s giving his time to his family to help get dinner on the table or baking his loved ones their favorite dessert on their birthday. His passion for food led him to a job at a San Francisco farmer’s market, and from there, his love of food has continued to grow.  

Devin was thrilled to start his Sprouts Chef Training internship where he worked closely with Chef Sean experiencing all that Nopa restaurant has to offer. During his internship, Devin learned everything from making a bechamel sauce to preparing duck confit and also slicing up portions of lamb with a hacksaw. 

Devin began his internship wanting to build his sense of teamwork. He noted it was daunting to come into a cooking environment where everybody already knew each other and had more professional kitchen experience. However, he quickly built relationships with the kitchen staff and learned how to be a helpful member of the Nopa team. 

Devin dreams of opening either a catering business or a bakery. To make his dream a reality, Devin plans on using both his experience at Nopa as well as his financial knowledge from serving as a student member of the SFUSD financial board. Devin’s high school was underfunded and it was there where he learned to enjoy stretching his number-crunching skills to make a little money go a long way. Devin is grateful to Chef Uniforms for supporting his internship. Sprouts looks forward to seeing Devin’s culinary business come to fruition and hopes he continues to perfect the croissants he enjoys baking in his spare time.