James Fernandez is a thoughtful and soft-spoken young chef-in-training who joined Sprouts Chef Training with a practical goal: to learn how to cook for himself and possibly turn it into a sustainable career. Raised in a home where his mom cooked most meals, James found early inspiration in her care and skill. While he's still exploring whether his future lies in culinary arts or becoming a therapist, he sees cooking as both a valuable life skill and a potential way to support himself through school. James interned at AlaMar Dominican Kitchen under Chef Nelson German, where he was warmly welcomed and quickly put to work prepping vegetables, fruits, and salads. One of his first lessons was learning how to properly cut bell peppers—a small but important step in building his knife skills. He steadily improved, eventually becoming comfortable working Saturday dinner rushes and prepping lime wedges with speed and precision. Despite being naturally reserved, James found a sense of camaraderie with the dinner shift staff, especially Chef Miguel, bonding over shared interests like boxing and Muay Thai.Throughout the internship, James developed stronger communication and patience, pushing himself to ask questions and stay engaged even during slower hours. He learned to work under pressure and became more confident in high-stress situations like busy service nights. He even overcame his fear of oil splatter while cooking fish, learning how to properly lay and place it in a pan. His ability to stay present, finish what he started, and always offer help when needed made him a dependable member of the team.Sprouts helped James grow both technically and personally. He improved his knife work, time management, and ability to work in a team. He now feels more prepared to take care of himself and the people around him. Whether James pursues therapy, cooking, or both, he carries with him the lessons of discipline, self-reliance, and community he gained through this experience. In the future, he hopes to explore different cuisines and maybe even start a small food business to support his broader goals.