Khyree Robinson came to the Sprouts Chef Training Program with real passion and a self-taught foundation. His interest in cooking began helping his parents in the kitchen, and he had been building on that ever since, studying on his own time and trying new dishes. His family had faced periods of homelessness and financial hardship, and through all of it, Khyree kept showing up, including at a soup kitchen where he quietly picked up the slack when others didn't. He arrived at Sprouts ready to turn that drive into professional skill.

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At UC Berkeley's cafeteria kitchen, Khyree was thrown in immediately and found his footing fast. He sharpened his knife skills through high-volume repetitive prep, working through boxes of eggplant and other ingredients until what once felt tedious became something he genuinely enjoyed. He learned to time production around the cafeteria's needs, keeping items like the Friday potatoes consistently stocked without ever letting them run out. When a steamer door burned his arm on his first day, he stayed calm, kept his composure, and made sure no food was wasted.

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Khyree leaves the program having accomplished the goal he came in with: getting better with a knife. More than that, he leaves with stronger time management, a real feel for kitchen rhythm, and the confirmation that he belongs in this line of work. His next goal is to keep growing under pressure, and he has every reason to believe he will.

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