Martin first heard about Sprouts through his teacher, who described it as a training opportunity at Stanford that would help him build culinary and job skills. His interest in cooking started recently after watching videos online and teaching himself how to make foods like eggs and potatoes. Wanting to improve his knife skills, learn food preparation techniques, and experience a professional kitchen, Martin joined the program eager to challenge himself. Throughout his internship at the Stanford Kitchen, he worked alongside a variety of chefs and coworkers who all took turns mentoring him. He quickly learned the importance of personal hygiene, food safety, proper cooking techniques, and kitchen organization. One skill he is especially proud of is learning how to cook foods correctly, understanding cooking times, and safely working around hot equipment. He also saw significant improvement in his knife skills and became much more comfortable working in a fast paced kitchen environment.

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When Martin first started the program, he was extremely nervous about working with new people and worried about making mistakes. The professional kitchen felt very different from anything he had experienced at home or in school. Over time, he gained confidence in his abilities and began to trust himself more. He also grew personally by becoming more comfortable talking with coworkers and building relationships with people he had just met. Conversations with fellow interns, chefs, and Stanford staff helped him come out of his shell and made the workplace feel welcoming and supportive.

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Sprouts provided Martin with an opportunity to push beyond his comfort zone while developing valuable workplace skills. Having previously struggled with depression, he appreciated being part of an environment where people encouraged one another and treated each other with respect. The program helped him build confidence, strengthen his communication skills, and gain real-world work experience in a professional setting.

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While Martin hopes to pursue a career in architecture, his experience at Stanford opened his eyes to the culinary world. He enjoyed learning from the chefs, working as part of a team, and experiencing the energy of a professional kitchen. Although architecture remains his primary goal, he now sees culinary as something he could continue exploring in the future and is grateful for the skills, friendships, and confidence he gained through the program.

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