Norman has always loved cooking, but it wasn’t until recently that they began to seriously consider it as a career path. After dropping out of college and starting work on a farm, Norman began to truly grasp the importance of the farm-to-table connection. Their past experience in a vegan restaurant taught them how creative cooking can be, and their time at Sprouts helped them explore a new culinary world—fine dining.During their internship, Norman trained under chef Ollie, Andres, and Reed at Hilda and Jesse, where they worked both prep and service shifts. Though they sometimes felt out of place in the beginning, Norman quickly grew into the rhythm of a fast-paced, ever-changing kitchen. They improved their knife skills, became more precise with plating, and found joy in learning subtle flavor pairings—like incorporating leek ash oil into dishes. They especially appreciated the inclusive environment, where their pronouns were respected and genuine kindness was part of the culture. Norman’s personal growth throughout the internship was profound. Norman’s proudest moment was when they were working the line with sous chef Andres. Chef Andres had to step out to use the restroom and Norman started receiving tickets for service. They felt confident enough with the skills that they had learned to start the tickets. By the time that chef Andres had come back from the restroom they had already completed half the tickets they received. Having once struggled to ask for help, they now feel confident and communicative in the kitchen. They even noticed themselves cutting celery the same way at their second job at Fox and Lion, reflecting how much they had internalized from Hilda and Jesse. As the oldest in the cohort, balancing rent and bills, Norman is proud to be building experience in kitchens they admire. Their long-term dream is to become a private chef and be able to create beautiful personalized pairing menus like the ones they were introduced to at Hilda and Jesse.Sprouts gave Norman the chance to grow not just as a cook, but as a leader. The internship sparked their curiosity about pairing menus—something they first explored as a pandemic hobby—and opened the door to opportunities like personal cheffing and butchery. Moving forward, Norman wants to work in more kitchens, build connections, and continue expanding their knowledge of Korean, Japanese, and Middle Eastern cuisines.