In the summer of 2024, Cecilio took a leap of faith. While working late-night warehouse shifts, he knew he had more to offer the world, but wasn't sure of his true calling. When he stumbled on an ad for Association House's Culinary career training program, he was reminded of countless happy hours spent in his family kitchen. His father had always worked in restaurants, and had lifelong dreams of opening his own-- and his mother had a reputation for mouthwatering Mexican cuisine.
"Growing up, my dad was really busy with work, and the little time I got with him was when he was cooking for us. He'd ask me to help out and teach me things. My dad's been working in kitchens for 25 years, and cooking is something that's always brought good memories to me-- so I thought, maybe I could be okay at this," Cecilio shared.
Class kicked off in July, and Cecilio took to Chef Tenoch Ang's lessons right away. He learned proper knife skills, cuisine styles from around the world, and spent time with Workforce Training staff to design a resume he could be proud of. The schedule was tiring-- sometimes working 5 PM to 2 AM at his warehouse job, then waking up for class the next morning-- but this only motivated him to complete the program and dedicate himself to cooking full-time.
"It honestly didn't feel like a class. It felt like a second home," says Cecilio. "Chef Tenoch was a very positive influence in my life. It was like learning to cook with my other dad-- I was learning from someone that I cared a lot for. Everybody wanted to be there, everyone tried their best every day."
Two weeks before graduation, Cecilio felt confident enough in his skills to start applying for positions in kitchens around the city. Excited to put his all into the culinary field, he applied just about everywhere he could find. But to his surprise, he soon had more interview requests than he knew what to do with!
Then, in the middle of all the chaos, Cecilio got a phone call that really shocked him. Just a week before graduation, 3-star Michelin restaurant Alinea reached out asking him to join them for two 12-hour practice shifts before inviting him on board officially.
"I remember telling Chef Tenoch, and we couldn't believe it. It wasn't just an acknowledgement email-- they called me and ask me to stage. It was a commis chef position, which is entry level, but Alinea is a Michelin-starred restaurant and I had no real experience other than cooking at home and taking the class at Association House. The fact that they even considered me was such a surprise," Cecilio told us, still in a bit of disbelief.
Despite all the excitement, Chef Tenoch advised Cecilio to accept all the luck he was having and wait to hear every offer. Soon enough, he received a personal text from Executive Chef Terence Zubieta at the Park Hyatt's luxe NoMI restaurant. They eventually offered him a Cook III position on their staff-- the first step on a very promising path.
Now settling into his new role, Cecilio is feeling both humbled by the opportunity and excited at what his future holds. For anyone thinking about pursuing more education or changing career paths, he recommends the Association House Kitchen course wholeheartedly:
"Just try. It doesn't hurt to try. It's free! I don't know how you could just scroll past something like this. There are such good people involved in this program who actually care, who want to push you to learn and be the best you can be. What's the worst outcome? Maybe you don't like it? That's it!? Give yourself the chance and start something new."
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Learn more about classes in the Association House Kitchen at associationhouse.org/kitchen.