Larry Leon Irons Culinary Memorial Scholarship

Cooking has always been my passion ever since I could remember. I grew up around cooking from either family or watching cooking shows on the food network. When I was nine, I would always try to help my grandmother make a dish, but she wouldn’t let me. She thought I was too little, so I didn't really expand on my passion. Everything changed when my grandmother moved away, and the kitchen became free. My mother began to take on the household cooking and she allowed me to help. I would research recipes and we would cook them together. We cooked different dishes almost all the time and gradually my mother started to let me cook more without her help. Cooking became such a huge deal in my home that our family made a game out of the dinners we prepared. The best-tasting meal would win the Head chef for the week. It was a game I often strived to win since I was so eager to show off my creativity. My passion for cooking has helped me in several ways. It helps me focus on something that I am good at. My anxiety has nearly diminished because of it. It makes me feel great to see people happy because they have tasted one of my delicious dishes. Most importantly, it brought my family closer together. My culinary goals are to get my associate degree in hospitality and take culinary certificate classes. After that, I want to transfer to a culinary college to do two more years so I can get my bachelor's degree. While in college I would like to work in a kitchen as a line cook and gain experience in working in a busy atmosphere. I want to observe and learn from the head chefs I met during my journey so I can continue to strive. My dream is to one day open my own non-profit business in underserved communities that would provide healthy meals to seniors, free lunches for kids during the summer, and dinners for families during the holidays. I got this idea from volunteering at the nonprofit my mother works for. They do incredible work for people with disabilities, and it brought me joy to help people in need. My goal is to brand my nonprofit and open as many locations as possible around the country. My nonprofit would not only feed the community, but it would also offer free cooking classes where people can learn how to prepare delicious dishes without having to spend a fortune at a restaurant. The goal is to bring people and families together through their passion for cooking, just as it did for my family. This ties back into the now, to start a business, one would need to put themselves out there. I’m currently trying to grow my social media pages and share my passion. I also volunteer at events that have serving stations or need assistance with catering. I enjoy the fast-paced environment, and how they taught me to properly handle food and serve people. The best part is when I get to meet the chefs and taste the food. It motivates me even more to jump-start my journey. Receiving this scholarship is important to me because it would assist me in the beginning stages of my goal of attending culinary school. I am determined to work hard so that I can help the people around me. I believe the world needs more great chefs.

The Culinary field itself has always been a passion for me. Since childhood, I have always had an interest in working in the kitchen, whether it be baking some cookies or trying out a new recipe. I decided that I wanted to pursue the culinary field during my freshman year of highschool. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to mainly focus on Commercial Baking and confections. My goal in life is to be a pastry chef in a high-end hotel or catering company. I want to be able to create complex and flavorful desserts that can be enjoyed by many. I want to make dining a complete experience for people rather than just a way to get energy. I believe that with the proper education I will be able to accomplish my dreams and excel in the culinary field. During my high school years, I have been taking a culinary arts program through my local technical education center. These classes served as an introduction to the culinary industry and taught me the basics in culinary arts, pastry arts, and hospitality and management. They have also served to give me career field experience. After I graduate, I plan to attend the Culinary Institute of Michigan. As of right now, I have been to the C.I.M. multiple times for competitions and summer camps. I competed in the 2022 SkillsUSA-Commercial Baking competition where I placed 6th at regionals and 9th at states, I also competed in an American Culinary Association competition for Commercial Baking where I placed 2nd. With the culinary experience that I currently possess, I am able to contribute and give back to my community. I volunteer to help with food services at charity events at my local country club and I bake confections and goods for bake sales and fundraisers at my local nature center. Whenever my church hosts an Advent tea for women in the community, I make sure to help out in setting up and tearing down. I complete 20 hours of community service yearly through the National Honor Society at my School. I also complete 170 service hours with my Girl Scout Troop as a part of the Governor's Honor Guard on Mackinac Island each summer. I am currently working to earn my Girl Scout Gold award by creating a children’s cookbook for kids in my community. I hope that with a professional education I will continue to be able to help my community in whatever ways necessary and that I will be able to positively impact others through my passion.