An essential aspect of the culinary industry is the ability to take criticism without taking it personally. As a culinarian, it is one of many duties that must be utilized to stay effective at breaking through in the industry - no one makes it without taking some advice from peers. However, the unique thing about culinary (and the arts in general) is that everyone is treated with the same amount of respect. Nothing is ever “wrong” when it comes to the arts - rather, it is an artistic take on an important meaning. Many culinarians are inspired by their love of food that reminds them of home, but the separation between home-cooked food and food that deserves to be paid for is the opinion of other culinarians. It is those opinions of people who share the same past as you, who only want you to succeed in the industry as much as they have. This is the basis of the quote, “iron sharpens iron”: the opinions of not only your family who will always tell you that your food is good, versus the opinions of the people around you in the kitchen who know just as much - if not more - as you. These kinds of criticisms are the most valued across all mediums - whether it be cooking, physical art, music, etc. You are the iron, and the people around you are the iron sharpening you and passing along their knowledge in order to turn you into a better chef, artist, and friend. I identify a lot with Kendall’s story. As a fellow student from the Rocky Mountain area, I have faced financial hardships picking such an ambitious journey as moving thousands of miles away from my home. I aspire to be the kind of person that he was; someone who can succeed on massive projects while never forgetting about my past and the people who helped me to get there. My friends, teachers, and family in Idaho were the people who gave me the confidence to pursue such big dreams and goals, and they were my iron up until now. Now that I’ve learned a lot in my home region, I seek to maximize the amount of time I am given in my life and learn from other places. I hope to achieve big things Kendall did by shadowing everyone in my life as much as possible; maybe I could cook for a celebrity like Ed Sheeran or Rod Stewart. I strive to enter as many competitions as I can, where judges can give me important advice for my future. And after I’ve learned as much as I can in as many places as I can, I hope to settle somewhere and open my own high-end catering business. To get there, however, I must seek to understand before being understood - a common phrase that is equally as important in everyday life and in the culinary world. This scholarship will give me the resources I need to complete one of many steps in following this dream - completing culinary school in Louisiana without the temporary stresses of figuring out how to pay for my next semester. These large dreams are achievable as long as I work for them. I know as long as I keep listening to others, and as long as I keep letting the people around me sharpen me, I can achieve great things like Kendall did.

I have struggled with my mental health since middle school, and since COVID, when I was trapped in my room with nothing to do other than look at a computer screen. Although easy for others, some assignments would take me hours to do, while I stared outside my window wishing I didn’t have to be working on mindless papers and math problems. When I got to high school, it was no different. Although I had the same mindset of picking at my fingers instead of doing slope intercept form, I was now in a college preparatory school, where I found it incredibly difficult to keep up with the pace of units and endless homework. It was easy when there was no one to hold me accountable to pass middle school; everyone took pity on the class of 2020 as the people who got their childhoods robbed of them because of the lack of social interaction. However, now that I was in high school, I struggled more than ever to earn good grades when I couldn’t ever just do homework. The simplest thing for my friends who had all As and got 100% on every test they received back, and yet I thought about for hours why I couldn’t just do it, why I had to be different, and what was wrong with me. It wasn’t my fault that I couldn’t just sit and write definition after definition, until I came to the conclusion there was probably something wrong with me. It was incredibly normalized at my school to take on multiple extracurriculars at once, while doing sports and maintaining a high GPA, and I beat myself up over not thriving in such an environment that was actively working against me. It was then I realized something might be wrong with me - I couldn’t focus like everyone else, couldn’t find motivation to do anything but sleep, and I criticized myself for not being able to just be normal. After going to a doctor about it, it was then I was diagnosed with depression and ADHD. This was no surprise to me - only an answer to the symptoms I had already been struggling with. Although I have never been able to have access to medication, I used the resources I already had to recenter my focus and understand more about myself. Knowing I was at a disadvantage compared to others gave me the inspiration I needed to search for answers from other people going through the same thing, advising me on how to stay focused by staying after school to complete my homework, taking breaks in between, choosing classes I’ll be interested in, etc. Although small, these kinds of tips were huge for someone who couldn’t figure out the secret to getting high grades. I was able to thrive in such a rigorous school because of all the continuous support and love of the people around me. The community of people like me ultimately helped me to achieve my highest goals and continue on in college. Now that I’m here, I’ve learned my limits when it comes to doing work outside of class and I can be aware of things like how I need to be in a different environment to complete something. I’m grateful for the lessons I learned from attending a school that challenged me as much as it did, because in college it is now smooth sailing. What originally made me different from the rest now helps me to excel compared to my peers because of the lessons I’ve learned about myself. I’m very grateful!

My goals after school are to work for a high-end catering business to support people on their most important days. I’m inspired to be a caterer for weddings, quinceañeras, anniversaries, and fancy events, where people are shining their brightest and having the most fun. I find those kinds of events where people dress up and show their best selves are truly where people become the most inspired and motivated to keep going in their everyday lives - even if those lives are hard to get through. Occasions like that are what keep everyone going, after being reassured of all the people we have around us supporting us. I believe in making the world a better place by supporting as many people as I can, regardless of whether or not I know them, because that kind of kindness is something that we all need in this world. Inspiring others inspires me, and I’m going to school so that I can be a chef and give people the food they need to take on the world. I want to feed as many people as I can so I can inspire people to be successful in their own lives. This includes anyone and everyone, non-negotiable. No matter your background, religion, political outlook, orientation, or your interests, everyone can break bread and have a good time with people you love. I seek to foster a community where people can come enjoy the dishes I create and bond with people, whether they just met, they’ve known each other for a long time, or if they’re reuniting after a period of separation. Restaurants can be the place where entire lives can be changed, further than just food. For now, all I can do is serve my friends and my family, volunteer at my regular food banks, and go to school to learn how to cook better! A lot of hardships I have faced so far and will face in the future is the lack of funding I have to be going to culinary school. I love the school I go to, I wouldn’t trade it for any big school like the Culinary Institute of America or anything like that! I love living in a new place, where I get to see a culture completely different from my own, while also learning to cook the regional cuisine there. However, there is still a huge difference between the funds that I have at the moment and the funds that I’ll need to get to the next semester; which is why you see me here spilling my story in hopes to get some extra dollars. I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities I’ve been given to indulge in my interests at a higher level. The core of everything I’ve ever wanted to do was to serve other people, whether it be to cook meals, offer entertainment, volunteer at places, or things like that, and I strive to give back to my community in the way that other people have for me by bringing me out of a dark place and encouraging me to show my full potential. I hope I embody the kind of passion and work ethic that John J Costonis had. I work hard to get a 4.0, be active in extracurriculars such as my theater and art clubs, work at a chain restaurant, and support my peers and friends who are struggling more with their loads of schoolwork than I am. I truly believe in supporting the people around me and supporting the cycle of helping others!

My name is Grace McManamon! I go to culinary school in Thibodaux, Louisiana, and I am minoring in theater. My goals after school are to work for a high-end catering business to support people on their most important days. I’m inspired to be a caterer for weddings, quinceañeras, anniversaries, and fancy events, where people are shining their brightest. I find those kinds of events where people dress up and show their best selves are truly where people become the most inspired and motivated to keep going in their everyday lives - even if those lives are hard to get through. Occasions like that are what keep everyone going, after being reassured of all the people we have around us supporting us. I believe in making the world a better place by supporting as many people as I can, regardless of whether or not I know them, because that kind of kindness is something that we all need in this world. Inspiring others inspires me, and I’m going to school so that I can be a chef and give people the food they need to take on the world. Culinary understandably is also a hard trade. It is costly on people’s bodies and minds, and I know I will have obstacles stopping me from getting there. There have been times where I figure I should choose something easier - I should be something like an accountant or insurance agent. However, satisfying people with my food and with my art satisfies me, and I truly believe that I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else. This trade makes it so I can see the smiles on people’s faces when they think about the dish they’re having, and how it can make their whole day by asking how they are. That means more to me than having the best life for myself - and I hope people can take inspiration from the food I make, even if I don’t ultimately end up in catering. In addition, I want to go into theater and give people access to music. Often we expect too much out of people without realizing what their life is like when others aren’t around, because people keep to themselves and they don’t ask for help. If I can make someone happy with my dramatic personality, I feel proud of myself. It makes me the happiest when I can make people laugh on stage - although it’s the worst trying not to break character, it gives me the motivation to keep dedicating my time to those roles that pay in fulfillment rather than physical money. This scholarship will help me have the tools to achieve those goals of helping other people with their lives. This is truly my passion, and I hope to feed the people like John Young who truly make a difference in our world by advancing technology and discovering more about ourselves and our universe. I share his ambition to work hard and be my very best!

My name is Grace McManamon, but I also go by Aurora! I am an omnisexual, demisexual, unlabeled trans person who has always held the core of my beliefs to help others. Humans need each other for connection, for differences in skills and specialties, and for a hug once in a while. I’m a huge believer of the idea that surroundings determine a person’s success and esteem. How can you function without a good support system of people around you? No one could, if you had no support. For me it’s always my goal to be that helping hand for someone else. I’m a huge extrovert, so I never find myself in a place where I’m lacking support. I seek to be that kind of feeling to other people. If I can compliment someone’s outfit, congratulate them for doing better than they usually do on a test, or simply tell them I appreciate their presence, I feel fulfilled with myself. Especially in the LGBTQ+ community, people need more reassurance than ever in a world filled with homophobes trying to knock us down. Professions are harder to get into, healthcare is always less accessible, and even things like being called the right name and pronouns are demotivators in a world that already isn’t kind to anyone. Not everyone has people who accept and love them for who they are, and although I do, I have empathy for those who will never reveal their true selves because of fear. I seek to support these kinds of people, even in small ways, with my two professions. By being a chef, I want to feed as many people as I can so I can inspire people to be successful in their own lives. This includes anyone and everyone, non-negotiable. No matter your background, religion, political outlook, orientation, or your interests, everyone can break bread and have a good time with people you love. I seek to foster a community where people can come enjoy the dishes I create and bond with people, whether they just met, they’ve known each other for a long time, or if they’re reuniting after a period of separation. Restaurants can be the place where entire lives can be changed, further than just food. For now, all I can do is serve my friends and my family, volunteer at my regular food banks, and go to school to learn how to cook better. I came out to my mom at a restaurant when I was 15, over a plate of biscuits and gravy. Food is a huge part of who I am and how I’ve gotten to be proud of who I’ve become. The other profession I hope to do on the side is acting. There is a large diaspora of LGBTQ people in the theater industry, and I hope I can support my peers by being proud of who I am on and off the stage. Whether it’s my crew I’m helping or the audience I’m performing to, I want to inspire at least one person before I die to become the very best version of themselves as they can be. Because of the people I have around me who love me, I can share the best version of myself with others. I hope other people will do the same with my help! With both of my professions I want to give others the tools to make a positive change, no matter what this means for them. Like Coco, I want to make people feel seen and appreciated. This scholarship will help me get there!

My name is Grace McManamon! I go to culinary school in Thibodaux, Louisiana, and I am minoring in theater. The aims of this scholarship align with my needs; the core of my values is to help other people and support them with their future endeavors, either by cooking them a meal or providing some entertainment, but I often struggle with the costs of graduating with a degree that will help me get there. This scholarship would help me with the cost of my tuition at this school - I love this school and the opportunities and connections it has given me already, but I am struggling to stay for the next semester. My goals after school are to work for a high-end catering business to support people on their most important days. I’m inspired to be a caterer for weddings, quinceañeras, anniversaries, and fancy events, where people are shining their brightest and having the most fun. I find those kinds of events where people dress up and show their best selves are truly where people become the most inspired and motivated to keep going in their everyday lives - even if those lives are hard to get through. Occasions like that are what keep everyone going, after being reassured of all the people we have around us supporting us. I’ve also exemplified this kind of thinking by volunteering for lots of food banks. I’ve volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul, Boise State University’s food pantry, and the Idaho Food Bank, to execute that same idea of helping others to become their very best. I believe in making the world a better place by supporting as many people as I can, regardless of whether or not I know them, because that kind of kindness is something that we all need in this world. From the outside, my high school was an advanced school that was preparing me for college - in reality, it takes up a lot of their students’ time. A time that I failed was when I tried spreading myself too thin in my junior year and consequently giving less than I should to everything I was doing. This cost me my mental health and wellbeing - and for a long time I didn’t take care of myself. By doing so much good for others, volunteering and performing for choir and theater - I failed myself and my needs were unmet. However, because of the support I had around me from my teachers and friends, I was able to reset my priorities and keep helping people while still receiving the support I needed to upkeep myself. I go to a school that isn’t as demanding of me now, and it has helped me realize that some of my greatest strengths are to help others by supporting them in the ways that my previous peers supported me, with the ease that comes to me with making friends. I hope to support this cycle of helping each other by inspiring others to help their peers in the way I helped them, even if my contributions are miniscule in comparison to the grand scheme of the world. We get caught up in the big picture so much that we forget to look at the little things and check up on ourselves. If I can do all this while still having a 4.0, why shouldn’t I? These are some of the qualities I try to embody, and I hope I am the candidate that DVL can recognize as someone who wants to use this scholarship to keep supporting others, not just myself!

When I was a kid I didn’t know what I wanted to be. I jumped around dream career paths a lot because I had time to think about it. All that I knew was that I was an overachiever who didn’t want to do an office job. I debated a lot of things - there was a time I wanted to be a firefighter, or design video games, or be a graphic designer, but around 7th grade was the time when my focus became clear. I had recently watched the first season of Stranger Things, a show where the protagonists are in middle school, and I thought acting was the coolest thing ever. Being able to dress up and make money off of being dramatic? Perfect. It caught my eye, but I was quickly shot down by my mother who didn’t want me in that sort of industry. Around the same time I started cooking - which brought me out of a dark place in my life. I was struggling with depression, anxiety, and ADHD, which set me back as it was hard to imagine a life past 18 when in that mental state. I knew that I liked acting and cooking, but it wasn’t easy to imagine what I was doing next week when I didn’t even want to live past the current day. I lacked adequate support in my life that could inspire me to reach those goals of cooking and acting professionally. And then I got to my high school, where I was able to take culinary classes and join my theater club. The kind of support I received there to pursue those careers was unmatched, and it convinced me to enroll in higher education, even if I don’t have all I need to pay for it. I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities I’ve been given to indulge in my interests at a higher level. The core of everything I’ve ever wanted to do was to serve other people, whether it be to cook meals, offer entertainment, volunteer at places, or things like that, and I strive to give back to my community in the way that other people have for me by bringing me out of a dark place and encouraging me to show my full potential. Now that I’m here, I recognize that life and the time I have is something I shouldn’t take for granted. So many people struggle in this world without adequate support, and it is my goal to be a support system for as many people as I can be around me. Even if all I can do is cook a meal for someone or give a hug, I feel fulfilled with myself. If I can take a little time out of my day to make another person’s life easier, why shouldn’t I? Things like that aren’t ever a burden to me because it’s rewarding in my mind to see people reach their full potential after seeing something I’ve done or eating something I’ve cooked. So many people in this world don’t have the opportunity to speak their mind, and it comes at the cost of the world having a perpetual cycle of struggling and lacking help. I want to spend my life giving as much support as I can to those who need it most, and although those like Charles Brazelton don’t get the opportunity out the dreams they always hoped for, I hope I can help inspire those who need a little extra support to get there.

Getting diagnosed with ADHD was no surprise for me - it was only the answer to my failing grades and the reason I almost never passed middle school. Navigating traditional pre-teen drama was no match for just trying to get schoolwork done. Even at 12 I was already struggling to focus on slope intercept form in comparison to the shows and video games I was fixating on - and high school was no different. I attended an honors high school called Renaissance; the #1 public high school in the state of Idaho. Although I had many great opportunities there, the school earns its spot as #1 by being a college preparatory school, and therefore having a lot of challenges. I was an International Baccalaureate student as well, which is a program that isn't for the students that don't care about school - if I wanted to graduate I had to put in the effort. Luckily I had a good support system around me of people who understood how hard ADHD can be, and gave me the tools I needed to sparkle. The culture at Renaissance is very understanding of mental health struggles, and it was the thing that got me through writing college papers before I could even vote. While medication wasn't available to me while I was at school, I was able to get through it by befriending people who were having similar struggles as me: staying focused on the boring subjects and taking advantage of the brain's reward system. I found that it was easy for me to consider school as a place of work, and strictly only do work there, and it was very easy for me to focus; however, at home it became hard as my brain thought of it as a place of relaxation. With ADHD, doing homework in your bed or on your couch is impossible (at least in my experience) - you need to have a place that is strictly for doing work, such as the desk I'm sitting at right now writing this. Long hours working didn't make it easier - my ADHD made me want to do everything, and participate in choir, theater, have a job at a restaurant, and do culinary classes at my school, which resulted in me having 20 hour days sometimes. Burnout hit me hard, but I've always had a passion for entertaining other people with my talent, and that's what kept me going throughout high school - doing the things I loved most even if I had to sacrifice some sleep was worth it to me, and remains some of the best experiences I've had. By doing some of the fun things I wanted to do, I was able to focus better on the more boring subjects in my mind, and was able to persevere through school the best I could. I successfully graduated with honors, my IB certificate, and my certificate of completion of the culinary program despite all the long nights on the floor being held back by the inability to focus on anything besides the things I was truly interested in. I'm excited to go off to college where I only have to study the things I want to study: culinary and theater, where I truly sparkle best. I may have trouble focusing, but I'm never one to let that hold me back. My ADHD has never defined me despite all the challenges it's given me and I hope to be able to go to school in the fall to keep doing what I love best. :)