I believe in love at first sight because of cooking. In 2018, while I attended the Boys and Girls Club in Virginia, I had the opportunity to create my first dish (stuffed bell peppers). I loved the process and the food so much that I tried the same recipe at home. That cycle continued about five more times until I moved to Connecticut. After about three months in my new home, I learned that my cousin was an executive chef with his own catering company. I asked him and my mother if I could work with him. Before I knew it, a bond and opportunity arose. I've been working with him ever since and loving it. I'm now 16 years old and graduating in 4 months. I'm going to community college for my associate's in culinary. Then I'll transfer to Johnson & Wales, the providence campus, to get my Bachelor's in Food and Beverage management. My cousin is opening a restaurant near the end of March, so I plan to work with him while accepting other opportunities. Because I only turned 16 at the end of last year, I haven't been able to be on a payroll. I'm applying for this scholarship because I want to be able to help my mother in any way possible. A part of that is being able to help pay for school expenses like housing and books. Overall, the hospitality field, culinary specifically, could never feel like a job to me. I enjoy learning from the process and the failure. I love that you can find many ways to make the same dish taste drastically different. I appreciate the art, science, and character development that one can put in and get out of this field. Culinary is my passion and a preeminent part of my future.