My grandmother is my inspiration for starting my love of baking. She came from Peru to America with my family when my father was five years old. My Peruvian grandmother inspired in me a love of traditional Peruvian baking from a young age. She taught me to follow the flavors rather than a recipe. We stood side by side over a pot of Lomo Saltado, and served ceviche and arroz con pollo to my parents and extended family as they delighted over my advanced cooking skills. As a young child, I had a mature palate; there definitely wasn’t any food that I avoided. From a young age I developed a love of Peruvian food, as well as Mexican, Thai, Japanese and Chinese cuisine. My love of Peruvian food was reinforced by visiting my father’s homeland and traveling to see all the sites and places he knew as a child. I quickly outgrew the kid's menu and appreciated many types of food, from sushi to dim sum. An appreciation of culturally diverse food has been part of my identity and how I connect with my family. Naturally, I joined the culinary arts pathway at Cosumnes Oaks High School as a sophomore, which gave me many friendships with other people that had similar culinary interests and skills. These past three years, I learned knife skills, sanitation, food preparation, plating, serving, mass production, culinary terms and marketing. I have explored a variety of cultures’ foods and traditional cooking methods. In Biochemistry of Foods, I learned how chemicals interact with each other to create new foods. In Culinary Chemistry, we studied the chemical reactions and effects of yeast for making bread,. For my capstone project, I developed a unique recipe for potato latkes, applesauce, and challah to sell at our school's culinary market during finals. I also helped prepare a five course meal for the families of culinary students. I have blended my knowledge from the culinary classes and experience at camp to start my own pastry business, Teo’s Treats. I specialize in making homemade desserts and customize each order. Popular items include Spanish desserts such as flan, empanadas, brownies and churros. I advertise through word of mouth, business cards, our school news and social media. I am learning the importance of communication and marketing to grow and expand my business. With inspiration, friendship, and solidarity, people can pursue their dreams and work towards realizing their individual and collective goals. The dream I have is to be able to receive and pass down recipes from my grandmother and incorporate them into meals for my children and grandchildren. I want my love and joy of cooking to be part of the legacy I leave behind for my children and for generations to come. My personal dream is to improve my culinary skills as a chef and reach my goals as a restaurant manager and entrepreneur. I hope to further my education in the culinary industry by pursuing a degree in Hospitality Management at the University of San Francisco. I am drawn to the hospitality program at USF because of the opportunities for real-world experiences, the incredible local restaurant scene, the proximity to major California food regions, and the abundance of networking opportunities.I plan to use my degree in Hospitality Management from USF to live in San Francisco and become a manager at a Spanish restaurant in San Francisco. My ultimate dream is to one day open a Peruvian restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area and make my family and myself proud

Creating Connection: During my four years at Cosumnes Oaks High School, I took on various leadership roles to help positively influence and build my school community. I am guided by Jackie Robinson’s statement, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” I helped bring people together through two leadership roles: broadcasting pathway equipment manager, and Dungeons and Dragons club president. As part of the broadcasting pathway, I developed and produced a weekly segment called Clubhouse in which I interviewed and featured different school clubs. This helped promote other clubs and bring awareness to their causes. Our daily school news videos were shared with the entire campus and also uploaded to our YouTube channel. This platform allowed us to share campus events with current and former students. My colleague and I also developed a weekly podcast called the Wolfpack Weekly Wired to provide a more personal connection with students on campus. I was also Equipment Manager for two years and helped maintain and repair our inventory. Another way I strive to bring people together is through my four years as the president of our Dungeons and Dragons Club. I grew the club membership from two to forty-five people. I also raised the club funds from a zero balance to over 1500 dollars. The club spans six grade levels, from seventh through twelfth grade. It provides a welcoming outlet for students who wish to connect and gives them an opportunity to play tabletop games in a stress-free and supportive environment. Kindness in Action: As leader of the Iron Wolves culinary club, I have experiences many opportunists for kindness in action. I help guide younger students while we provide food at special events at school such as football games and ceramics showcases. I have also catered at the district level, including a board meeting event and the superintendent's retirement party. For Thanksgiving, we prepared a full meal for fellow culinary students, exemplifying the spirit of giving. This year, I was also hand selected by the head chef to be his culinary intern. I have showed kindness by helping guide the younger culinary students and imparting my culinary knowledge to them. The culinary pathway has taught me skills including time management, working in a group, leadership, and giving back. Spending three years in the culinary arts pathway has motivated me to improve my skills as a chef and work towards my goal of restaurant manager. I hope to further my education in the culinary industry by pursuing a degree in Hospitality Management at the University of San Francisco. I also plan to continue to make a difference in college by creating new inclusive clubs on my college campus. By continuing to strive for a connected campus community in college and eventually becoming a restaurant manager, I will bring people together into adulthood and throughout my life.

Volunteering at Good Shepherd Catholic has been a meaningful activity that I have pursued throughout high school. Service work with the church has shaped my identity and strengthened my core values, thereby preparing me in many ways for success in my chosen career. I began my journey with Good Shepherd in pre-school and have continued my connection with the church for fifteen years. For the past four years, as CORE team leader, I have taught Confirmation classes to middle and high school students. I enjoy teaching young people more about their faith in small group activities, whole group discussions, service projects, and retreats. I am also part of our monthly 1:8 youth team and serve as our Grove digital media lead to help publicize youth events. The culminating event occurs every May, when I see my current group of students receive the holy sacrament of Confirmation. Service work with the church has given me a connection to God, provided me with spiritual guidance, taught me right from wrong, and given me the opportunity to work with children. My volunteer work has also prepared me for success by providing me with opportunities to go on retreats to grow myself physically and emotionally. While on these retreats different speakers had the chance to provide me with many different ways of looking at life and multiple ways to grow myself spiritually. Spending time with my faith community and away from digital and physical distractions has helped me know what to prioritize in my life. The most influential person in my spiritual life is Ms. Elizabeth Pott. She is the dynamic leader of the catechism program at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, and has been a very influential person in my religious development. She prepared me to receive my Confirmation for two years, and then invited me to become a CORE Team leader throughout high school these past four years. My faith will assist me in life because service work with the church has instilled in me the importance of trustworthiness. Due to my service work with the church I value honesty and integrity above all else. When I say I am going to do a job, I do it. It is important to follow through when I make a commitment to others because I want people to be able to always count on me. In group projects, I usually take the lead and cover whatever needs to be done so that the end result turns out well. I believe this quality of trustworthiness will serve me well in my chosen career as a manager in the culinary field. Church work motivates me to be the best version of myself and reach my goals as a manager and entrepreneur. I hope to further my education in the culinary industry by pursuing a degree in Management at the University of San Francisco. I am drawn to the management program at USF because of the opportunities for real-world experiences, the incredible local restaurant scene, the proximity to major California food regions, and the abundance of networking opportunities. San Francisco housing and tuition at USF are both very expensive. I would use the scholarship money to help make my San Francisco educational dreams become a reality. I plan to use my bachelors degree in Management to become a manager at a restaurant in San Francisco. Service work with the church will allow me to work cooperatively with my colleagues and help lead with integrity, humility and empathy. One day I hope to open my own Peruvian restaurant in San Francisco, making my family, myself, and God proud.

I have helped make my community safe from bullying and cyberbullying both on campus and in my community in various ways. I have embraced diversity through my club experience, my roles as a Dungeons and Dragons Club President, political intern, and anchor of Wolfpack TV, and my own unique identity. As an eighth grader at Harriet Eddy Middle School, I joined the school’s Dungeons and Dragons Club which shared a room with our Pride Club. Due to their proximity, the two clubs often became one blended club. This arrangement allowed me to become close friends with a large circle of LGBTQ friends. Many of them have stayed with me all the way as I now prepare to graduate high school and move on to college. Another way I strived to create a diverse school is through my four years as president of our Dungeons & Dragons Club at Cosumnes Oaks. I grew the club membership from two to forty-five people and counting. The club spans six grade levels, from seventh through twelfth grade. It provides a welcoming outlet for all students who wish to connect and gives them an opportunity to play tabletop games in a stress-free and supportive environment. As a freshman, I was a political intern for Jaclyn Moreno for Supervisor. One of the platforms of her progressive campaign was to advocate for policies that would be beneficial to the LGBTQ community. During her campaign, I became more aware of the issues and challenges that the LGBTQ community faces. One issue that was discussed was her Republican opponent's narrow views about inclusion. We also discussed progressive issues such as transgender rights. As a freshman in high school, I personally went door to door with pamphlets to help spread awareness of inclusion and increase voter turnout. Another way that I have been supportive of diversity on campus is through my role as anchor of Wolfpack TV. As part of the broadcasting pathway, I developed and produced a weekly news segment called Clubhouse. I interviewed and featured different school clubs, bringing awareness to their causes. Our daily school news videos are shared with the entire campus and our YouTube channel. This platform allowed us to reach current and former students, addressing many social issues and causes. I come from a diverse background myself, and am unique in many ways. My identity is full of dichotomies. I am Hispanic, specifically Peruvian, while also being Caucasian. I am the son of an immigrant; my father was born in Lima, Peru. My ethnic background includes Peruvian, Spanish, Lithuanian, Irish and English. I have two minority religious backgrounds: Catholic and Jewish. I have taught Confirmation classes at church for the past four years. I also celebrate Jewish holidays and can say some Hebrew words and prayers. Receiving a Matthew E. Minor Memorial Scholarship would help make my college dreams become a reality. After three years in my school’s culinary program, I hope to further my education in the culinary industry by pursuing a degree in Hospitality Management at the University of San Francisco. This scholarship would help offset some of the high costs of living in San Francisco. I plan to use my degree in Hospitality Management to become a manager at a Spanish restaurant in San Francisco. My ultimate dream is to open a Peruvian restaurant in San Francisco. How I keep children and youth in my community safe from bullying is by embracing diversity and supporting my peers at school and in the larger community. My various roles have shown me the importance of celebrating diversity and encouraging acceptance in our world.

Last summer, as a 16 year old biking alone, I entered a street crossing and was violently knocked to the ground. A grey sedan had hit me out of nowhere. There was blood pouring from my knees, pieces of gravel and dirt stuck in my elbows, and a large gash in my big toe. My bike split cleanly in two parts, and my bike handle had dug into my arm. The driver sped off, leaving me injured in the road. Not only was I struck by a car but I had also been involved in a hit and run. While a bystander called 911, I moved to the side of the road and called my parents who were both at work. Three emergency vehicles arrived, including a fire truck, police car and ambulance. The policeman approached me, requested identification, and asked me what had happened. He asked me for a description of the driver, what I remembered about the car, and if I was hurt. Then a fireman came and asked me more questions and examined me to see if I had a concussion. At the hospital, staff removed large chunks of debris from my arm and from both knees. I also got stitches on my toe. I was sent home with a plan to rest, dress my wounds, and take prescription pain medication. Unbelievably, the distracted driver struck again a few months later. My mother told me about her coworker’s son who was hit in a Walmart parking lot, just a few blocks from the street where my accident took place. The vehicle was also a small, grey sedan. The driver matched the gender, age and general description of my driver. She also left the scene of the crime without calling for help or checking on the child. I cannot fathom how someone could cause that much harm to a child, and then leave the scene so hastily and callously. How many more children are going to be victims of distracted driving? Something needs to be done to combat the epidemic of distracted driving, before more people are hurt or killed. A year and a half later, I still have a six inch scar on my arm, multiple round scars on my knees, and a small scar from the stitches on my toe. I try to embrace my scars as badges of courage, and wear my large arm scar with pride. The skills that helped me during the time of my accident were staying calm under pressure and being mentally strong. The policeman had commented to me that I seemed mellow and unusually calm when answering his questions. From this event, I learned that I can handle difficult situations on my own and with a level head.I just received my drivers license, and will be aware of my surroundings, especially around pedestrians and bicyclists. Advice that I would give to someone facing the same circumstances of biking alone is to be aware of your surroundings and always wear protective gear such as a helmet and bright clothes. Advice that I would give to someone in a bike accident is to remain calm, seek help immediately from people nearby, and have faith in yourself that you can overcome adversity.

My Granmdmother’s Recent Diagnosis of MDS/MPN I have been impacted significantly this school year by my grandmother's recent blood cancer diagnosis. My grandmother's journey with a blood disorder started recently in June 2025. After she had a bad fall in front of our home, we took her to the hospital where they gave her many tests including a blood test. The blood test revealed she had a very elevated white blood cell count. While waiting several weeks for a biopsy, we did what we could to help my grandmother with her recovery and decline in functioning. She was given a biopsy in August and diagnosed with a version of a blood cancer called Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, known as MDS/MPN. My grandmother was prescribed daily chemotherapy in October. Within the first two weeks of chemo her white blood cell count dropped from a hundred thousand to twenty five thousand. Yet this process was not a straight path. One of my grandmother's main side effects of being on chemo is extreme fatigue. She naps several times a day. I try to help her by making her meals, cleaning for her and taking care of her mail. As my grandmother's illness progresses, I try to help her however and whenever she needs. While I cannot know exactly what she is going through, I try to show compassion and empathy. I help my parents to make the transitions smoother and changes less drastic. My grandmother has gone through multiple waves of fatigue, lack of appetite and drastic memory loss while on medication. This impacted me by having to make changes to our family schedule to help my grandmother. She needs help getting out of bed in the morning, getting dressed, making food, and going to appointments. In order to promote blood cancer awareness, I will use my connections to our school news, talk to others around me, and write about blood disorders and treatment options. One way I plan to spread awareness of blood cancers is by sharing my family's story of what happened to my grandmother in terms of her diagnosis and treatments. I talk to friends and family about what treatments worked well for her and what we do to make her life easier on a daily basis. As a member of our school's broadcasting pathway, I can use our daily news channel (Wolfpack TV) and weekly newsletter (Wolfpack at a Glance, or WAG) to help spread blood cancer awareness through our school. I currently produce a weekly news segment called Clubhouse. I could expand this segment to include information regarding health topics such as blood cancer and other disorders. We also have a medical pathway at my school. I could interview some of the medical pathway students about their knowledge of various diseases and include this information in our Wednesday podcast, Weekly Wolfpack Wire. Although it has been challenging to see my grandmother's health decline so rapidly, I hope that I can share our experience with others, and that the work my family does each day helps her have a nice, peaceful life.

My Peruvian grandmother inspired in me a love of traditional Peruvian cooking from a young age. She taught me to follow the flavors rather than a recipe. We stood side by side over a pot of lomo saltado, and served mouth watering ceviche and arroz con pollo to our family. Naturally, I joined the culinary arts pathway at Cosumnes Oaks as a sophomore. These past three years I have learned knife skills, sanitation, food preparation, plating, serving, mass production, and marketing. I have explored a variety of cultures’ foods and traditional cooking methods. In Biochemistry of Foods, I learned how chemicals interact with each other to create new foods, such as fermenting cucumbers into pickles. In Culinary Chemistry, I studied the chemical reactions and effects of yeast for making bread, such as fermentation and leavening. For my capstone project in Culinary 3, I developed three unique recipes to bake and sell at our culinary market during finals. My culinary skills were put to use outside of the classroom as a prep cook at Cazadero Performing Arts Camp the past two summers. At camp I gained real world, hands-on experience in a commercial kitchen while serving more than two hundred campers daily. I woke up at five in the morning to help open the kitchen, prepare the beverage station, and prepare breakfast foods. At age 16, I already started my entrepreneurial career. I blended my knowledge from the culinary classes, experience at camp and international travel to start my own pastry business, Teo’s Treats. I specialize in making homemade desserts and customize each order. Popular items include Spanish desserts such as flan, empanadas, and churros. I advertise through word of mouth, business cards, and social media. I am learning the importance of communication and marketing to grow and expand my business. This school year, I am a CTE culinary intern and the leader of Iron Wolves. Iron Wolves is a select group of students who are chosen by the chef to represent the culinary program at school wide and community events. We have catered school events such as football games and district level events such as funding meetings and retirement parties. As a culinary intern, I gain experience from our head chef and assist him both inside and outside the classroom. I help teach culinary lessons and serve food at special events. The culinary pathway has taught me generalizable skills including time management, working in a group, and leadership skills. Culinary arts motivates me to improve my skills as a chef and reach my goals as a manager and entrepreneur. The higher education field that I am planning to study to reach these entrepreneurial goals is hospitality management. I have been accepted into and plan to pursue a degree in Hospitality Management at the University of San Francisco. I am drawn to the hospitality program at USF because of the opportunities for real-world experiences, the incredible local restaurant scene, the proximity to major California food regions, and the abundance of networking opportunities. I plan to use my degree in Hospitality Management to become a manager at a restaurant in San Francisco. A successful life will look like living on my own in San Francisco and managing a successful Spanish restaurant. The restaurant scene in San Francisco is very difficult to break into, due to the high cost of rent, the 2500 other full service restaurants, and the high standards and expectations of San Francisco clientele. Despite these challenges, one day I hope to open my own Peruvian restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area, making my Peruvian family proud.

My Culinary Journey with Chef Lazz As a Senior at Cosumnes Oaks High School, I am in my third year of the culinary pathway. My culinary teacher, Chef Vincent Lazzaretto, has most influenced my high school experience and my career aspirations. He has been my culinary teacher for the past three years. I am also his intern and assist him both inside and outside the classroom. I help plan and teach culinary lessons. As an Iron Wolf, I help cater special events at school such as football games. I have also catered at the district level, including a board meeting event and the superintendent's retirement party. Chef Lazz is my inspiration because he is hardworking, innovative, independent, and resourceful. He is also organized, energetic, and humble. Working with Chef Laz has taught me invaluable skills including time management, group work and leadership. Chef Lazz also exemplifies the quality of trustworthiness because he values honesty and integrity above all else. When he says he is going to do a job, he does it. He taught me that it is important to follow through when I make a commitment to others because I want people to be able to always count on me. In group projects, I usually take the lead and cover whatever needs to be done so that the end result turns out well. I believe this quality of trustworthiness that he imparted in me will serve me well in the culinary field. Through Chef Lazz’s hands-on culinary courses, I learned knife skills, sanitation, food preparation, plating, serving, mass production, and marketing. I have explored a variety of cultures’ foods and traditional cooking methods. In Biochemistry of Foods, I learned how chemicals interact with each other to create new foods. In Culinary Chemistry, I studied the chemical reactions and effects of yeast for making bread, such as fermentation and leavening. For my capstone project, I developed a unique recipe for potato latkes to sell at our culinary market during finals. I will be serving senior culinary parents a three course plated meal for my spring final. These classes were the most engaging and meaningful parts of high school, and inspired me to pursue culinary arts in college and my career. Culinary arts is my passion. Chef Lazz motivates me to reach my goals as a restaurant manager and entrepreneur. I plan to study hospitality management at the University of San Francisco. I am drawn to the hospitality management program at USF because of the opportunities for real-world experiences, the incredible local restaurant scene, the proximity to major California food regions, and the abundance of networking opportunities. I am excited to live, learn and eat my way through the diverse city of San Francisco. After I obtain my bachelors degree at USF, I would like to work at and eventually manage a restaurant in San Francisco. One day I hope to open my own Peruvian restaurant, making Chef Lazz - and my family - proud.

My Peruvian grandmother inspired in me a love of traditional Peruvian cooking from a young age. She taught me to follow the flavors rather than a recipe. We stood side by side over a pot of Lomo Saltado, and served ceviche and arroz con pollo to my parents as they delighted over my advanced cooking skills. As a young child, I had a mature palate; there wasn’t any food that I avoided eating, from sushi to dim sum. Naturally, I joined the culinary arts pathway at Cosumnes Oaks as a sophomore. These past three years I learned knife skills, sanitation, food preparation, plating, serving, mass production, and marketing. I have explored a variety of cultures’ foods and traditional cooking methods. In Biochemistry of Foods, I learned how chemicals interact with each other to create new foods, such as fermenting cucumbers into pickles. In Culinary Chemistry, I studied the chemical reactions and effects of yeast for making bread, such as fermentation and leavening. For my capstone project, I developed a unique recipe for potato latkes to sell at our culinary market during finals. My culinary skills were put to use outside of the classroom as a prep cook at Cazadero Performing Arts Camp the past two summers. At camp I gained real world, hands-on experience in a commercial kitchen while serving more than two hundred campers daily. I woke up at five in the morning to help open the kitchen, prepare the beverage station, and prepare breakfast foods. I have blended my knowledge from the culinary classes, experience at camp and international travel to start my own pastry business, Teo’s Treats. I specialize in making homemade desserts and customize each order. Popular items include Spanish desserts such as flan, empanadas, and churros. I advertise through word of mouth, business cards, and social media. I am learning the importance of communication and marketing to grow and expand my business. This school year, I am a Career and Technical Education culinary intern and the leader of Iron Wolves. Iron Wolves is a select group of students who are chosen by the chef to represent the culinary program at schoolwide and community events. We have catered school events, a district level funding meeting, and even the superintendent’s retirement party. As a culinary intern, I gain experience from our head chef and assist him both inside and outside the classroom. I help teach culinary lessons and serve food at special events. The culinary pathway has taught me generalizable skills including time management, working in a group, and leadership skills. Culinary arts motivates me to improve my skills as a chef and reach my goals as a restaurant manager and entrepreneur. I plan to study culinary arts in the San Francisco Bay Area by attending the University of San Francisco. Once I earn my degree in hospitality management, I would like to manage a restaurant in San Francisco that focuses on Spanish cuisine. I believe that food can bring people together across ethnic and religious lines. One day I hope to open a Peruvian restaurant and make my grandmother proud.

My Peruvian grandmother inspired in me a love of traditional Peruvian cooking from a young age. She taught me to follow the flavors rather than a recipe. We stood side by side over a pot of Lomo Saltado, and served ceviche and arroz con pollo to my parents as they delighted over my advanced cooking skills. As a young child, I had a mature palate; there wasn’t any food that I avoided eating, from sushi to dim sum. Naturally, I joined the culinary arts pathway at Cosumnes Oaks as a sophomore. These past three years I learned knife skills, sanitation, food preparation, plating, serving, mass production, and marketing. I have explored a variety of cultures’ foods and traditional cooking methods. In Biochemistry of Foods, I learned how chemicals interact with each other to create new foods, such as fermenting cucumbers into pickles. In Culinary Chemistry, I studied the chemical reactions and effects of yeast for making bread, such as fermentation and leavening. For my capstone project, I developed a unique recipe for potato latkes to sell at our culinary market during finals. My culinary skills were put to use outside of the classroom as a prep cook at Cazadero Performing Arts Camp the past two summers. At camp I gained real world, hands-on experience in a commercial kitchen while serving more than two hundred campers daily. I woke up at five in the morning to help open the kitchen, prepare the beverage station, and prepare breakfast foods. I have blended my knowledge from the culinary classes, experience at camp and international travel to start my own pastry business, Teo’s Treats. I specialize in making homemade desserts and customize each order. Popular items include Spanish desserts such as flan, empanadas, and churros. I advertise through word of mouth, business cards, and social media. I am learning the importance of communication and marketing to grow and expand my business. This school year, I am a Career and Technical Education culinary intern and the leader of Iron Wolves. Iron Wolves is a select group of students who are chosen by the chef to represent the culinary program at schoolwide and community events. We have catered school events, a district level funding meeting, and even the superintendent’s retirement party. As a culinary intern, I gain experience from our head chef and assist him both inside and outside the classroom. I help teach culinary lessons and serve food at special events. The culinary pathway has taught me generalizable skills including time management, working in a group, and leadership skills. Culinary arts motivates me to improve my skills as a chef and reach my goals as a restaurant manager and entrepreneur. I plan to study culinary arts in the San Francisco Bay Area by attending the University of San Francisco. Once I earn my degree in hospitality management, I would like to manage a restaurant in San Francisco that focuses on Spanish cuisine. I believe that food can bring people together across ethnic and religious lines. One day I hope to open a Peruvian restaurant and make my grandmother proud.

My Peruvian grandmother inspired in me a love of traditional Peruvian cooking from a young age. She taught me to follow the flavors rather than a recipe. We stood side by side over a pot of Lomo Saltado, and served ceviche and arroz con pollo to my parents as they delighted over my advanced cooking skills. As a young child, I had a mature palate; there wasn’t any food that I avoided eating, from sushi to dim sum. Naturally, I joined the culinary arts pathway at Cosumnes Oaks as a sophomore. These past three years I learned knife skills, sanitation, food preparation, plating, serving, mass production, and marketing. I have explored a variety of cultures’ foods and traditional cooking methods. In Biochemistry of Foods, I learned how chemicals interact with each other to create new foods. In Culinary Chemistry, I studied the chemical reactions and effects of yeast for making bread. For my capstone project, I developed a unique recipe for potato latkes to sell at our culinary market during finals. My culinary skills were put to use outside of the classroom as a prep cook at Cazadero Performing Arts Camp the past two summers. At camp I gained real world, hands-on experience in a commercial kitchen while serving more than two hundred campers daily. I woke up at five in the morning to help open the kitchen, prepare the beverage station, and prepare breakfast foods. I have blended my knowledge from the culinary classes, experience at camp and international travel to start my own pastry business, Teo’s Treats. I specialize in making homemade desserts and customize each order. Popular items include Spanish desserts such as flan, empanadas, and churros. I am learning the importance of communication and marketing to grow and expand my business. This school year, I am a Career and Technical Education culinary intern and the leader of Iron Wolves. Iron Wolves is a select group of students who are chosen by the chef to represent the culinary program at schoolwide and community events. We have catered school events, a district level funding meeting, and even the superintendent’s retirement party. As a culinary intern, I gain experience from our head chef and assist him both inside and outside the classroom. I help teach culinary lessons and serve food at special events. The culinary pathway has taught me generalizable skills including time management, working in a group, and leadership skills. Culinary arts motivates me to improve my skills as a chef and reach my goals as a restaurant manager and entrepreneur. I plan to study culinary arts in the San Francisco Bay Area by attending the University of San Francisco. Once I earn my degree in hospitality management, I would like to manage a restaurant in San Francisco that focuses on Spanish cuisine. I believe that food can bring people together across ethnic and religious lines. One day I hope to open a Peruvian restaurant and make my grandmother proud.