Wanting something more

Josh had experience in the food industry, but he knew he needed something more than that to get to where he wanted to be.

“I worked at this Italian restaurant,” he said. “It was a tourist place near Mount Rushmore. I also worked at this fusion Japanese place too, but I wanted something more. I wanted to challenge myself.”

Josh wanted something that would allow him to grow and to build a community. When his friend told him about FareStart, Josh moved across the country to Seattle to get into the Adult Culinary Program.

“I’ve had a lot of people tell me ‘no’ in my life,” he said. “At FareStart, I learned that I’m a lot more adaptable than I thought. I also got some tools that I use every day. I loved the knife skills and the challenge of being pushed to be faster and better, but really, the community that is here at FareStart was so important.”

In the Adult Culinary Program students not only learn knife skills and food prep, but they also learn in a classroom setting. There, we have a life skills curriculum that is focused on giving students tools they need to take charge of their lives and put themselves on a path they choose.

“I liked the classroom settings too,” he said.  “I loved the life skills class and when the instructors shared their own stories of struggling and having people telling them ‘no,’ I took it to heart. The support here at FareStart made all the difference. My Social Service Specialist was always there for me whenever I needed it.”

Josh is now working as a chef at a local college with multiple campuses. The lessons he learned at FareStart set him up for success.

“I learned that I can adapt to situations,” he said. “In this current climate, you have to be able to react to different situations positively. It’s all about your reactions now.”

He loves his job and has been given more responsibilities as he’s proved himself.

“I get to look up new recipes,” he said. “I get to bring my own new recipes to the school too. I got my grandmother’s recipe for her special tamales and the kids loved it. They kept asking for more. They kept asking for the recipe, but that's my Abuela's recipe. I’m not going to share that!”