Alumni Simone pursues her dream career as a soul food chef

Simone earned a culinary arts certificate as she works toward her goals as a professional chef

Simone connected with our team after a hard period of unsuccessful job searching in early 2019. She had recently been released from incarceration and was struggling to find employment.

“One day I was going to see my probation officer, and they always have the jobs up on the board. But you know, you go to these jobs, they run your background, you even tell them the truth, and you still don’t get this job,” says Simone. “I was really tired of job searching.”

Despite the frustration, Simone kept pushing and seeking opportunities to grow professionally. The day she visited the probation office, she met one of our outreach coordinators who invited her to participate in Personal and Professional Development Training. She enrolled in the next class.

In addition to helping her strengthen job skills, the training helped Simone see that her future was full of possibilities. “Most of the people that I met had been through what I’d been through,” says Simone. “If there’s hope for them, I know there’s gotta be hope for me. And I just looked at that as a second chance because I had just got out of prison.”

During Personal and Professional Development Training, participants spend time exploring their career interests, strengths and future goals. Simone has a passion for cooking and has always dreamed of opening her own soul food restaurant. “I did research on this, and this has been something that has been my passion forever,” says Simone.

After completing training, Simone dove into her chosen career path. She enrolled in Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Culinary Arts certificate program where she sharpened her skills as a chef. Simone learned to adapt recipes in ways that made them uniquely her own. For one project, she was challenged to create dishes that featured the color golden-yellow. She prepared tuna-stuffed yellow bell peppers and deviled eggs soaked overnight in turmeric. On the project day, Simone was surprised to see Ned Istas, our Kansas City job developer, in the room. Simone says Ned helped her see her potential in culinary arts, and he had stopped by to see how she was doing.

Simone graduated from the program with a 3.8 GPA. Since then she’s been working with her Life Transformation Coach, Aisha Williams, and an entrepreneurship coach. She’s also been exploring small business financing options and continuing to build her experience as a chef. This summer Simone participated in a pop-up event with around 150 vendors and plans to participate in another market event this month. “This last one I did all flavored wings. It was a success and I sold out,” says Simone. She plans to apply what she learned from the first event to the upcoming market.

Simone’s journey reflects her dedication to constant learning and personal growth. She approaches her goals with determination, and we celebrate all she’s already accomplished and will accomplish.

If you’re feeling stuck in your job search or if you’re looking for a fresh start, reach out to learn more about our free Personal and Professional Development Training.