I grew up in a small town in rural Utah, Wellington to be exact. My parents had their own small farm and a restaurant, a local hot spot that many called their second home. In elementary and high school, I spent my after-school hours and weekends helping them. I washed dishes, bussed tables, drove the tractor, tended to water-changing, etc. The kitchen atmosphere quickly became the place my heart was drawn to. By the time I graduated high school I had been moved to a line cook. I worked hard for my parents and loved it! During that entire time, I never thought college would be an option for me. But then, when I graduated high school in 2008, Utah Valley State College had just become a university. The open-enrollment policy made attending UVU possible for me. I was able to test into the college courses that were at my level of learning. From there the journey began, and I was hooked into the college life and culinary world.

While completing my Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts and Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management at UVU, I attended four western regional conferences and three national conferences. In 2012, I apprenticed for Adalberto Diaz, CEPC, when he competed and won at the National Pastry Chef of the Year competition in Orlando, Florida. In April 2013, I won Student Chef of the Year for the Western Region. This earned me the right to compete at nationals, where I earned a silver medal and had an amazing experience.

In October 2014, I competed in the BKB Young Mentor Competition in Los Angeles, California, where I took first place and won a three-month stage at The French Laundry (TFL) in Yountville, California. There I continued to build on my cooking techniques, push myself to new heights, learn the importance of teamwork, and really start to grow as a chef. During my stage I was able to rotate through each station and receive first-class experience at a Michelin 3-star restaurant. 

Upon completion of my mentor scholarship at TFL, my focus turned to completing my Master of Business (MBA) at UVU’s Woodbury School of Business. During this time, my culinary desire and my passion for competition led me to become a 2016 Best Young Chef in America, which earned me the right to compete as a world finalist in the Chaine des Rotisseurs Jeunes Chef Competition in Manchester, England. I also became a bronze medalist at the 2016 World IKA Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany.

In early 2017, I earned a spot on the 2018 Gelato Team USA, where I was the savory chef on a four-person team. The competition is in Remi, Italy.  At the end of 2017, I was hired on at UVU as a full-time assistant professor to teach Professional Kitchen II – Restaurant. Being able to give back to the students at UVU has been amazing for me. I am grateful to have the ability to mentor students and provide something that was given to me. Recently, I competed in the 2018 World Cup with Regional Team USA, where we earned a silver medal. In February 2019, I was able to coach and mentor a team of four and travel to Guayaquil, Ecuador, to compete at the Copa Culinaria del Pacifico. We won the junior division!

None of this would have been possible without UVU giving me a chance. I was raised in a small town most people have never heard of. Traveling overseas was never on my horizon. UVU is what has made all of my experience available to me. Now I am honored to give back to the upcoming students.