Graduate Profiles
Every summer, students arrive with curiosity and leave with real skills. Here are some of their stories.
Eli
It Solidified My Desire to Become a Chef
Eli came to Summer Culinary with a passion for food and left with the clarity to pursue it professionally. He went on to compete in SkillsUSA, work his way up from dishwasher to chef garde manger at Husk Nashville, and is now enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.
“Getting to experience a sample of what life could be like in a real commercial kitchen energized me. I love the teamwork, the fast pace, the creativity.”
— Eli, Summer Culinary NYC Campus
A Passion That Needed a Spark
Eli's mom knew he had a passion for culinary and was looking for a reputable summer program to nurture it. Summer Culinary gave him his first real taste of a professional kitchen — the equipment, the pace, the teamwork. "It solidified my desire to become a chef," Eli says. "Getting to experience a sample of what life could be like in a real commercial kitchen energized me."
Exploring NYC
When asked for a positive memory from camp, Eli's answer was immediate: exploring New York City. The residential experience — living and eating and moving through the city with fellow students — left a mark. His mom noticed it too. "He came back a bit more independent and loving the city life." He still attends the CIA with his roommate from that summer.
From Camp to Competition to Husk Nashville
After Summer Culinary, Eli enrolled in his high school's Culinary Arts program and started competing. He placed second at TN SkillsUSA in 2022, and his team placed second in the 2021 TN ProStart Invitational — earning scholarship money along the way. He even used a Summer Culinary instructor as a reference when he landed a job at Husk Nashville, the acclaimed Sean Brock restaurant, where he worked his way up from dishwasher to chef garde manger during his senior year of high school.
The Culinary Institute of America
Today Eli is in his second semester at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY — one of the most respected culinary schools in the world. His major is Culinary Arts. His goal is simple: "I am on a journey to become a great chef." And his roommate at the CIA? His roommate from Summer Culinary.
“He came back a bit more independent and loving the city life. It definitely helped him know that he wanted to pursue culinary arts. He also used one of the camp instructors as a reference on a job application at Husk Nashville.”
— Eli's mom
“Cooking is my passion. I am on a journey to become a great chef.”
Read Eli's Full Student Snapshot
A one-page profile of his experience, in his own words.
Hear from a Graduate
Aidan attended Summer Culinary NYC from 2015–2019. Hear him reflect on his experience.