The ‽ symbol in the uppercrust logo is an interrobang - used to convey a question and an exclamation. Curiosity & Excitement. My favorite part of supper clubs and dinner parties is when the guests ask, "How did you come up with this‽" or "How did you do that‽"

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I have been making my way toward culinary excellence ever since I enrolled in the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education in August of 2021. In returning to school at a later age, I found great success in cultivating a deep passion for all things culinary, and felt the need to pursue that passion to the next step. I have always had good instincts in the kitchen, as my father does and has taught me throughout my life. Through the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education, I have learned the foundations, techniques, and skills to compliment those instincts. 

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Secchia Institute for Culinary Education - Grand Rapids, MI​

• ServSafe Management and Alcohol Certificates

• Hospitality/Beverage Specialist Certificate via Society of Wine Educators

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Cafe Mamo - Grand Rapids, MI

• Chef de Partie

• Focus on building/maintaining relationships with the farmers who grow our food

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Il Locale in Florence, Italy

• 3 months staging experience in Simone Caponnetto's kitchen in Summer 2022

• Focus on speed, perfection, and elegance

• Picked up new culinary techniques, sturdy discipline, and a new sense of urgency

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The Dixboro Project - Ann Arbor, MI

• Garde Manger 

• Focus on plating, precision, and time management

• Worked in harmony with the rest of the line, communicating constantly to ensure plates went out together at ideal temperatures

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Beyond my schooling and studying and working in Italy, I have been able to add even more experience to this equation through private dinners and pop up events with other local culinarians. There are few things as rewarding as finishing a beautiful plate, and I have been honored to have been placed among some of the world’s best to continue to provide that experience to others.

 

My previous experiences have also led me to develop additional skills that I believe are essential to succeed in the culinary world. In my time of managing a pizza shop, working night shift at a grocery store, teaching English in China, studying and performing improv comedy, and working in a counseling center, I have learned about inventory, customer satisfaction, conflict resolution, interpersonal skills, and compassion.

To me, food is not just essential - it is elemental. I have always had a burning curiosity about food and its preparation, and I always will. I not only need to know the What and How of any given recipe, but also the Why. To feed this curiosity and remain relevant and competitive, I have gone outside of the culinary program and found further knowledge in my community - including courses in wild mushroom and fungi identification, rare chocolates and techniques from Honduras, additional cooking classes in Italy, along with conducting my own food experiments at home in my free time.