by Natalie Sorensen, March 22, 2022

As I nearly complete my time at Kendall, I have been extremely reflective of the joy that it has gifted me. I have grown into the chef clogs of a strong, bold, and adventurous woman that I had set intention to become.

The rapid rate of growth that occurs here is a-s-t-o-n-i-s-h-i-n-g. I had the pleasure of seeing this happen before my own eyes while assisting my Chef Professors.  Seeing students light up when they finally get that tournee is quite frankly AWESOME. To be quite honest, it has brought me so much joy that I have welled up with tears. It’s because I get it. I know how it feels to be on the bottom, how it feels to be the only woman in the kitchen, how hard you have to fight to be seen, how many moments you consider quitting. But there’s a moment when that fades, and what remains is my love for food and people. I cook because it is my most genuine love language. Serving people feeds my soul, it is the reason I wake up and go to bed with a smile on my face.

The process of saying “see you later” to my second home is bittersweet. Bittersweet in the sense that I am extremely excited, but also factoring in the unknown roller-coaster presented right around the corner. I am challenging myself to stay present. Often in our education or in life we are challenged to think of our future. So many have asked “what are you doing after?” And my answer is… something great, but my vision isn’t the standard one. I dream of expanding my business, of inspiring women out there that have fought so hard to be in this industry.  I don’t want to run with the bulls, I want to run with a team. A team with a solid foundation and culture of care and respect. I have come to find that in order to do that I need to be BOLD. Being a leader can often be lonely at first, but I trust in the process too much to stop. There are no mistakes, yes you ARE ready for the next big thing, and NO you should never give up on what you love. What you love is all that you have, it is who you are on a soul level… show it, inspire others, we need more people that are like my fellow Kendall family. Together we continue to mold and shift this industry into what we always dreamt of. Continue to embody the change.