“We’re here for you,” Chef Israel “Izzy” Santiago tells his students at the Second Harvest Culinary Training Program.
“We take our students – one by one – through the path,” he said. “We have to understand where you come from to understand where we’re at and where we’ll go.”
The 16-week program provides free kitchen and life skills training to help people pursue sustainable careers in the food industry.
Many of the students have faced barriers to finding stable work. Some have experienced hunger and poverty.
“They have seen all these ‘nos’ everywhere. Doors closing,” Chef Izzy said. “Let’s do something different. Let’s say ‘yes.’”
Let’s do something different. Let’s say ‘yes.’”
“We try to create a space for the student so they can get more confident, and then every time they mess up the recipe, they can rest assured that before the week is over, they’re going to make it again,” he said.
After 25 years as a professional chef in Florida and across the East Coast, Chef Izzy knows what it takes to succeed in the kitchen. He also knows why it’s important for new chefs to have support along the way.
“That makes a difference to know my chef is there for me, to know Second Harvest will not close the doors on me,” he said.
“Our students are amazing,” Chef Izzy said. “We have students that…are celebrity chefs now. We have students that run their own catering company.”
“I feel honored to be here and share with our students,” he said. “My dream is for them to be as successful as possible.”
