[ MUSIC ]
[STEVE DESHAZO:]
BECAUSE OUR LONG HISTORY
IN THE DALLAS COMMUNITY
AND THE FACT
THAT OUR ALUMNI ARE FOUND
SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT THE NORTH
TEXAS RESTAURANT AND HOTEL
INDUSTRY, PEOPLE ALWAYS COME
TO EL CENTRO COLLEGE
WHEN THEY ARE LOOKING
FOR QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
[ MUSIC ]
[VIJAY SADHU:] FROM EL
CENTRO THE INSTRUCTOR STEVE,
HE COMES HERE QUITE OFTEN.
HE WANTS TO KNOW HOW
THE STUDENTS ARE DOING.
WHENEVER HE TALKS TO ME, APART
FROM THE STUDENTS AND, YOU KNOW,
HEY, WHAT DO YOU NEED, I MEAN
WHAT DO YOU THINK I MEAN,
HOW THE THINGS ARE WHEN
IT COMES TO STUDENTS?
AND I TELL HIM, I MYSELF,
I NEED PEOPLE HERE.
I NEED GOOD STUDENTS.
[ COOKING SOUNDS ]
[CRYSTAL MORRILL:] I LOVE
COOKING BUT I'M NOT INTERESTED
IN BEING A GOOD COOK, I'M
INTERESTED IN BEING THE BEST.
AND I THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO
WORK AND GAIN EXPERIENCE AS WELL
AS GO TO SCHOOL, YOU CAN
GO TO SCHOOL ALL DAY LONG
AND YOU KNOW BE A GOOD COOK
YOU KNOW, YOU LEARN IN CLASSES
BUT WHEN YOU UH COMBINE
THAT WITH THE WORK
EXPERIENCE IT'S JUST
SO MUCH MORE, SO MUCH MORE.
[VIJAY SADHU:] THIS FISH, IT
COOKS REALLY, REALLY FAST...
[CRYSTAL MORRILL:]
BEFORE CULINARY,
MY LIFE WAS YOU KNOW...PRETTY
BORING.
BUT I WAS TALKING ONE DAY WITH
A CO-WORKER ABOUT OUR PASSIONS
AND OUR DREAMS AND HE TOLD ME
ABOUT EL CENTRO'S CULINARY
PROGRAM, AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
THAT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE
OFFERED THE CULINARY PROGRAM.
SO I GOT ONLINE, AND
RESEARCHED IT AND THOUGHT,
I COULD MAKE THIS WORK.
[ COOKING SOUNDS ]
[CRYSTAL MORRILL:] THE
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IS
BASICALLY WORK STUDY.
IT'S FULL TIME SCHOOL
AND FULL TIME WORK.
IT'S NOT FOR THE
FAINT HEARTED AT ALL.
IT'S HARD WORK.
[ COOKING SOUNDS ]
[CRYSTAL MORRILL:] I KNEW I HAD
TO STILL WORK THAT'S WHY THE
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM REALLY
APPEALED TO ME BECAUSE I
NEEDED TO MAKE MONEY AND GO
TO SCHOOL AT THE SAME TIME.
YOU GOTTA PAY THE RENT.
[ COOKING SOUNDS ]
[VIJAY SADHU:] AS A CHEF,
MY THING IS WHEN A
NEW STUDENT COMES
INTO MY KITCHEN IT'S
MY RESPONSIBILITY
TO MAKE SURE THEIR PERFECT.
[ COOKING SOUNDS ]
[VIJAY SADHU:] WHEN SHE CAME TO
ME AS A NEW KID ON THE BLOCK,
SHE WAS PERFECT ACTUALLY
FOR PASTRIES,
AND SHE REALLY KNOCKED IT OUT
AND SHE DID A FANTASTIC JOB.
THEN I SAID, "OKAY, HOW ABOUT,
IF YOU WANT TO BE A CHEF,
DON'T STICK TO ONE KITCHEN,
YOU NEED TO GO ROUND...ROUND
THE KITCHEN."
AND SHE SAID, "YEAH, SURE CHEF."
AND THEN I RIGHT AWAY PUT
HER ON THE SALAD STATION.
AND THEN I SAID, "YOU
KNOW WHAT, CRISSY?
NOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO
MOVE UP, SO LET ME PUT YOU
ON THE SAUTÉ AND
THEN THE GRILL."
SO NOW SHE KNOWS PRETTY MUCH
ALL THE STATIONS IN MY KITCHEN.
[ MUSIC ]
[STEVE DESHAZO:] WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT THE APPRENTICESHIP
PROGRAM, THIS IS A VERY ROBUST,
PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST
DEMANDING CULINARY EDUCATION
PROGRAMS AVAILABLE.
IT REQUIRES 6000 HOURS OVER
3 YEARS DOCUMENTED AS A PART
OF A PROGRAM COMBINED
WITH CLASSROOM ATTENDANCE.
REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
IS CREATING EXTREMELY TALENTED
AND SKILLED COOKS WHO CAN GO
OUT AND BE THE NEXT TOP CHEF.
[ APPLAUSE ]
[CRYSTAL MORRILL:] I FEEL LIKE
GOOD THINGS ARE IN STORE FOR ME.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS CAREER.
I'VE ALREADY COME SO
FAR IN JUST THE YEAR
AND HALF THAT I'VE BEEN IN IT.
I'M SUPER EXCITED.
GOOD THINGS ARE IN STORE.
[ MUSIC ]
