[STEVE DESHAZO]: THE FOOD
AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
IS THE CORNERSTONE
OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
[ MUSIC ]
HERE IN DOWNTOWN AROUND THE
SCHOOL THERE ARE HOTELS,
RESTAURANTS, THE WEST END.
THIS CREATES A FLASHPOINT
OF CULINARY CULTURE
AND EL CENTRO COLLEGE IS
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
[ MUSIC ]
[LEAH ROBERTS]: I LOVE
THIS SCHOOL, TO BE HONEST.
THIS IS THE BEST CLASS
I'VE EVER BEEN IN.
EVERYONE'S HERE TO
FEEL SOME PASSION
WITHIN THE CULINARY FIELD.
EVERYBODY'S JUST A BIG
FAMILY AND IT'S PERFECT.
YOU COULDN'T ASK FOR A
BETTER CULINARY PROGRAM.
[SAMUEL GUZMAN]: IT'S...IT'S
REALLY NICE TO KNOW
THAT I CAN MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY
WITH FOOD AND WHAT'S BETTER
THAN MAKING PEOPLE HAPPY?
[STEVE DESHAZO]: BECAUSE
OF 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'RE LOOKING
FOR QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
[VIJAY SADHU IN KITCHEN]:
THIS FISH...
[CRYSTAL MORRILL]:
BEFORE CULINARY MY LIFE WAS
YOU KNOW, PRETTY BORING.
BUT I WAS TALKING ONE DAY
AT WORK WITH A COWORKER
ABOUT OUR PASSIONS AND
OUR DREAMS AND HE TOLD ME
ABOUT EL CENTRO'S
CULINARY PROGRAM
AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW A
COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFFERED THE
CULINARY PROGRAM.
SO, YOU KNOW, I GOT
ONLINE, I RESEARCHED IT.
I THOUGHT, I COULD
MAKE THIS WORK.
[VIJAY SADHU IN KITCHEN]:
PRESS IT, LIKE THIS.
[CRYSTAL MORRILL]:
THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
IS BASICALLY WORK STUDY.
IT'S FULL TIME SCHOOL,
FULL TIME WORK.
IT'S NOT FOR THE
FAINT HEARTED AT ALL.
IT'S HARD WORK.
[DEAN FEARING]: I THINK
IT'S AN EXCITING TIME TO BE
IN THE CULINARY SCHOOL, TO KNOW
THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A JOB
WHEN YOU GET OUT BECAUSE
THERE ARE SO MANY RESTAURANTS
AND SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES
IN THE HOSPITALITY BUSINESS.
IT'S AMAZING.
[MICHAELA LAY]: EL CENTRO HAS
GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW
AND EL CENTRO HAS GIVEN ME A
GREAT BASE TO BE ABLE TO LEARN
IN THIS KIND OF ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S A GROWTH OPPORTUNITY
LIKE NO OTHER.
[ MUSIC ]
[HAYDEN HAGMANN]:
JUST KIND OF LEARNING
THAT I COULD MAKE THIS A CAREER
AND I COULD DO WHAT I LOVE
FOR YEARS TO COME,
WITHOUT A DOUBT I'M EXCITED
FOR THE FUTURE.
[CHASTITY ALEXANDER]:
IT COMPLETELY TURNED
MY WHOLE LIFE AROUND,
I'M NO LONGER WHERE I WAS.
THERE'S JUST BEEN SO MANY
BLESSINGS IN THIS INDUSTRY
THAT TO PROVE TO ME THAT
THIS IS WHERE I BELONG.
YEAH. [CRYSTAL MORRILL]:
I FEEL LIKE GOOD THINGS
ARE IN STORE FOR ME.
I AM EXCITED ABOUT THIS CAREER.
I'VE ALREADY COME SO FAR IN JUST
A YEAR AND A HALF THAT I'VE BEEN
IN IT, SO I'M SUPER EXCITED.
GOOD THINGS ARE IN STORE.
[ MUSIC ]
[MICHAELA LAY]: I AM SO GRATEFUL
THAT I BECAME A PART
OF THIS PROGRAM.
[ MUSIC & LAUGHTER ]
[ MUSIC TAG ]
