PRACTICE, PERSISTENCE, AND TEAMWORK
DAMIEN ALI INSPIRED TO CONTINUE A FAMILY LEGACY
I started my Culinary career at Eastern Suffolk BOCES where it taught me not just the basics of the Culinary Arts, but how to be a striving young chef and a leader. My grandfather is what and who inspired me to get into culinary. He was an All-American/French Cuisine chef who graduated from CIA. Growing up we would make cookies on the holidays together and then he would show me dishes that he made and explained the composition of each dish. Watching him at a young age piqued my interest in becoming a Chef. He passed away when I was little, so growing up, my mom let me start cooking and making things in the kitchen. Culinary is in my blood, some of my Uncles are in the field as well. It comes natural and I really enjoy cooking, creating, and being in the kitchen. I take pride in my work and dishes that I make and create. I have two mentors that have given me the knowledge and skills that I have now, they are Chef Kozak and Chef Spiro. They have shown me the fundamentals of the Culinary Arts and have given me a great foundation to kick start my Culinary Career. The preparation for the Ready Set Cook competition was practice, practice, practice! We did moc competition days during class at BOCES that helped get prepared for the real thing. Practice makes perfect and so did a lot of teamwork from my partners Humza and Kenny that in the end we took second place! I look up to my Mom, she has helped me from taking me to my ACF monthly meeting, to helping me with baking and in the kitchen. She is always there when I need her and always willing to help. Even though I won a scholarship to Monroe for the Ready Set Cook competition, and it would alleviate the financial burden of college expenses, I want to follow my grandfathers’ footsteps and become a CIA Chef and Alumni and carry on his legacy of becoming a great Chef. I plan on continuing to apply for more scholarships to help with the financial struggles of paying for my tuition. I know in the end it will be all worth it and make not only my mom, but my grandfather proud. n
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