Rebeca Embury – Roosevelt University
Rebeca began her quest for a culinary degree by first attending Elgin Community College and moving to Roosevelt to complete her four-year degree. She was named to the ECC Culinary Team and traveled to Urbania, Italy and Semmering, Austria, cooking and learning in European restaurants. That experience opened up new worlds to Rebeca, and she looks forward to opening up her own bakery someday with all the knowledge she has collected in her studies and beyond.
Claudia Pimental-Lopez- Elgin Community College – a Plugra Scholarship Recipient
Claudia has been honing her skills in the kitchen as well as the business side of the culinary world to learn all aspects of kitchen operations and cooking skills, and values her experiences in working with different teams. Her plan is to start at the beginning, working as a prep or line cook at a recognized restaurant and then move up to sous chef position to oversee kitchen staff, create menus and maintain inventory.
Claudia passion for cooking began at age 15, when she started making pizzas at home for her family and soon, friends and neighbors were putting in orders!
Says Claudia, “As a woman working in the food sector, I believe I can challenge conventional wisdom and offer a new viewpoint. I want to encourage more women to take on leadership roles and break down barriers.”
Sibgha Malik – Kendall College at National Louis University
Sibgha started her culinary education because she was excited to use food to make people happy! After taking several Wilton cake decorating classes, Sibgha started Confetti and Crumbs, a home-based personalized cake and cupcake business.
She went on to enroll at Kendall College, where she says her studies are equipping her with the business savvy and technical know-how required to succeed in this industry. She works as a teacher assistant, as well as an intern at The Ritz Carlton.
After graduation, Sibgha has her sights set on a cooking position in the fast-paced luxury hospitality industry, ultimately leading to a role as banquet manager at a large Chicago hotel. Says Sibgha, “I want to motivate upcoming generations of female chefs and hospitality workers by setting an example of creativity and flexibility.”
Stefanie Roshior – The College of DuPage – a Plugra Scholarship Recipient
One of Stefanie’s favorite things about food it the complex and inherent emotional connection that people have with making and eating delicious food. Growing up cooking and baking with her mom, Stefanie valued the chance to spend time together, figuring out ways to make delicious food that everyone could enjoy.
“I know how difficult it can be to live with dietary restrictions and my dream is to bring happiness through food to everyone.” Stefanie’s dream is to pursue a Baking and Pastry Arts degree plus a Culinology and Food Science degree. Someday she hopes to open a B&B where she can share her culinary talents. Already Stefanie has participated in a number of culinary arts competitions, using each as an opportunity to improve her skills and her focus.
Nancy Ruiz-Gonzalez – Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute at Kennedy King College – a Plugra Scholarship Recipient
As a Baking and Pastry student, Nancy’s dream open her own bakery offering delicious pastries to the community. Known well in her church community, Nancy often bakes for her parish. As someone who struggled for years to attain the financial assistance needed to pursue her education, Nancy is passionate about supporting the community that has provided her with so much motivation. All the while, she worked and continued baking at home for friends and family.
Recently, Nancy helped host a cake decorating event for parents and children at her parish, in an effort to help families collaborate creatively and spend time together. Based on the success of the first event, a second family cake decorating event is in the works!
Lynn Stringini – Elgin Community College – a Plugra Scholarship Recipient
As the first in her large family to pursue a college education, Lynn credits Elgin Community College as being a pivotal point in her personal development and where she was thrilled to find that she could leverage her love of food into a career! One of Lynn’s achievements that sealed her ambition to pursue a culinary degree was when she entered a Fisher Nuts recipe competition and won for her Pistachio Panna Cotta Pumpkin Chiffon Tart.
Lynn holds two jobs: one as a line cook at The James restaurant in Geneva, IL, and another in the Culinary Department at Elgin Community College. While she takes inspiration from coworkers, colleagues and instructors, Lynn’s end goal is to be someone else’s inspiration and be a woman that makes waves!
Ashley Torres – Moraine Valley Community College
As a child, Ashley used to watching cooking shows on TV with her family, and one day thought, “Maybe I could do that.” Since then, Ashley graduated high school and got her first job as a hostess in a restaurant. She cross-trained to become an expeditor and found herself peeking into whatever the line cooks were doing, occasionally asking, “Can I try?”
She soon learned that the food and hospitality business is where she is supposed to be! Ashley started her own business, making sweet treats out of her home, and with family history of diabetes, she is interested in finding new sugar alternatives to make delicious treats that everyone can enjoy. In time, Ashley hopes to finish her education at the Culinary Institute of America.
Giselle Zamora – DePaul University
Giselle’s fire for event management and hospitality was lit during a summer job at age 16 at Kehoe Designs. She loved everything about the details of creating a beautiful event, and her passion led her to DePaul’s Hospitality program.
She has relished every learning opportunity (including courses by Master Sommelier and Dame Jill Zimorski) and stepped out of her comfort zone to apply for DePaul’s International Business Seminar, which will help her learn how restaurants and events operate outside the U.S. As the first in her family to pursue a college education, Giselle is excited about the future, and while she has known what it feels like to doubt herself, her confidence has grown through her studies and through meeting industry professionals, especially other Latinas.