Our most recent Culinary Job Training program graduation ceremony celebrated the accomplishments of 41 driven and talented individuals ready to take the next step in their careers. In addition to highlighting the graduates’ time at DC Central Kitchen, the ceremony showcased the promising possibilities that lie ahead for them. Both our Graduate and Alumni Speakers were living embodiments of how our alumni use food as a tool for growth, sharing their personal stories of setbacks and slow, steady progress with all who gathered at the Capital Turnaround on Friday, July 18th.
We were honored to be joined by multiple representatives of Class 172’s sponsor, Hilton Global Foundation, and Class 173 sponsors Peter & Dia Sherman. Hilton has been a robust partner in our work for more than a decade, serving as a hiring partner, externship host, and source of dedicated volunteers. A former DC Central Kitchen Board Chair Dia Sherman and her husband Peter have now sponsored six classes of CJT students since 2018. Together, the presence of these central partners helped acknowledge the students’ accomplishments and the opportunities that lie ahead.
Alumni Speaker Joseph Tolbert, a proud graduate of Class 116, has been working at Hilton in progressive leadership roles for nearly a decade. Working his way up from banquet houseman, completing the Management Development Program, and now proudly serving as Convention Setup Manager at the Washington Hilton, Joseph is a shining example of possibility.
Speaking to the rapt audience of graduates, family members, DC Central Kitchen staff, members of the media (thanks to DC News Now for coming out!) and well-wishers, Joseph told us about his incarceration at age 17, being sentenced to 20 years behind bars, paying his debt to society, going back to a federal prison, navigating his time in a halfway house, and ultimately, embarking on his journey to the Kitchen.
Like a lot of our students, when Joseph first arrived at the Kitchen he didn’t think he’d belong. “I didn’t think they was going to accept me in the program because of my past history,” said Joseph. “But they accepted me.”
After graduation, Joseph started working full time at DCCK. It was in the Kitchen when the next step in his career came knocking. “While I was there working some volunteers came from Hilton. When it was time for them to leave, someone from their team said to me, ‘Hey, I want you to apply with us.’”
“If you get nothing else from what I said today, I want you to take full advantage of every opportunity that you have.” With that, Joseph left the stage to rapturous applause. His story, his experience at DC Central Kitchen, is an ideal example of working through the program, working at DCCK, and using those connections to build a career at one of the world’s most respected hospitality brands.
Jessica Zielke, Senior Director of Community Engagement & Strategic Partnerships for Hilton and incoming DC Central Kitchen Board Member, spoke about the journey these graduates have begun.
“It’s no small thing to make what will likely be an important life-changing decision that you made,” Jessica said in her remarks. “You joined a program. You stuck with it. And you graduated. This is not something that everyone can do and do so well. Learning, growing, and developing the skills and tools to advance your careers and your lives, this is a lifelong process. Keep going and know that we’re here not only to celebrate you on days like today, but always.”
Graduate Speaker Jennifer G. from Class 174, a class specially designed to serve mothers with dependent children, brought even more positive energy to the stage. With a middle name Mise, a word that instantly brings to mind mise en place to every chef, she was definitely in the right place.
Jennifer’s journey to DC Central Kitchen involved losing her job during COVID, struggling to support her two young children, and becoming enmeshed in situations that led her to 16 months in prison. “I don’t regret it,” said Jennifer. “Because it placed me on the right track to be given the right opportunity.”
After chasing down a CJT staff member at a women’s gathering organized by our partners at Suited for Change, Jennifer enrolled in our program. She soon found a cohort of fellow mothers with relatable experiences in what they came to label the Empowered Mothers Class. Along with specially structured social services, training hours, and online learning options designed by DC Central Kitchen, these students made personal efforts to help one another stick with the program and become graduates. Along the way, Jennifer rediscovered her childhood passion for cooking. In fact, she started working at Occasions Caterers the week after graduation. “DC Central Kitchen has done so much more for me, more than I could ever ask for,” said Jennifer. “You guys are all family for me.”
In addition to remarks by Joseph, Jessica, and Jennifer, one of the most uplifting moments of the ceremony was a video of the students’ journey through the program. Like Class 172 graduate Kenneth says at the beginning of the short, “I don’t see anything in the world right now, at this moment, that can distract me from progress.”
Congratulations to the graduates of CJT Classes 172, 173, & 174! Let the progress continue!