Jessica VanRoo
Culinary coordinator
University of California, Irvine
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I wanted to go into financial planning but my mom thought it would be too stressful.
Then I decided I had a passion for food.
I enrolled at the art institute and immediately decided I needed a job in the industry.
I was offered a teaching position at Sur la Table, specifically kids because no one else could.
Then I realized I loved sharing my cooking experience.
I started finding clients on my own, creating five star restaurant experiences in their homes.
A hedge fund firm then found me and I started cooking for 30 guys day to day.
UCI then found me and offered me a position to permanently run their culinary program.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager
The Art Institute of California-Orange County
Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager
The Art Institute of California-Orange County
Career
Culinary coordinator
I teach and program cooking classes.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Food
Working with Others
Day to Day
I find new clients interested in cooking classes, write recipes, shop for cooking classes and then teach recipes that I have written. Classes range from French macarons to sushi and even paleo cooking!
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for professionals
Do not give up, persistence reigns in this industry! There are many long days where you will want to give up, but if you are that one that pushes through you will make it far in this industry.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"You should never work for free."
