Homaro Cantu

Cantu in his restaurant (www.people.com (Jeff Haynes/AFP/GETTY)

My personal hero is a chef and inventor named Homaro Cantu. I found a video interview of him on The Roadtrip Nation website. The thing that attracted me to him was that Cantu began as a young man with nothing and he became a chef and owner of his own restaurant. This taught me that people can become successful by working hard, even if they start with nothing. I'm a freshman at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo,California who still has a lot to learn before reaching that goal. I too would like to work hard and become a chef one day.

Chefs work at restaurants. Some related jobs within the restaurant are bartender, waiter, and food preparation worker. The training and education requirements to become a chef, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook website, is either on-the-job experience or a degree from a community college, technical school, or culinary arts school. Most chefs complete on-the-job training where they learn the same skills they would in the formal school. The median wage for chefs is $41,610, the highest is $73,720, and the lowest is $23,140, as of 2015. Similar careers including bakers and caterers, however these often pay less than half of what a top chef can earn. The traits that a young person might have that would later help him or her become a successful chef are a passion for food, good time management, business skill,and physical stamina The more effort one put into school or college, the more possible career success. Most don't realize that all it takes is effort and commitment to make a good career. Although many try to take a shortcut to career success, the website My English Pages says that you must set good priorities, stay focused, and not get too stressed out. This may seem like a lot, but just breathe and go for it!

(www.nytimes.com (Peter Thompson))

In 2003 Mr. Cantu became the head chef at a restaurant called Moto in Chicago and was in charge of creating the menu. This is surprising because when he was age 9 his family became homeless. Nevertheless, he worked his way up through 50 kitchens and ultimately graduated the Western Culinary Institute in 1997. He even dreamed up cooking interplanetary snacks for the entrepreneur Elon Musk's space travel venture, according to a 2015 New York Times Articles, Also he announced that he would end world hunger with something called a "miracle berry." "He created an environment where you weren't afraid" said one of Mr. Cantu's executive chefs, which meant he was someone who was not afraid of new ideas.

Sadly, his family and colleagues were surprised to find out that Cantu had killed himself by hanging in a warehouse in 2015. One theory that Cantu was depressed by the loss of his mentor and first owner of Moto, Charlie Trotter. He was also stressed by a embarrassing lawsuit, as reported by the New York Time, in which he was accused of using company profits to subsidize personal projects. In spite of these things, Chef Cantu will be remembered by many as an inspiration.

Homaro Cantu contributed to society not only by preparing food at his restaurant Moto, but also by inventing a useful polymer delivery box with a self-contained oven heated by a laser. He had more than 30 other patents. His customers were surprised when their food arrived in a container that looked like a science experiment, according to the Star Chef Biography website. This mixture of food and creativity aligns well with the La Rochefoucauld quote above. This a way of getting people excited about eating.

( Anthony Todd (http://www.chicagosplash.com/))

In high school I plan to join a culinary program or find a mentor in a restaurant business. I know that there is an after school culinary class at a neighboring high school through the South Coast Regional Occupational program. For a mentor I'll ask my parent or grandparent who both work with or are chefs. My college goals are to attend Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California and complete their culinary program.I would also like to begin working part-time at a restaurant. Like Homaro Cantu, I will study, practice, and get a degree in order to become successful in my chosen career.