Jezebel Gomez went through Culinary Arts training in 2022 and wowed the instructors with her teamwork and kitchen hustle. Clearly they weren’t the only ones who noticed: she got hired before she even graduated by her internship site, Hawksmoor, an upscale restaurant in the Flatiron District.
After spending a year fine-tuning her skills, Jezebel reached out to the Isaacs team for guidance on her next move. We’re thrilled to report that she’s joined the staff of Chef Jean-George Vongerichten’s new fine-dining restaurant, FourTwentyFive, which just opened on Park Avenue!
The Culinary Arts program asked her to share her thoughts on her experience. Here’s what she wrote:
“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I started this program, nor did I know the amount of beautiful people, insightful teachers and immense amounts of support I was going to receive. It was a sense of community I was yearning for, and my love for the kitchen was amplified when given the tools to succeed. I was able to focus on learning rather than how I was going to finance it; a freedom not many get to experience. I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity and confidence the program gave me; it allowed me to walk into my internship interview ready for whatever challenge awaited.
“Hawksmoor was a very different environment than the school kitchen. The expectations were high and didn’t allow for excuses. It was a major adjustment, but that high expectation ultimately gave me a sense of pride, credibility, and respect for the kitchen and food itself. Anyone can learn how to cook, but to have respect for the kitchen and everyone who works in it, truly allows you to become a great chef.”
Our Culinary Arts program provides young people aged 18-24 with training on everything from skills such as knifework, butchery, baking, plating, and presentation to fundamentals such as proper work habits, professionalism, and food safety and sanitation. Students obtain their NYC DOH Food Handler License and ServSafe Certification. The program is tuition-free. For more information, fill out the program inquiry form, or click here learn about all of our workforce training programs.