Growing up in the Philippines, Tina found a love of culinary by sticking closely to her grandmother, who owned an eatery. In those early years of her life, cooking became a part of her soul and Tina knew by age 7 that it would be a part of her future. By 13, her pathway included a move to the United States which prompted a culture shock, but didn’t change her love of cooking. Instead, the move presented new opportunities to explore the culinary field more deeply.

Tina entered Quincy High School and met Chef Patrick Noe, a culinary instructor at school who became her mentor, giving her the tools she needed to be successful. As a junior, Tina learned about a scholarship through the local chapter of national program that was funded by the now defunct Spinazzola Foundation. Chef Noe pushed her to join the program. There, Tina found a welcoming organization that later became Future Chefs and she connected with students from other schools who shared her passion for cooking. She also grew through the networking possibilities, explaining “I was really inspired by all the successful chefs who willingly give back their time to help develop future culinarians.”

Her plan after high school quickly fell into place and she attended Johnson and Wales. After graduating, she began an impressive career that includes Food Research, Development, and Manufacturing, a Quality Assurance position for Dunkin Brands and Baskin-Robbins, a Food Label Regulatory and Compliance position, and a Chef Manager focused on Health and Nutrition for a specialized care unit at an assisted living facility. Currently, Tina is working at Stop & Shop Grocery as a Private Brands Business Manager.

Now on a solid career path, she credits the early years of pushing herself to compete for a college scholarship in getting her out of her comfort zone to become successful. “Determined to do well during the competition, I spent countless hours practicing and nailing down my knife skills and the recipes. Having gone through that process, I became more confident. I feel accomplished,” Tina says.

Recently, Tina spoke to the class of 2020 Future Chefs students at the annual NOW event. She shared valuable advice with the class, saying that at Future Chefs “you will gain valuable experience, not only professionally but also in personal growth. With the current unforeseen events of the coronavirus, in this tough time, it is more important than ever to be creative with what you can do and where you can go with your culinary skills and knowledge. It is a great feeling when you know you have a support system to give you guidance and assistance as you navigate your career path. You will face some setbacks, but be patient and the right opportunity will come.” And all those transferable skills have come into play in her career, Tina says, as she always does even the “grunt work.”

What’s next for Tina? She’s hoping to travel more, especially in Europe and South America, “I’ve been to 35 countries so far and really looking to expand my list!” Professionally, she wants to work for a consumer-packaged goods company and develop products that are first on the market and best-in-class.

For Tina, supporting Future Chefs is important because it gives young people more than a short-term solution. “A donation is utilized to help students who may not have the means to get the experience they need, and it teaches kids life skills to help them succeed in life,” Tina explains.