TESTIMONIAL:

Omar Dominquez, Initial participant in the HH WFD program.

“I’ve worked with Hernandez Hospitality for a little over 3 years. When I first started, I had recently left a job as a salesman. I had left my job due to conflicts with my college schedule. I had to decide to work and dropout, or continue my dreams of graduating.

When I heard about Hernandez Hospitality needed a chef assistant that could offer flexible hours, a livable wage, and train me to work in the food industry, I jumped right in.

Working with Chef Oliva opened my eyes to the possibility of what food could be.

Before…the best place I considered eating was Chilis or Applebee’s, and I hated all vegetables.

I started by shopping with Chef Oliva learning what food to look for, if something was good to use, and what kind of spices and ingredients to have in stock. When it was my turn to do it alone I had to make multiple trips back to the store because it was all new to me, but I continued and grew more confident of what was needed for the week or day. I was then taught to cut, slice, chop. This was difficult for me because I had never cooked anything other than scrambled eggs (which I later found I out I was doing all wrong).

I persisted and was able to work and continue going to college.

It wasn’t immediate but while working alongside Chef Oliva, I was inspired to focus on my path and pursue Mathematics and Physics, and open doors to opportunities- I would never have dreamt someone that grew up on a farm could have.

I am now a Junior at St. Edwards working on my bachelors in Mathematics and working a research project using mathematics to help people.”