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bjbjBrBr *Good Morning ladies, gentlemen, distinguished guests, friends, family, and
members of the faculty. There comes a time in ceremonies when someone who is not used
to public speaking gets to stand up and be the center of attention for a few minutes.
It may feel like a short time for you, perhaps, but this will feel like an eternity for me.
When I was asked to give the speech at Le Cordon Bleu s 2012 Graduation ceremony on
behalf of the graduates, two thoughts flashed into my mind. The First was What an honor
and the second was Help! So after careful consideration, I agreed to stand in front
of all of you this morning, and attempt to put into words what this day means to all
of us graduating today from Le Cordon Bleu. *Before I go on I want to first thank my fellow
students and my chef instructors for the honor of speaking today. I am truly humbled and
grateful. Second, I d like to thank my family... you have walked with me through the fire;
you have watched me conquer the flame. You loved me, and continue to love me, enough
to allow me to fail. And you believe in me enough to watch me succeed. I would not be
here today if it wasn t for all of you. I love you. I have to tell you the truth, I
was not always passionate about culinary or pastry and baking, but I sure do like to eat
and sometimes too much. In fact, I have a Bachelor s degree in Communications & Advertising,
and for all of my professional life I have been a graphic designer. I worked for two
Hispanic newspapers here in Orlando, but after a few years in operation one of them closed
and the other closed their Creative Department where I held my position. As I reached the
pivotal age of 40 years old, it was scary to think of the possibility of doing something
and I even thought it was a mid-life crisis. But when you have responsibilities you have
to venture out and do what you have to do. So, what first became a hobby, just learning
how to decorate delicious cakes, morphed into a whole new world of possibilities. I will
add that having a deaf child who is more interested in the cooking channel than cartoons made
me wonder,... what if by this decision I could somehow open some doors for his uncertain
future. Impressed and quite taken by Le Cordon Bleu and its reputation, I decided to embark
on this new journey. For many of us, this is our first try at college, for others it
may be the second or even third. Regardless, I believe for all, we are here because we
share a common passion. Cuts, burns, tears and a ridiculous amount of stress, became
our nights and days. But through it all, the school has taught us the fundamentals like
sauteing, grilling, roasting, braising, garde manger, baking, knife cuts, cost control,
sanitation, purchasing, and basic management techniques. I am here today because when I
decided to begin this new journey, much like many of you, I decided to dream big and set
high goals for myself. We can never underestimate small ideas or what may first appear as simple
connections. It s those small ideas or simple connections that can turn into lifetime connections
or the best idea you ve ever had. That s something that happened when preparing one of my book
reports. I had this small idea to make a simple connection and contact the writer and include
a mini interview to add to my report? And now, that writer is one of my number one fans
and has been following my professional growth on facebook. Relationship-building has to
be part of our non-negotiables. On another assignment, I set a goal to work with 2 well
the other, Executive Pastry Chef, Stephane Cheramy. I was able to carry out my externship
which is my present Chef at Grande Lake, Ritz Carlton and JW Marriot. That s what we do
as Chefs! We are risk-takers and we know how to aim higher than the kitchen roof! d like
to share one of my recipes with you now: It s what I call a Recipe for success! Believe
in your dreams, set high goals, and cook from your heart every day of your career. Realize
your education has just begun. Although you are finishing your formal education at Le
Cordon Bleu, you are truly beginning to learn what it means to be a chef. From here on out,
you join the real world. At any given time you will have unrelated tasks demanding your
attention. You are no longer just making one plate, you are making 10, 50, even a 100 at
once. This is part of the learning curve, adjusting to this new world. You are not expected
to know everything right away. Learning all the time becomes a part of who you are as
a chef. Be aware that the chef who came before you has already passed this course you re
on now, so take advantage of their knowledge and expertise. You will learn many new techniques
from those you work with. Take these skills and other skills you pick up along the way
and add your own flair! Use your past as an asset not a liability. Everyone comes from
a different background. As a graphic designer I learned the importance of color and symmetry
which I now use when plating a dessert, decorating a cake, and even when sculpting chocolate
or sugar. Follow your passion and push the envelope. You need to figure out for yourself
exactly how successful you want to be and how much are you willing to put in it, to
get it. You are not going to be able to find success in this industry between the hours
of 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. Those glorious hours are reserved for others. Your days could
stretch from 10 to 12 hours and sometimes even longer. You may have to look to the deep
hours of the night near 3 or even 4am to find success. Are you willing to do it? Make the
most of your opportunities. Make sure that every opportunity that is presented to you
is an opportunity seized. More often than not, they are once in a lifetime shot. And
Remember there will always be someone else who is willing to jump in on the chance to
further their own careers. So be sure you re the one who takes it! Are you willing?
Remember the importance of networking and relationship-building. It s so very important
to maintain your contacts. Be sure to remember where you come from, and respect those who
laid the ground before you, because in the end we are all reaching for a common goal
of excellence. s never forget the importance of customer service. Fellow professionals
are not the only ones who need to be treated well. Consistency is primary. At this point,
you are able to produce a Mona Lisa to present to your chef. However, if you are only able
to do that once, it s worth nothing to your next customer. Develop other interests or
hobbies not related to the culinary world in order to keep you sane during the downtime.
Being a Chef is not for wimps. It s very intense and a career for really hard workers. It s
easy to get consumed by it. Do not get consumed by your work. ve always been the type of person
that When someone tells me it can t be done, I respond to that by doing everything in my
power to prove them wrong and better myself in the process. I m striving for self-improvement.
Graduates, let s Take these skills from Le Cordon Bleu and use them as our foundation
on which to build our own formulas for success much the same way we would take our Mother
Sauce and transform it into a completely unique experience for our customers, or use a simple
buttercream to create a masterpiece, instead of just frosting a cake. I am so very proud
of us and what we have accomplished. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you
seem, and smarter than you think. Congratulations graduating class of 2012 of Le Cordon Bleu
and good journey as you embark on your new careers. Thank you. [Content_Types].xml _rels/.rels
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