Hello! My name is Nola Soiferman, and I participated in the 2025 Epicurean Foundation Culinary Competiton, and won a generous $2,500 as the 1st place winner! Since that event, I have had so many great opportunities attending Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina. Having an event like this on my resume has helped me obtain the job I have now! I have used the skills I used in the competition - time management, creative thinking, multitasking, problem solving - in both my educational and culinary setting to my advantage, and talking about the way I navigated an unfamiliar kitchen and ingredient list impressed my current managers. Being young and ambitious, the competition fed my hunger for success and to risk-taking. Being at JWU, there is always innovation happening on camps, from the schools own student-led garden, to a composting and food recycling program. The Epicurean’s competition also allowed me to meet like-minded people, and at Johnson and Wales University, it is very refreshing to be in a classroom full of future chefs, managers, and restauranteurs. I thank the foundation for the experience, and I hope to return one day as a spectator or judge!