| Cindy M. Anaya
El Paso, TX
AOS Culinary Arts, September 2007
BPS Culinary Arts, February 2009
James F. Kleisner Scholarship
"I truly appreciate your generous scholarship support," said
Cindy Anaya, who was born in
Mexico
and moved with her family to El Paso, Texas.
"It brings less stress to me and helps me to concentrate in school in order to
do my best, instead of on how much I worry about my school finances."
Cindy's first inspiration was her father. "I remember that
since I was very young, he always used to cook on special occasions for us.
That was incredible for me." Later, Cindy studied in the Culinary Arts
Vocational Program at Riverside High School and was inspired by her teacher to
enroll at the CIA.
An externship at the Hula Grill Waikiki in Honolulu,
Hawaii provided many opportunities for
Cindy to grow personally and professionally. "It was actually my first job in a
kitchen," said Cindy. Her other foodservice experience was as a cashier at La Tapatia, a small Mexican restaurant in El
Paso. There, she had learned how to interact with
guests and expanded her communication skills.
In Honolulu, "I
was the only girl in the kitchen, but they treated me with respect and were
always willing to help me." She worked mornings as a prep cook and nights at
the dessert station. "Even though I was new, they trusted me with the station
and I got to do my best," she said.
Cindy, who works on-campus in dining services, is a Dean's
list student with perfect attendance. After her BPS graduation, she plans to
travel and work around the world to expand her knowledge and get a personal
look at world cultures and cuisines.
At the CIA, she currently serves as International Club
President. "This gives me a great opportunity to develop relationships with
other students," said Cindy. "We are able to help each other out by having one
thing in common. We are from different parts of the world, but we all share one
interest—food."
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