Culinary graduate Brandi Smith has three goals:

1. Become a private chef
2. Teach cooking classes
3. Open a Cajun restaurant

To make those dreams a reality, she excelled her way through the 8-week culinary program, volunteering at every extra opportunity presented. From tending to the raised garden beds at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to preparing and serving food for Atlanta Mission. She wanted to do it all so that when the time came, she could say she was fully committed.

Her first step in living her dreams, working with Superica and catering private events in her free time.

Here is her testimony: “I’m actually from New Orleans. I’ve been down here five years.   I love to cook, heard about the program and ever since then, I’ve wanted to be a part of it.  It’s definitely a great experience and opportunity.

Westside Works is for people that may have different backgrounds. And they are not so much worried about that. Just to be able to be on this side and give back and help people that are less fortunate, maybe they’re doing construction or culinary, whatever the field is they are trying to get in.

I think it’s a great opportunity, it’s a free program so why not take advantage of that, definitely? I actually had a friend of mine that graduated in the previous class about 2 semesters ago. I just contacted the lead chef and we just took everything from there.”