Christian, “Chris,” is from Rockville Centre NY. When he was 19 years old, he was sentenced to 10 years in state prison and then 7 years in federal custody. When he got out, he wanted to get away from the wrong people, so he moved to Charlotte wanting to make a positive change in his life. Chris has always been cooking. His mom was a single mother, so he prepared all the meals for her and his sisters. His mother would get all the food supplies, and he would do all the cooking. He is currently working at Mario’s Italian Restaurant, a job he secured through CCSC. When Chris was in prison, he took culinary arts, but it mainly focused on book work. So, when his probation officer told him how good his food always smelled, and how he should consider attending CCSC, he immediately pursued the opportunity. The School has changed his life. He puts the same motivation that made him want to sell drugs into his cooking now. Attending CCSC has made him feel good about himself, and he doesn’t have that desire to sell drugs anymore, but instead, he has different, positive aspirations for himself.