“Focus and pay attention and you will succeed.” Christine was born and raised in Indianapolis and lived there her whole life until she moved to Charlotte with her husband in 2017. She had severe kidney issues and was on dialysis for many years until she was able to receive a kidney transplant in April of 2024. “I’m still healing and adjusting to medication, and I still have my good days and bad days. But I don’t use it as an excuse. I’m just really happy to still be here.” Since Christine is finally on the other side of her medical journey, she has decided to focus on something she has always enjoyed doing – cooking. “I used to be very bad at cooking, but I always liked doing it.” She heard about CCSC from a past alumnus and decided that this was the right place for her to take the next step in her journey. After graduation, Christine is looking forward to opening a food truck with her husband. She hopes for the food truck to be centered around sandwiches and pastries, saying, “Chef Sharon really inspired me during class. The baking has been my favorite part.” Christine is excited to take what she’s learned during Class 80 and use it to continue to expand her horizons.