“I’m making it happen to be best of my ability.” Born and raised in Gastonia, NC, Collin has been around food for as long as he can remember. His dad was a traveling executive chef for 25 years who worked in 48 of the 50 states before retiring, and even cooked for the Obama’s inauguration. Collin says that while he was surrounded by the culinary world as a kid, he still had little knowledge of it. All he knew was what he watched his dad do. After graduating high school, he decided that the college world wasn’t for him, because he didn’t want to have the debt that so often comes with it. Instead, Collin went straight into the workforce. “I just recently turned 31. I told myself that I’m not going to live my 30s like I did my 20s, so I started looking for more.” That’s when Collin started looking online for options, to see if a culinary program was the right fit for him. “I chose CCSC because it was accommodating to my work schedule and it’s tuition-free.” When he’s not at School, Collin works fulltime as a FedEx shop manager. “CCSC has taught me that I do have what it takes to make it in this field. Ever since I started coming to School, all I want to do is cook. CCSC has given me the tools I need to be successful.” After graduation, Collin is going to look for a job in a kitchen, to start small and work his way up within the industry. Plus, he says the support he has gotten from his classmates has given him all the encouragement he needs to continue. We can’t wait to see where you go from here, Collin!