Regina, “Gigi,” was adopted from Brazil at 8 years old, along with her sister. She comes from an international family, with two of her three siblings being adopted from the Philippines and Korea. Gigi has a tattoo of the Brazilian flag, along with music notes, on her arm to always remind her of her home and her love of music. Eventually when things settle down, she and her sister would like to go back and visit Brazil. Having lived in Wisconsin with below zero temperatures, she often experienced seasonal depression. But she loves living in Charlotte mainly because of the nicer weather. Growing up, Gigi’s adoptive parents made certain that they had a dinner from each of their separate cultural backgrounds at least once a month, so she was exposed to a lot of different kinds of foods. This experience opened her palate to various ways of cooking and instilled in her a love of the kitchen. Gigi loves Latin food, especially tacos, but her fruit pizza is her most popular request. Starting with a cookie dough crust, she layers it with frosting as her “sauce,” and uses various fruits as the toppings. After letting it chill, it’s good to go! Gigi read about CCSC online. The School runs at a better pace for her, and having experienced post-traumatic stress from her childhood, the School has really helped with that. She needed a place that felt like having a family, but also a place to learn valuable culinary skills. She is especially excited to help with the annual fundraiser, Miracle on Monroe. Welcome to Class 69, Gigi!