Alejandra Gomezbaranda

My biggest mentor, Angelica Ampil, showed me that you shouldn't give up on your dreams just because you're a woman, or just because you're short, or whatever the case may be. She's a Filipino woman who was my first step when I arrived to the U.S., and seeing her succeed as a small woman in this demanding field taught me not to let anything hold me back. My mom also taught me an important lesson: you can do it right one time, or bad and have to repeat it, so it's better to do it one time, good. That philosophy has shaped how I approach my work as a perfectionist.

I would tell young women that there's a big opportunity to keep growing in this field, and that you can show people that you don't have to have a thousand years of experience to be good at what you do. Being a woman is still a huge challenge in a kitchen because it's still a very male-dominated field, but I always prove my worth. When guys say 'oh, no, you're a woman, you cannot carry that,' I show them I can. Even though I'm a woman, I can also do what the men do. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something because of your gender.

The biggest challenge is definitely that being a woman is still a huge issue in a kitchen, because it's still a very male-dominated field. The work is also very physical and demanding - we carry very heavy stuff and do a lot of administrative work, so it's demanding altogether. The hours you work are another major challenge. But there are great opportunities too. Being in a very hands-on position, you can grow in all the administrative areas like food cost, inventory, and finance, and you can still cook. I feel like when you grow in a kitchen, you often stop cooking, but in roles like mine, you get to do both. There's also a big opportunity to keep growing and to show people that you don't have to have a thousand years of experience in your field to be good at what you do.

Professionally, I am very nice and I'm a perfectionist, which can be good or bad. I like to do things right because my mom taught me that you can do it right one time, or bad and you have to repeat it, so it's better to do it one time, good. That's a value I carry with me every day in the kitchen. Personally, I'm a huge empath, which is also good and bad, but I put myself in other people's shoes all the time. That empathy guides how I interact with my team and the people around me. I also value dedication - I'm a very dedicated person, and that's what has led me to my current position.