Stacy Seely

I would say just being flexible. I was ADHD and I did not test well in school. It did well, but it took lots of training my brain to do certain things - stay organized, listen to lecture, record lecture, do different things to help me be more successful. I also had 3 fantastic teachers, of which I'm still in contact with today. Had it not been for those teachers, I could have taken a very different path, and I give them all of the praise for me becoming the person I am today. So I think as a teacher, we have to know kids learn differently. We can't put them all in a box. That's probably the biggest struggle, is meeting the kids where they are and just identifying each one of their way of learning. But also understanding what they may be coming to school from - abuse, neglect, hunger. All of those impact their success in learning.

One of the things Chef John Bonnell always said that just hit home for me is, when you ask for a recipe, give it. Recipes are meant to be shared. If you ask a chef for a recipe and they don't give it to you, more than likely it's not theirs. It's not something they make from scratch. So my philosophy is, any young person I know that is wanting to be a chef, or in culinary, or just wants to learn to cook, I share every recipe I create, because knowledge is power. The more you know and the more you have in your toolbox, the more successful you will be.

Get a good mentor. I was fortunate enough to have Chef John Bonnell in Fort Worth, who owns several restaurants and is also a James Beard Award-winning chef. He was one of my instructors in culinary school. The other thing is, don't be afraid to change who you are. Women, in general, get into this box of becoming a caregiver, being a nurse, a wife, being a mother. And so often, we lose our own identity in our children or in our spouses. It's okay to take care of yourself, because self-care will help you to be more successful. We're constantly doing for others and not doing for ourselves, and we have to refill our cup. Find good, supportive women. Not all women help build up other women, and that's hard. In all industries, it doesn't matter which industry you're in, you're gonna find that circle and keep that circle small. The ones that are there for you, make them your board members. Every person should have a board or a committee to help them make decisions.

There is a pickup in blue-collar jobs and trade schools because there's a shortage. Through the 90s and 2000s, they pushed college, college, college, college, and then people aren't doing trade school. Now that's reversed. We are actually in need of trades because there's a shortage. A lot of students in our rural area have never eaten at a nice restaurant - they think Olive Garden is fine dining. Many of my students come into culinary because they know in culinary, they get to eat. Many of them do not have food at home. The biggest struggle is meeting the kids where they are and identifying each one of their way of learning, but also understanding what they may be coming to school from - abuse, neglect, hunger. All of those impact their success in learning.

For me, it's when a student gets it - when there's something everything they've struggled with, the light bulb goes off, and they get it. If I can make an impact on one student a year, then that's my goal. I do not ever want to retire. I absolutely loved being a teacher. Looking back, this is certainly my gift. It's what I was - it's my purpose. It's my life's purpose. My spiritual gift is service and hospitality. You will always see me shaking hands, talking to people, speaking. Those are the type things that help fill my cup. I think it's important to take care of yourself and refill your cup, because we're constantly doing for others and not doing for ourselves.