Chris first began cooking by helping his mom in the kitchen. Over time, he became more interested in experimenting with creating his own dishes and wanted to learn more about the culinary world. Chris earned such an opportunity when he began his internship with Sprouts Chef Training at Snail Bar under mentor Chef Andres Giraldo.One aspect that Chris appreciated about his internship was how welcoming and friendly everyone was. Chris noted that the folks at Snail Bar invited him to ask questions, and encouraged him by communicating, "If you need something, just tell us. Don't hold back." This motivated Chris to ask, "What will this be used for?" when he was chopping a vegetable, as he quickly learned how different cuts affect the taste of the finished dish. Chris was also grateful to Chef Andres for the opportunity to learn by doing. One example of this was when Chef asked Chris to prepare a dish of his own for the Snail Bar crew to taste. Chris was a bit hesitant, but Chef Andres encouraged him to "make something that you would want to eat." Chris crafted an omelet sandwich and received positive reviews! Chris' favorite task was shucking oysters. Though repetitive, Chris explained the task also required precision so as not to accidentally cut into the oyster meat. One focus of his internship was learning how to do kitchen tasks in an efficient manner. This is reflected in his oyster shucking, as over the course of his internship he was able to cut the amount of time it took him to shuck 120 oysters by half. In addition to his new skills in the kitchen, something else that Chris will take away from his internship is having more confidence in creating new things. Chef Andres taught Chris that rather than getting caught up in what you believe others might think, it is better to create a dish that you're proud of and enjoy. When Chris is not cooking he is biking, hiking in nature, or taking apart and rebuilding computers. He is grateful for his internship at Snail Bar and believes that a culinary career may be in his future. We hope Chris continues to find joy and creativity in cooking!