Yostin is an incredibly ambitious intern who was curious about his next steps after graduation, which inspired him to seek out Sprouts. He was told about our program through Enterprise For Youth. This is a non-profit that “empowers under-resourced youth to be prepared for their professional future through transformative and paid internships.”  Yostin has always had a general interest in cooking but wanted to explore all facets of the kitchen. Through Enterprise for Youth, Yostin was excited to be placed at Nopa with Chef Sean Eastwood.

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Yostin started his internship timidly, afraid of messing up or not living up to the expectations he set for himself. Chef Harry took Yostin under his wing and started showing him the way. By the end of his first shift, he was slicing mushrooms with expert precision. Throughout his internship, Yostin gained experience by trying out new stations each shift. As he progressed, he was trusted with more responsibility, such as cleaning duck liver and learning how to make basic sauces. Yostin particularly loved the point in his internship where he was able to memorize recipes. As he continued to strengthen his cooking skills, his relationship with his team members also started to grow through the shared family meals they would have every day. It was during these meals that he also got to explore all the different food that Nopa had to offer, and he especially enjoyed the pasta dishes.

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Yostin loves that he can take home his cutting skills and help his mom in the kitchen. When he isn’t in the kitchen, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He is really thankful for this experience, saying, “I’m not sure what I want to do when I grow up, so I’m really thankful because Sprouts gave me the opportunity to experience different work environments, really making an impact on my future career choices.”