April 29, 2026
JCCC’s Chef Apprentices grow their skills while living their dream
JCCC is here to help you realize your dreams, whether it means a change in direction or fulfilling your lifelong passion.
Joseantonio Guillen was making a good salary working full time, but he wasn’t happy. “My mom said, ‘You’ve wanted to go culinary school since you were 17. Why don’t you go?’” He started researching possibilities and within a few days, enrolled in JCCC’s Chef Apprenticeship program, never looking back.
Emme Wince had planned to be an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) but after taking her campus tour at JCCC, decided the Hospitality Management and Culinary program was a better fit for her. And her experience in the Chef Apprentice program has confirmed she’s in the right place.
“I would describe my time at JCCC with two words: growth and togetherness,” Emme said. “It has allowed me to grow as a person, as well as with the people in my program.” Emme plans to take her degree and what she learns as a chef apprentice to start a restaurant in her hometown of McPherson, Kansas.
World-class culinary education
The opportunity to learn from industry experts is just one of the reasons students love the Chef Apprenticeship program.
When Cierra Waters was 6, her mom taught her how to make spaghetti. Her mom never had to cook again. Years later, Cierra was one of 13 JCCC students who recently enjoyed the chance of a lifetime to hone her culinary skills with world-famous chef Rick Stephen, who is China’s national culinary team coach and Singapore Airline’s executive chef. Chef Stephen visited JCCC in early April 2026.
In addition to being a student and completing her 4,000 hours of apprenticeship, Cierra is on JCCC’s high achieving culinary team. “Being on the team has really opened my eyes to my potential—to what I can become,” she said. She hopes to one day come back to JCCC to be an educator and team coach, saying, “I want to be as inspirational to future students as my teachers have been to me."
Interested in a hot career in the culinary industry?
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