“Travel converters – check, passport – check , knives – check” I say as I’m packing up for my new journey. I leave in two days and I’m preparing to travel east for my next adventure.

Angie Mar, ICC alumna and chef/owner of The Beatrice Inn in the West Village, has looked up to culinary giants like André Soltner, Jacques Pépin, Jacques Torres, and Alain Sailhac since they roamed the halls of the International Culinary Center during her time at culinary school.

After a final class toast and goodbyes in late February, Gabriella Russo (Culinary, ’20) headed for Healdsburg, California in Sonoma County to extern at the three-Michelin-starred SingleThread Farms, Chef Kyle and Katina Connaughton’s ryokan (Japanese bed and breakfast) comprising a farm, restaurant and inn. Like many students, Gabriella’s externship was to be the crescendo to her in-class studies. However, just a few weeks into her new role, the pandemic put the opportunity on an unexpected pause.

Chef Aarón Sánchez, judge on Fox’s hit show "MasterChef" and ICC’s 2019 commencement keynote speaker, returned to the ICC community earlier this October to debut his brand new memoir, " Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef" (Abrams Press).

It’s a hazy, humid day in June, and I walk into The Freehand Hotel in New York City, located just east of Madison Square Park for my second Outstanding Alumni interview. I glance at my typical work attire and feel as if I should be wearing a trendier outfit from the runways of Paris. From the art adorned walls that would make most avid collectors jealous, to the wooden elevator accent that’s reminiscent of an older New York, the space from Gabriel Stulman’s Happy Cooking Hospitality family is as fun to eat in as it is to look at.