Mexican Alumni Profiles
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“You cannot get an influence from the cuisine of a country if you don’t understand it. You’ve got to study it.” – Chef Ferran Adrià
New York City has often been described as the epicenter of the food world. The energy of the people and the desire by some of the greatest chefs from around the globe to delight palates is what makes New York a top culinary destination. On the West Coast, California is home to beautiful beaches, world class vineyards and some wonderful farms that have become the center of the sustainable food movement. To us, these locations are our home. We invite you to train with the best of the food world at The International Culinary Center and explore what our students are creating every day.
For nearly 30 years, The International Culinary Center has taken pride in developing great talent. These days, more international students are coming to us from every corner of the globe, knowing that they want to represent the future of the culinary industry in their home country. We provide a focused environment for all of our students to follow their ambitions, offering guidance from some of the top chefs and resources in the industry.
With International students from over 75 countries studying at both of our campuses, it’s no wonder we are recognized around the world as the premiere international culinary school. Lucky for us, The International Culinary Center is our home. We hope it will be yours too.
Please scroll through to read about a few of our outstanding Mexican alumni:
Hometown: Orizaba, Mexico
Current city: New York, NY
Course of study: Classic Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management
Graduation year: 2008
I studied food science and engineering in college before working for three years at a dairy food company. I developed the recipes for their ready-to-eat meals and pizzas. I've always loved cooking and have thought about opening my own restaurant. I took some cooking classes in Mexico but felt I needed more experience and training. So I decided to come to The International Culinary Center. I started out in the Restaurant Management program and then went on to enroll in Classic Culinary Arts too. I chose The International Culinary Center because of the excellent reputation of the chef-instructors—I wanted to be exposed to highest level of chefs working in the business and I knew the school could offer me this opportunity. In the classroom, I made some really great friends and enjoyed the sense of community I felt. So many of the students came from interesting backgrounds with valuable experience under their belts. I learned so much from just talking to them. Since graduating, I've decided that my real passion lies in catering. I plan to get more experience working in the United States first, but when I go back to Mexico, I plan to start my own catering business.
Hometown: Querétaro, Mexico
Current city: Querétaro, Mexico
Course of study: Classic Culinary Arts
Graduation year: 2004
Since I was a little girl, I've enjoyed spending hours baking cookies and helping my family in the kitchen. When it came time to decide what I wanted to study as a career, I came up with several ideas, but studying to be a chef was my favorite. I talked it over with my father, and he encouraged me to pursue my dreams but to also to obtain skills that would be beneficial to any kind of business. So, I studied business administration in Mexico for 4 1/2 years before continuing with my original plan to learn how to cook. I did a lot of research and looked at schools around the world to find the one that was right for me. The International Culinary Center has so many obvious advantages. Plus, it's located in the most amazing city in the world—at least to me. In terms of restaurants, grocery stores, food markets, you have so many options. Having these things at your fingertips allows you to explore something new and different every day. The facilities at the school are well planned. The courses are practical from the first day, so I was able to work directly on food preparation daily. And cooking on the line at L'Ecole, the school's restaurant, is an exceptional opportunity to get in touch with what working in a real restaurant is all about. I loved that I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people, not only from America but from all over the world. I made good friends who made every day an enriching and fun experience for me. The staff was always there to help and as soon as they knew I was from Mexico, they gave me all the support I needed in order to feel comfortable in my new life. If I had to choose all over again, I would choose The International Culinary Center without any doubt.
Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico
Current city: Monterrey, Mexico
Course of study: Art of International Bread Baking
Graduation year: 2004
I loved being in the kitchen ever since I was little, and I wanted to learn more: to understand why things happen during the cooking process and how to experiment with flavors. I knew that if I came to culinary school I could learn certain techniques that even with many years of experience and working in a kitchen I wouldn't learn. And I knew it would help me prepare better dishes and create my own recipes. I also love to teach, and I wanted to be able to combine my passion for cooking with that. Coming to The International Culinary Center was valuable because the chef-instructors are always available to answer any questions and share their knowledge and experience with their students. I also liked that everyone gets to participate equally in the class, so that you learn to make all the recipes. Being in New York City, I had the opportunity to explore so many different restaurants and markets. I was able to become familiar with products from different parts of the world that aren't available in my hometown. Now, I'm back in Monterrey and have started to teach my own cooking classes.
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
Current city: New York, NY
Course of study: Classic Culinary Arts, Art of International Bread Baking, and Food & Wine Pairing
Graduation year: 2006
I remember the day I decided to change my career. I had been working for an insurance company. One day, I was sitting at my desk in front of my computer, and I had this moment when I realized: I don't want to do this the rest of my life. And that's when I started thinking about culinary school. I had transferred to New York City with my job, and I knew I wanted to stay here. I loved it here, and knew it would be a great place to study food since there are so many restaurants and so many markets and cuisines available throughout the city. I wanted to do a short program so I looked at all the schools that offered something I could do in a few months. I like that The International Culinary Center had teachers from France. It seemed more professional and demanding than the other programs. It felt serious. I loved how passionate and enthusiastic the chef-instructors were. We would go out and try food at different restaurants, and I felt like was able to be exposed to so much. And even though the training is in classic French techniques, I feel like the skills I have learned are a good basis for cooking any type of cuisine. I was also able to get a scholarship that allowed me to attend the bread baking course. It was an unexpected opportunity that I am so grateful for. I have absolutely no regrets about choosing to come to The International Culinary Center. It changed my life! I am now freelancing, mostly doing recipe research, development, and editing for Unilever. I love what I do.
Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico
Current city: Monterrey, Mexico
Course of study: Classic Culinary Arts
Graduation year: 2008
I've always enjoyed food, but it was my wife's grandfather who first taught me to love cooking. He loved to cook, and he was constantly looking up new recipes to try. He would gather the family together on Sundays and cook a big meal for everyone. He included all of us in the process, and I realized how much I enjoyed it. I learned so much from him, and I felt inspired to plan my own gatherings where friends and family would come together to cook. At some point, I decided I wanted to take it to the next level and learn professional skills. I imagined owning my own restaurant and figured I needed to learn about the restaurant business before starting my own venture. I had some friends who were chefs so I asked around to find out where they recommend I enroll. They pointed me to The International Culinary Center. It was intimidating at first. There was so much to do and learn in only a few months. But I was very impressed by the chef-instructors. You can see how much they love teaching and cooking and that they are really talented. I'm amazed at the level of skill I achieved during my time there. I got more in six months than I would have studying for four years in Mexico. One day I hope to come back and take the Bread program and Restaurant Management.
“You cannot get an influence from the cuisine of a country if you don’t understand it. You’ve got to study it.” – Chef Ferran Adrià
New York City has often been described as the epicenter of the food world. The energy of the people and the desire by some of the greatest chefs from around the globe to delight palates is what makes New York a top culinary destination. On the West Coast, California is home to beautiful beaches, world class vineyards and some wonderful farms that have become the center of the sustainable food movement. To us, these locations are our home. We invite you to train with the best of the food world at The International Culinary Center and explore what our students are creating every day.
For nearly 30 years, The International Culinary Center has taken pride in developing great talent. These days, more international students are coming to us from every corner of the globe, knowing that they want to represent the future of the culinary industry in their home country. We provide a focused environment for all of our students to follow their ambitions, offering guidance from some of the top chefs and resources in the industry.
With International students from over 75 countries studying at both of our campuses, it’s no wonder we are recognized around the world as the premiere international culinary school. Lucky for us, The International Culinary Center is our home. We hope it will be yours too.
Please scroll through to read about a few of our outstanding Mexican alumni:
Zarina Jiménez
Hometown: Orizaba, Mexico
Current city: New York, NY
Course of study: Classic Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management
Graduation year: 2008
I studied food science and engineering in college before working for three years at a dairy food company. I developed the recipes for their ready-to-eat meals and pizzas. I've always loved cooking and have thought about opening my own restaurant. I took some cooking classes in Mexico but felt I needed more experience and training. So I decided to come to The International Culinary Center. I started out in the Restaurant Management program and then went on to enroll in Classic Culinary Arts too. I chose The International Culinary Center because of the excellent reputation of the chef-instructors—I wanted to be exposed to highest level of chefs working in the business and I knew the school could offer me this opportunity. In the classroom, I made some really great friends and enjoyed the sense of community I felt. So many of the students came from interesting backgrounds with valuable experience under their belts. I learned so much from just talking to them. Since graduating, I've decided that my real passion lies in catering. I plan to get more experience working in the United States first, but when I go back to Mexico, I plan to start my own catering business.
Daniela Jury
Hometown: Querétaro, Mexico
Current city: Querétaro, Mexico
Course of study: Classic Culinary Arts
Graduation year: 2004
Since I was a little girl, I've enjoyed spending hours baking cookies and helping my family in the kitchen. When it came time to decide what I wanted to study as a career, I came up with several ideas, but studying to be a chef was my favorite. I talked it over with my father, and he encouraged me to pursue my dreams but to also to obtain skills that would be beneficial to any kind of business. So, I studied business administration in Mexico for 4 1/2 years before continuing with my original plan to learn how to cook. I did a lot of research and looked at schools around the world to find the one that was right for me. The International Culinary Center has so many obvious advantages. Plus, it's located in the most amazing city in the world—at least to me. In terms of restaurants, grocery stores, food markets, you have so many options. Having these things at your fingertips allows you to explore something new and different every day. The facilities at the school are well planned. The courses are practical from the first day, so I was able to work directly on food preparation daily. And cooking on the line at L'Ecole, the school's restaurant, is an exceptional opportunity to get in touch with what working in a real restaurant is all about. I loved that I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people, not only from America but from all over the world. I made good friends who made every day an enriching and fun experience for me. The staff was always there to help and as soon as they knew I was from Mexico, they gave me all the support I needed in order to feel comfortable in my new life. If I had to choose all over again, I would choose The International Culinary Center without any doubt.
Laura Leal
Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico
Current city: Monterrey, Mexico
Course of study: Art of International Bread Baking
Graduation year: 2004
I loved being in the kitchen ever since I was little, and I wanted to learn more: to understand why things happen during the cooking process and how to experiment with flavors. I knew that if I came to culinary school I could learn certain techniques that even with many years of experience and working in a kitchen I wouldn't learn. And I knew it would help me prepare better dishes and create my own recipes. I also love to teach, and I wanted to be able to combine my passion for cooking with that. Coming to The International Culinary Center was valuable because the chef-instructors are always available to answer any questions and share their knowledge and experience with their students. I also liked that everyone gets to participate equally in the class, so that you learn to make all the recipes. Being in New York City, I had the opportunity to explore so many different restaurants and markets. I was able to become familiar with products from different parts of the world that aren't available in my hometown. Now, I'm back in Monterrey and have started to teach my own cooking classes.
Adriana Orozco
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
Current city: New York, NY
Course of study: Classic Culinary Arts, Art of International Bread Baking, and Food & Wine Pairing
Graduation year: 2006
I remember the day I decided to change my career. I had been working for an insurance company. One day, I was sitting at my desk in front of my computer, and I had this moment when I realized: I don't want to do this the rest of my life. And that's when I started thinking about culinary school. I had transferred to New York City with my job, and I knew I wanted to stay here. I loved it here, and knew it would be a great place to study food since there are so many restaurants and so many markets and cuisines available throughout the city. I wanted to do a short program so I looked at all the schools that offered something I could do in a few months. I like that The International Culinary Center had teachers from France. It seemed more professional and demanding than the other programs. It felt serious. I loved how passionate and enthusiastic the chef-instructors were. We would go out and try food at different restaurants, and I felt like was able to be exposed to so much. And even though the training is in classic French techniques, I feel like the skills I have learned are a good basis for cooking any type of cuisine. I was also able to get a scholarship that allowed me to attend the bread baking course. It was an unexpected opportunity that I am so grateful for. I have absolutely no regrets about choosing to come to The International Culinary Center. It changed my life! I am now freelancing, mostly doing recipe research, development, and editing for Unilever. I love what I do.
Alejandro Ruiz
Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico
Current city: Monterrey, Mexico
Course of study: Classic Culinary Arts
Graduation year: 2008
I've always enjoyed food, but it was my wife's grandfather who first taught me to love cooking. He loved to cook, and he was constantly looking up new recipes to try. He would gather the family together on Sundays and cook a big meal for everyone. He included all of us in the process, and I realized how much I enjoyed it. I learned so much from him, and I felt inspired to plan my own gatherings where friends and family would come together to cook. At some point, I decided I wanted to take it to the next level and learn professional skills. I imagined owning my own restaurant and figured I needed to learn about the restaurant business before starting my own venture. I had some friends who were chefs so I asked around to find out where they recommend I enroll. They pointed me to The International Culinary Center. It was intimidating at first. There was so much to do and learn in only a few months. But I was very impressed by the chef-instructors. You can see how much they love teaching and cooking and that they are really talented. I'm amazed at the level of skill I achieved during my time there. I got more in six months than I would have studying for four years in Mexico. One day I hope to come back and take the Bread program and Restaurant Management.