Aileen Aportela came to the Treasure Island Job Corps Center when she was 19 years old. She knew that she wanted to train in Culinary Arts and wasted no time to begin building her career skills.
She started out learning serving skills, such as how to set a table and speak to customers as a professional. Throughout the rest of her training, she learned more skills and excelled at her knife training. As she finished up her training, she received an opportunity that would propel her career: an apprenticeship at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.
During her apprenticeship, she worked 12-hour days and impressed her employers. Once her program was completed, she was offered a full-time position.
“Don’t envy other people’s accomplishments or achievements,” Aileen says to prospective students. “Ask them for advice, learn from their mistakes, and be better than you were the day before. Always stay humble and keep working hard. Don’t look down on anyone behind you, and remember where you came from.”
Employer: Ritz Carlton Hotel Submitted by: Center Newsletter Notes:
March-May 2018 batch