Scholarship Recipients 2016

Kari’s mission is to impact how we look at food, by opening up conversations about digestive disorders, mental health in kitchens, encouraging body positivity, and teaching people how to cook.

She grew up in restaurants and now studies at The Institute of Holistic Nutrition, delving into the science and psychology of how our relationships with food and the environment affect us on every level.

Her education, writing savvy, culinary background, and sense of humour will aid this goal of helping others balance their wellness and discover their courage through writing, videos, workshops, dinner parties, and retreats.

Erin is from Naramata BC. Erin’s family is very involved in all aspects of the BC wine industry. She is a manager at her mother’s wine bar, Mile Zero Wine Bar in Penticton BC and helps with sales at her father’s winery supplies company, Cronie Winery Supplies. Her family fuels her drive to succeed in the BC wine industry as well as her love for wine. Wine is so complex and ever changing that I will continue to learn something new everyday. She will be taking WSET 2 at Wine Plus with Rhys Pender.

Donita is an optimistic, happy person who enjoys life, business, and wine (and everything in between). Her dreams are her goals which fuels her everyday.  She is inspired by women everywhere who are driven to succeed and will be taking a Champagne master class at the French Wine Guild.

Elyse is a recent graduate of the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver and holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences. To her, cooking a meal for someone is like inviting them to embark on a journey with her through the ever-intertwining roots of food. Each bite is not merely a bite, but a story — of how and by whom the food was grown, where it came from, how and by whom it was prepared.

She has relished every opportunity she has had to explore this idea more deeply and likes to think that her journey as a culinary storyteller has only just begun. Thanks to her scholarship from Les Dames d’Escoffier, she is excited to delve into the story told by a perfectly crisp crust and textured crumb through the Artisanal Bread Baking program at the Pastry Training Centre of Vancouver.

Kelsey Jacobson is a food and beverage enthusiast living on Commercial Drive. She works as a server at Via Tevere Pizzeria Napoletana as well as the new Nightingale Restaurant. After receiving a scholarship from les Dames in 2015, she began her journey into wine and spirit education. She plans to use her 2016 scholarship towards her Level 3 WSET and further improve her understanding of wine and spirits.

Cheryl’s journey has taken her to and from many cities, countries, and lifestyles. It was during her travels she discovered a love of eating and great respect for food. She now lives the far northern tip of BC where she cooks in remote locations and studies holistic nutrition. We are what we eat, and she is on a mission to help others be their most unique and brilliant selves through the food we eat. Cheryl is currently attending the Edison Institute of Nutrition.

Erin is doing her Wine Business Management Certificate at Sonoma State University.

Jasmine Lukuku is a graduate of Ecole Chocolat’s Professional Chocolatier program and an aspiring chocolate educator. She founded ChocolateCodex.com to share her enthusiasm for craft chocolate. Jasmine can also be found sharing her recipes and food photography on TheBlenderist.com. Jasmine will be attending a Chocolate masters program in Ecuador through Ecole Chocolat.

Sarah|  Maw |Sarah Maw is a recent Culinary Management graduate from Okanagan College. Striving for her Red Seal, she is apprenticing under Chef Iain Rennie at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort in Kelowna BC. Sarah has participated in many competitions from Skills Canada to the Okanagan Young Chefs Competition in 2015. She placed 1st in the Young Chefs Competition and continues to strive to compete in various competitions this year.

Sarah is an active member of the Okanagan Junior Chefs Association and loves volunteering for and creating new and exciting projects to boost her communities culinary capabilities. Sarah will be taking the bread program at Vancouver Pastry Training Centre.

Anna received the John Bishop scholarship and will be putting the funds towards her Master of Tourism Management at Royal Roads University.

Dawn Schulz Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Dawn moved to BC in 2004. Working in the food and beverage industry on Vancouver Island for 6 years, Dawn then took the leap to big city of Vancouver. From professional sake making to fine dining, Dawn strives to provide excellence to all her guests and ensure to share the knowledge with her colleagues. She currently resides at West Restaurant as Assistant Wine Director. With this scholarship, Dawn is looking forward to attending the French Wine Scholars program and to continue WSET Level 4 studies at the Art Institute of Vancouver. Her long term goals are to become a wine educator and help others understand their own passion of wine.

Born on Salt Spring Island to a mother passionate about food and wine, Kathleen’s professional journey has taken her to the vineyards and wineries of B.C. and Italy. Along the way she has studied at the University of Dalhousie and the University of Havana. She has planted trees on exposed mountainsides and helped butcher pigs in the Tuscan countryside. Her scholarship will help her continue her journey with a WSET Level 3 certification.

Tina Tang moved to Kelowna in 2014 to advance her Culinary journey in the heart of Canada’s wine country. After five years of cooking, Tina received her Red Seal Certification for the Culinary Arts. Tina’s interest with the pastry side has been growing for the past two years. She decided to take a chance to move towards the sweet side of things.

Tina is currently the Pastry Chef at The Grapevine Restaurant at Gray Monk Estate Winery. There at the restaurant she is challenging her skills and hopes to enrol in a Pastry Arts program to receive technical training under her belt. She hopes to receive her Red Seal certification in Pastry Arts as well and to be a sponsor for all future chefs and pastry chefs. Tina will be taking a chocolate course at Cacao Barry in Montreal.