Growing up in Pilsen, Alan Rodriguez saw his parents working hard in the hospitality industry. His mother and father were employed at a chain restaurant, enduring long hours, inadequate pay, various complicated characters, and even fear. College wasn’t a financial option for Alan, but that didn’t stop him from wanting a career. Right after high school, Alan started working at McCormick Place, where his father had his second job, setting up meeting rooms and cleaning the building. A manager later offered Alan a better-paid position as a porter. “I loved the energy.” Alan saw that a hospitality job could be good and quickly realized he wanted to be in the kitchen.

Even though he enjoyed the new position, Alan had not given up on his dream of a career and started looking into apprenticeship programs. Fortunately, Alan was involved with his union, UNITE HERE Local 1, and learned about the opportunity to apply for a spot in the second cohort of UHCHI’s Culinary Apprenticeship. Alan was thrilled when he learned that UHCHI did not require a U.S. birth certificate and looked forward to the career opportunity before him. “I was excited to learn about the correct terms in the kitchen, nutrition, and the right temperatures for food.”

He smiled, “I was excited because I was going to learn how to play with fire.” Alan’s excitement also came with some apprehension. He felt nervous because it seemed like the other applicants and his future coworkers had years of experience in the kitchen when he had none. But Alan found a supportive community at UHCHI. “My fellow apprentices gave me a lot of support since they had previous culinary experience. They would tell me or show me when I didn’t understand,” said Alan. “Chef Victor felt like my mentor. Any question, he was always there. He would check on me and make sure I did stuff right. He put a lot of time and energy into me. I always had that support.”

UHCHI built Alan’s confidence and career trajectory. Alan was placed with Compass Levy at the United Center for on-the-job training. After just two years, he helps prepare food for both Bulls and Blackhawks players and is slated to become a Cook I next season. He feels proud of being a graduate of the Apprenticeship program and confident in the skills he learned at UHCHI. His coworkers at the United Center recognize his expertise, “People come up to me for help. I’m fortunate enough to have an answer when they ask me questions. It makes me feel confident.” As a graduate of UHCHI’s Culinary Apprenticeship, Alan is now one of the first Culinary Journeyworkers in Illinois and holds five certifications. When reflecting on how UHCHI impacted his future, Alain said, “Where I grew up, sometimes the environment didn’t promote following your dreams. Sometimes young people don’t understand what’s possible until their late 20s. With UHCHI, you realize you could turn this into a career. You have places to go from here. It’s a great opportunity because it will open doors and maybe some folks’ eyes. Added Alan, “UHCHI prepared me well. There’s always something to learn in the kitchen. No matter how much you know, you still learn something.