Derrick has lived in New Orleans all his life. From watching his mother cook and helping with homemade recipes, he made the decision to follow his passion for cooking and going to school at NOCHI. Though he only recently went into the restaurant business, he is very eager to learn any new recipes. After NOCHI, he plans to explore the country beyond Louisiana and go into catering.
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Philip was born on the coast of Virginia and raised primarily in the Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania. Upon graduation from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and completed a 4-year tour of duty in northern Louisiana. While he completed the requirements for undergraduate degree he worked as a bartender and bar manager in Shreveport, LA and Pensacola, FL.
For the next 23 years he served around the world in the U.S. Navy as a Nurse Corps officer. Phillip retired from the military in October 2023 and adopted New Orleans, as his hometown. He now wants to serve others – by cooking well-crafted food. He wants to create flavors that trigger fond memories and build new ones for the people being served. He enrolled at the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute to launch this new chapter of service to others and to build technical proficiency in the kitchen. He is currently a full-time student in the Culinary Arts program with plans to work in the restaurant industry upon graduation in March 2024.
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Kevin was born and raised in Harahan, a small city right outside of New Orleans. He grew up hunting and fishing with family and friends in the swamps and bayous of the great Louisiana Delta. It is there where his passion for Creole and Cajun cuisine began and continues to grow.
Following his love for the water, Kevin joined the United States Coast Guard, where he traveled the United States and South America operating boats and ships. After a successful 21-year career he retired to Lafitte Louisiana, a small bayou community on the banks of the Barataria waterway. After working in the plumbing industry for several years, Kevin decided it was time to follow his passion and joined NOCHI as a culinary arts student. After graduation, Kevin hopes to spread his love and passion of Cajun and Creole cooking to others.
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Tom was born in Phoenix, Arizona in a military family and has traveled his whole life. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, his passion for food and cooking occurred about 15 years ago during his 21-year career as an aviator in the United States Air Force. Tom was fortunate to travel throughout Europe and the Middle East and was exposed to many flavors, cultures, and cuisines. His interest in a culinary career was also heavily influenced by culinary shows and inspiring chefs such as Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert. Tom discovered he loved spending time in the kitchen and chose to travel and attend NOCHI because he recognized New Orleans as a culinary epicenter of great food with many regional and international influences.
After graduating NOCHI, Tom hopes to further his culinary knowledge and experience in either working in fine dining or as a personal chef. He also has a long-term goal to open a restaurant with his son.
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Born and raised in Albany, a small town in Southern Georgia where opportunities were scarce, Hilton decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. He was stationed in Okinawa, Japan and it was there that his palette and perception was immersed in what the world had to offer and what he was capable of. After his military service, Hilton pursued a career in Corrections and boxing, which led him on a fitness journey. Through his efforts to how he could improve his wellness and overall performance, he learned the best way to achieve fitness, express himself and his culture while bringing others together was through the plate. In his search for the next step in his career, Hilton found NOCHI and seized the opportunity as quickly as he could. Hilton’s goal with his tenure at NOCHI is to share his gifts with the world and inspire anybody like him to know that they can achieve anything.
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Ethan stepped into the kitchen at Café Reconcile and realized the joy a meal he cooked could bring to strangers. He enrolled in NOCHI to develop his culinary skills and prepare him for the challenges of a bustling kitchen and restaurant environment. After graduating from NOCHI’s Culinary Arts program, Ethan plans to share his skills and knowledge in new places, both near and far. He aspires to become a private chef and travel. He also plans to educate others about the culinary arts and the rigor of the hospitality industry.
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Alina was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, but now calls the Louisiana Northshore home. She successfully turned her daydream into a day job, after leaving her high stress career and enrolling at NOCHI. Upon graduation, she hopes to contribute to the growing food scene across the lake. Alina’s ultimate goal is to create inclusive culinary spaces and experiences for guests with special diets and restrictions. You can find her on Instagram at @chefalinacooks.
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Keeli was born and raised in Chicago, IL. At 19 she left the Midwest to join the US Navy.
After living in Guam and traveling Southeast Asia, she returned home. Enrolling into school, she completed several certificates: massage therapist, doula, prenatal yoga instructor and phlebotomy. Keeli has always had a passion for health and wellness. Upon graduating NOCHI, she hopes to continue traveling and learning so she can one day open a wellness center.
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Violet was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She took a liking to cooking when starting her high school’s culinary program but didn’t start experimenting and trying new dishes until the COVID lockdown where she was cooking every day. She started a job as a line cook right out of high school in 2021 and worked until moving to New Orleans one week before starting the NOCHI program. After NOCHI, Violet hopes to get experience in a variety of restaurants to see the similarities and differences in culture, environment and cuisine and better her background.
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Hope was born and raised in Evanston, IL before moving to Oregon for higher education. While there, she discovered how much she enjoyed cooking for herself and feeding the people around her. She left her formal education hungering for a more hands-on, fast paced learning experience pursuing her passion in culinary arts. In September 2023 she moved to New Orleans to attend NOCHI.
Hope wants to use her NOCHI education to work at restaurants around the world and learn
as much as possible about cooking different cuisines and working in different kitchens.
Courtney was born and raised in New Orleans where cooking, eating, and dining meanders into every major topic of conversations. She has always been the “legs” in the kitchen to retrieve utensils and ingredients, and the backup arm to the tired manual mixing needed for her grandmother, great aunt, or mother. Cooking is a hobby that makes her hum in delight!
Since graduating from high school, she decided that she would like to take a non-traditional route of continuing her education and learn more about culinary arts. After looking into NOCHI’s program, it seemed to be the right fit to pursue and join her two passions, cooking and traveling throughout the world.
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Although born in Maryland, Alexandra was raised in New Orleans from the age of one. She is the daughter of two Honduran parents, her mother being the one who ignited her passion for cooking. She went on to attain a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Following her childhood dream of pursuing a career in culinary arts, she later enrolled at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute. Equipped with her newly honed skills and determination, Alexandra hopes to be able to highlight her Latin American culture in every dish she creates and excel in the culinary world.
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