“It helped me realize that this is what I want to do with my life,” said Isa Leyva, a senior at Cathedral Catholic High School.

Over the summer Leyva submitted her resume and was selected to spend time in Switzerland putting her skills to the test as well as learning new ones. 

At Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, ranked number one among hospitality management universities worldwide, Isa worked with wonderful mentors and followed a very strict schedule at this prestigious culinary school.

“They were extremely strict, keen, and straightforward. Classes started at eight-o-clock and ended around four, but the day was not over,” Leyva said. “We had nightly activities often lasting till ten like swimming in the lake nearby, and dancing.”

There was a mixture of classes provided, other than cooking, like business classes, hospitality, and cultural manners. It was also required to wear suits and fancy dresses, which means Leyva learned what it takes to not just create dishes but immerse herself into the work world with real etiquette. She met people, like herself, that were passionate about cooking.

“It was an incredible experience and I made friends for a lifetime. It was very diverse with seventy percent international students and about thirty percent from the area of the school,” Leyva said.

This may be Leyva’s first big culinary school visit, but it is not her first time in the kitchen. Since she was young, she was drawn to the kitchen.

“I remember I made pancakes for my family for the first time and kept wanting to learn more and more. My mom is self-taught so she would teach me,” Leyva said.

Leyva embarked on a journey of different flavors and dishes. Out of all the dishes her favorites included a dried fruit crusted chicken as well as a salmon tartare as the main dish, and for dessert she created an apricot flambé and custard carrot Purée.

Outside of Leyva’s prepared dishes, her favorite thing to eat was from the school’s dining hall in which the food came from students training to be a professional chef.

With all her experiences at this culinary school, Leyva believes that everyone should go after their dreams and desires.

For anyone with the same interest as her own, Isa promotes the EHL experience. If you have any questions reach out to [email protected]