By Alex Munoz Natale
munoa78@mail.broward.edu
As a high-school senior, life is busy. Seniors constantly deal with unfinished homework, college applications, and upcoming tests while also keeping senioritis at bay. So, most of these students don’t have time for creating brand-new organizations. Anthony Ceballo, though, is not like most students.
Born in the United States and raised in the Dominican Republic, Anthony has had a long journey to get to where he is today. During his childhood, he developed a passion for cooking and engineering, using both as ways to spend time with his family. Whether he was cooking some Mofongo, a dish from the Dominican Republic, or working on his dad’s car, Anthony always put the most effort and dedication into everything he did.
When Anthony was seven years old, he and his family moved to the United States, leaving behind relatives and friends for better opportunities. Despite the difficulties of moving away from his loved ones, Anthony kept developing his skills and interests. Weekdays meant meal prep and kitchen time, while weekends were spent covered in WD-40 and engine oil. Years later, as a sophomore at Western High School, he made the life-changing decision to join the College Academy at Broward College. This dual-enrollment school allows students to earn an Associate of Arts degree along with their high school diploma. Yet despite discovering new opportunities, there weren’t any clubs or organizations that shared his passion for cooking.
Nowadays, as a sixteen-year-old student, Anthony has worked hard to change that. Inspired by his passion, he worked with close friend and future club vice president, Aleksei Sanders, to create Broward College’s Culinary Club, a community dedicated to cooking and preparing food. The pair were brought together by a fascination for cooking, “which we both enjoyed doing,” says Anthony.
But his journey was not easy. He describes how “starting Culinary Club was a tough challenge,” as there was no other organization like it on campus. It took months of paperwork relating to liability, food handling, and safety just to start the club-creation process. Then, after pouring so much time into the organization, he had to deal with another challenge: finding a club advisor.
With hardly any cooking-related courses, there weren’t many professors who shared his enthusiasm. The few teachers who shared this passion for cooking already had clubs. But despite this obstacle, Anthony found Associate Professor Robert Donato, who was keen to work with them. In fact, Professor Donato already had plenty of students who “were
supportive of the idea,” wishing for a club where they could meet fellow cooks while learning new skills.
Eventually, after an arduous process of paperwork and networking, Anthony and his team were able to establish the Culinary Club, holding their first meeting on campus. The key to achieving this, he says, was to “pretty much just … persistence.” Eventually, this club will translate into a more expansive community, with trips to professional kitchens and a supportive environment.
In the future, Anthony hopes to major in mechanical engineering. Although cooking won’t be his main career choice, his fascination represents an interesting journey of drive and tenacity; a reminder that you have what it takes to achieve your goals.