As far back as he can remember in his native Puerto Rico, Abimael Rodriguez always enjoyed cooking with his family and adding sazón to homemade dishes. When he moved to Austin he began working at a resort in Lake Travis and quickly moved up to become a garde manager in the kitchen.
“I wanted to learn more. I heard about Austin Community College,” he says. “I was interested in those classes to be able to progress in life and join a culinary program.”
Rodriguez enrolled in the Culinary Arts Program at ACC, where he received a pastry arts certificate. He now works at an Austin bakery and does independent work creating elegantly crafted wedding cakes from scratch.
“Austin Community College helped me become more creative, manage my time more effectively, become more financially aware, be more attentive to others, and taught me to be brave,” he says. “The college has many advisors and great professors who are always willing to help.”
Austin Community College helped me become more creative, manage my time more effectively, become more financially aware, be more attentive to others, and taught me to be brave.
Rodriguez was selected among a handful of ACC students for ACC’s summer study-abroad program in Yssingeaux, France. The students spent three weeks at Ecole Nationale Supérierure de Pâtisserie, France’s leading school in pastry and baking arts.
“The warm welcome from the faculty at the castle Chateau De Montbarnier was very thoughtful. We had an incredible experience that I will always share with others.”
With the skills needed to be competitive in his field, Rodriguez is making a name for himself in the world of pastry and fine dining.
“My hopes and goals in life as a pastry chef are to make people smile and bring joy to their hearts through their sense of taste.”