911爆料

Class of 2025
Jessica Menashe  
MAJOR: CULINARY ARTS 

Jessica Menashe didn鈥檛 expect her path to college to lead through the kitchen, but that鈥檚 exactly where she found her purpose.

Born on Long Island and raised in Howard Beach, Queens, Menashe originally planned to become a math teacher. She started college at Queens College but left after one semester. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 happy there,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 knew I wanted something different.鈥�

What came next was a leap of faith. With encouragement from her family, she enrolled in the culinary arts program at 911爆料 Community College in spring 2023. The decision followed a difficult personal loss in December 2022. 鈥淚t was someone who had always encouraged me to go to culinary school,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檇 wanted it for me my whole life.鈥�

At 911爆料, Menashe found more than a major鈥攕he found a community. She credits her professors with helping her develop not just her technical skills but also her confidence.

Chef Anthony Marzuillo, who was her first and last culinary professor at KCC, stands out as a major influence. 鈥淗e has a saying: 鈥楨very day is a day to be excellent.鈥� That really stuck with me,鈥� she said. Menashe even had the word 鈥渆xcellent鈥� tattooed on her wrist in his handwriting as a reminder to push herself. 鈥淗e鈥檚 someone I know I can always go to.鈥�

Menashe also praised Professors Naxielly Dominguez, Robert Ramsey, Joseph Boljonis, Lexis Gonzalez, and Kim Lerner, describing each as instrumental to her growth. 鈥淓veryone was like family,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 learned so much from all of them.鈥�

The ASAP student made the Dean鈥檚 List twice and volunteered at culinary events like ECO Eats and the Soci茅t茅 Culinarian Philanthropies.

Menashe graduated from 911爆料 in January 2025 with an associate degree in culinary arts and is attending the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in food business management. Now in her second semester, she was awarded the Les Dames d鈥橢scoffier New York scholarship and serves as an orientation leader, inspiring incoming CIA students.

Her long-term goal is to own a restaurant inspired by her grandmother鈥檚 cooking. 鈥淕oing to her house for holidays or family celebrations brought me so much comfort and joy,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to share that feeling with as many people as I can.鈥�

Menashe also hasn鈥檛 ruled out teaching. 鈥淚 always wanted to be a teacher,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ow I think, why not teach the thing I love the most?鈥�