In 2011, while teaching 11th grade English and English as a Second Language at César Chávez Academy High School in Southwest Detroit, I co-founded Detroit Food Academy (DFA)—a nonprofit that supports young Detroiters in building leadership, entrepreneurship, and culinary skills by launching their own food-based businesses. As Executive Director of Programs from 2011 to 2014, I helped grow DFA from a classroom idea into a citywide youth development model that partnered with local schools, food businesses, and community spaces. Through hands-on programs, students designed, cooked, and marketed real products, gaining confidence, business literacy, and a deeper connection to their city and to one another.

The work was rooted in the belief that food can be a powerful vehicle for learning, healing, and community transformation. As an educator, I saw how many of my students had untapped creativity, resilience, and leadership waiting to be activated—but needed spaces that honored their voices and gave them real responsibility. DFA was built to be that space. It was inspired by students like Henry, a quiet writer in the back of my classroom who found his voice through poetry, activism, and food. He went on to help lead the first Gay-Straight Alliance in his school and became a role model in our summer programs. Stories like his continue to shape my commitment to creating equitable, community-rooted learning experiences—whether through curriculum, policy, or program design.