SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — They arrived in Utah from countries around the world, many of them speaking different languages. What they share is a love of food and a deep commitment to supporting one another. On graduation day at the Rise Culinary Institute, that sense of community is easy to see.
Women in the program cook together, swap recipes, and build friendships as they prepare for new careers. Their backgrounds stretch across continents.
“I’m from southern Sudan. I’m from Colombia. I’m from Thailand. I’m from Central Africa,” one group shared during the ceremony.
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Many of the students came to the United States as refugees, and Rise has become a place where they can settle in and start over. Restaurateur Lavanya Mahate created the program to help them take that next step.
“It completes the circle and also creates more job opportunities,” Mahate said. “There is this population of women refugees who, with the proper training and skills, want to create a better future for themselves and contribute to the local economy and the hospitality industry. What better way to do that than with food?”
Mahate, who owns and operates several restaurants, mentors the women in the kitchen. She believes food connects people, even when they don’t share a spoken language.
“So even in the kitchen when some of our graduates don’t know the language, they still learn it,” she said. “It is very tactile and hands-on to prepare food and to serve, and to share. It doesn’t require a lot of explanation, it’s just a feeling.”
One of the graduates, Zinab, is already thinking about her future.
“I want to do a small business for myself,” she said. “I don’t have the money to do that right now, but I will try to work hard and save some money and start something small.”
Mahate understands those dreams. She came to the United States as a refugee herself, received help, and rebuilt her life. Now she’s passing that support on.
“Watching them find their voice and gain confidence in a new community has really been the most remarkable part of this journey,” she said.
The celebration marks more than a graduation. It highlights new beginnings, new skills, and new opportunities. About 80% of the graduates are already working in restaurants. Others have started catering, delivering baked goods to local stores, or have opened small food businesses of their own.
To help keep the program thriving, Mountain America Credit Union joined the ceremony with a surprise gift.
“We love what you do,” Steve Wright said as he presented support on behalf of KUTV and Mountain America.
If you’d like to help these women continue building their futures, visit riseculinaryinstitute.org and click the donate button.
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Dining and Cooking