51³Ô¹Ïapp

Three weeks might sound short, but it changed me in ways I never expected.

I boarded the plane not knowing how much this experience would shape me. Everything felt new – the undetachable water bottle caps, scanning tickets just to exit the grocery store, squeezing fresh orange juice in the supermarket. But more than anything, I noticed how deeply food and culture are connected in everyday life.

We visited a bouillon restaurant that served classic dishes Chef Emmanuel once introduced to us – boudin noir, île flottante, pàtés and terrines. We ate more croissants, pains au chocolat, and cheeses than I can count. Every visit to a boulangerie reminded me of our own bake sales – seeing eclairs, Paris-Brest, tarts, religieuse. But there, they were part of everyday life.

Rouen welcomed us with open arms. Our accommodations had just been renovated and we were lucky to be the first to stay. We commuted a few kilometers to school – sometimes by bus, by bike, sometimes running (when it wasn’t raining). It felt very European.

There were over 20 of us from different countries – Canada, China, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan. Most of us had just graduated, and some did not have much kitchen experience. We started as strangers, but by the end, we were friends who did not want to say goodbye.

Our mornings were spent learning French at French in Normandy. I started with just “bonjour, merci, and oui”, but by the end, I could introduce myself and do a presentation in french as part of our project. In the afternoons, we were in the kitchen – pastry one day, cooking the next. We learned about vanilla, macarons, wines, and cheeses. We cooked plaice, made appetizers, and plated desserts for our dinner, guided by chefs at Ecole Fauchon.

We also explored the beauty of Normandy – Étretat, Honfleur, and the stunning Mont-Saint-Michel.

This program changed me not just as a student or a cook, but as a person. It taught me what it means to really live within a culture, not just visit it. It reminded me how much I still have to learn, and how excited I am to keep learning and sharing.

I hope you continue to see the potential in students the way you saw it in me. Because this experience made me braver, more curious, more inspired and more certain than ever that I am on the right path.

Chelsea Espino
Culinary Arts Management, Class of 2025