Sixteen Graduates Start New Careers

August 27, 2026

Graduations are always special occasions at the Food Bank of Delaware, a chance to celebrate hard work, perseverance and the possibilities that come with trying something new.

Family members, friends, supporters and Food Bank staff recently gathered at our Newark facility to celebrate the graduates of the 80th class of The Culinary School and the 30th class of our LOGIC (Logistics, Operations, General Warehousing and Inventory Control) program.

Over the past 14 weeks, students did much more than learn culinary and warehousing skills. They showed up through busy schedules, family responsibilities and other challenges, developing confidence and building relationships along the way.

Keynote speaker Jen Cho, Head of Citizenship and Community Relations at Barclays U.S. Consumer Bank, reminded graduates that they should be proud not only of the skills they gained, but of the determination it took to reach graduation day.

Barclays has been a longtime supporter of the Food Bank’s workforce development programs. In addition to financial support, Barclays colleagues have volunteered their time for mock interviews, résumé and career workshops and other professional development opportunities. Students have also visited Barclays, participated in internships and, in one case, a Culinary School graduate now works full time at the Barclays café.

Cho shared a lesson from her own career with the graduates. Early in her career, she assumed successful leaders had their entire paths mapped out. She eventually learned that wasn’t the case.

“Don’t wait until you feel completely ready,” she advised. “Be willing to grow into that opportunity.”

She encouraged graduates to continue saying yes to opportunities, even when those opportunities feel uncomfortable or bigger than what they believe they are ready to handle.

“Today is not the finish line,” she said. “It’s the start of what’s next.”

Cho also surprised the Food Bank with an exciting announcement: Barclays presented the Food Bank of Delaware with a $150,000 donation to support workforce development and help create opportunities for future graduates.

Perhaps the most meaningful words of the morning came from the graduates themselves.

LOGIC graduate Nicholas Congo described the experience as “life-changing,” noting that there were days when he and his classmates weren’t sure they would make it to graduation.

“But here we are,” he said. “Kept pushing and we made it to the finish line.”

Christopher Gaul shared that the program opened doors and opportunities while helping him see more potential in himself. Another LOGIC graduate reflected on how the program offered more than technical skills and certifications — it provided a welcoming environment and life lessons that helped change his outlook.

For Culinary School graduates, the day was equally emotional.

Executive Chef Tim Hunter told the class that he had watched them grow not only as cooks, but as people.

“I’ve seen them hold their heads a little higher,” he said, noting that students had overcome challenges throughout the session. “When we go through those things, that’s called growth.”

Graduate Ja’Nesa Nesmith thanked the instructors and Food Bank team members who answered her many questions, listened and gave students the push they needed each day.

She left her classmates with a favorite quote: “You don’t have to be great to start, you have to start to be great.”

Other graduates spoke about the friendships they developed, the confidence they gained and the family members, instructors and supporters who helped them reach graduation day.

As the ceremony came to a close, President and CEO Cathy Kanefsky reflected on one of the clearest themes of the morning: no one succeeds alone.

Students who arrived 14 weeks earlier as strangers were leaving as friends and supporters of one another.

“You’ve got somebody to call, you’ve got all of us, but you have each other,” she told the graduates.

But she also reminded them to recognize their own role in reaching this milestone.

“You got you here,” she said.

That determination is at the heart of the Food Bank’s workforce development programs. Feeding our neighbors today is an important part of our mission, but so is helping create opportunities for tomorrow.

Congratulations to our graduates!

LOGIC GRADUATES

  • Nicholas Congo
  • Christopher Gaul
  • LaToya Nock
  • Enock Nyanyuki
  • Lataisha Pearson
  • Jahmeir Pritchett
  • Joseph Welsh

CULINARY GRADUATES

  • Richard Calhoun
  • Donald Cobb
  • Kinden Holmes
  • Ta’Jhan King
  • Shanna Lewis
  • Ja’Nesa Nesmith
  • Montunde Olude
  • Nakeyla Peralta
  • Jesus Rodriguez

Leave a Reply