Niagara student chef earns bronze on world stage
Growing up in Niagara Falls, Selah Schmoll had ambitions to be a nurse.
A memorable trip to Italy as a teenager lead her to change her focus from health care to the culinary arts.
“I ended up staying with a chef and she taught me a lot and I decided cooking is what I wanted to do,” the 23-year-old said.
“Ever since I was a kid, I have always loved cooking. I had just never thought of it as a career.”
Today, Schmoll has proven she can take the heat in the kitchen among the world’s top student chefs.
The second-year culinary management student at Niagara College’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute recently won a bronze medal at an international chef competition.
She placed third overall at the Young Chef Olympiad in India that attracted almost 50 top student chefs from around the world.
“I was expecting to get in the top 10 and I feel so proud to have won bronze,” she said. “I’m more than happy with that.”
The Niagara Falls native and graduate of Eden High School in St. Catharines encourages future chefs to take advantage of the opportunity to compete.
“Regardless of how good you think you are or if you’re new, try out for competitions,” she said.
“You learn so much. Yes, it’s about winning, but it’s also about learning.”
Schmoll also juggles a part-time job in the pastry department at Trius Winery in addition to her studies.
Craig Youdale, dean of the Canadian Food and Wine Institute, said Schmoll’s success is quite impressive considering she is only beginning her career.
“Competitions like this are rare when you can put your school’s training up against other programs from around the globe,” he said.
This was the second culinary competition for Schmoll, who won a silver medal in culinary arts at the Ontario Technological Skills Competition last year.
Her most recent accomplishment marked the second consecutive year that a student from Niagara College graced the podium at the national competition.
Last year, the competition was won by culinary student Daniella Germond, a St. Catharines resident.