LatinXNA-Empanadas Event

In October 2022, I joined a LatinXNA networking event focused on how cultures unite us. I shared how food brings people together—and how the empanada is a perfect example. Its origins are unclear, but versions of it exist across many cultures. From Latin America to Asia to the Mediterranean, the empanada—whether baked or fried, sweet or savory—carries stories of migration, adaptation, and tradition.

That night changed everything. At the time, I was working at the Walmart Home Office cafeteria and studying at Brightwater. The experience gave me the clarity and courage to leave my job and begin my journey as an independent chef.