Katrina

Katrina Builds a Legacy

Growing up, Katrina spent her free time in the kitchen, watching her father and grandmother make delicious meals that sustained the whole family.

“My dad, amazing cook. My grandma, amazing cook. On Sundays before church, she was always up making those grits with some fish or some salmon cakes. And my dad, he’s from South Carolina, so, I mean, pan fried cornbread, collard greens, stuff like that.”

In 2015, Katrina tragically lost her brother. Channeling her grief into something positive, she enrolled in Project Renewal’s Culinary Arts Training Program (CATP). The program enveloped her with support and became a second family.

But classes proved to be too much at the time. “I thought I was ready mentally, but I wasn’t ready to be around people. I couldn’t continue, not the way I was feeling.” She promised herself that she would come back and finish, no matter how long it took.

Six years later, she returned, and was welcomed with open arms, this time graduating with flying colors. “I’m in my glory. Graduating is a goal accomplished. It’s my biggest accomplishment since my brother passed.”

Today, Katrina works under the mentorship of another CATP alum at NYU’s Palladium Hall. She also plans to open a restaurant and pass on her passion for cooking. “It’s called Kodi’s Kitchen. I named it after my granddaughter who has been in the kitchen with me since she was two years old. I teach her what I learned from my family, because it’s tradition. I want to leave something that will hopefully be passed down to generations and generations and generations.”