Recipe for Success

She’s two months or so into a yearlong career mentorship program, an opportunity she earned during a reality TV show with millions of people watching, and Gabrielle Chappel plans to make the most of it.

She’s in no hurry, though, because she knows the journey matters more than the destination at this point. Plus, she’s not sure

where she’s going.

Chappel, who won the third season of “Next Level Chef,” earned a yearlong mentorship with chefs Gordon Ramsey, Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais. She’ll spend four months working with each chef.

The show was taped late last fall and broadcast with Chappel as the winner in May. So, she got to experience winning twice — once when it happened and later when the news was shared with the world as the show aired. She was watching with her family.

“The first time there was nothing like it. It was just so pure, being able to experience it after all the work involved,” said Chappel who earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish in 2016. “And the second time it was incredible because I was able to share it with everyone else — and so many people have been so supportive of me.”

Chappel’s first phone call with Ramsey related to the mentorship happened June 6.

During the time in between the completion of the competition and the start of her yearlong mentoring opportunity, she put together a four-episode YouTube series (“Gabi’s Next Course”) that she said felt like the culmination of things she loves — duties in front of the camera, researching and cooking, and just exploring avenues and opportunities.

“I’m just curious, and there are so many things that drive my curiosity that it’s hard to say what the goal is,” she says.

She’s mostly trusted her instincts during her career, and it’s worked out well.

From starting her career with an advertising firm in Portland, Oregon, to a variety of jobs in New York City around advertising and media producing, she’s moved when it felt right. She’s invariably grown as a result.

Then, during the pandemic, she decided to attend culinary school and completed a certificate program at the Institute for Culinary Education.

She subsequently grew her presence on social media, and put her culinary skills to use with catering, private parties and more.

There were times when pursuing her passion was the best way to pay the bills, and she struggled at times. Still, her family never questioned her approach, and she trusted her curiosity and intuition.

“My family was always supportive and, honestly, their influence really helped shape that gut feeling I get,” Chappel said. “I know the things that interest me. I just want to learn as much as I can. By no means am I at a point of mastery, but I think I am at the point where I can teach myself and share that in a variety of ways.”

What’s next?

Well, the mentorship opportunity continues until next year and she wants to learn as much as possible from the three chefs. She’s ready to embrace different styles of cooking and experiment with different ingredients.

Maybe there’s a cookbook in the future, maybe a restaurant someday. Or maybe it’s food anthropology, healing foods, herbal medicine or a master’s degree.

She just wants to keep learning and exploring, driven by that innate curiosity. Plus, she thinks her freshman year self would be impressed with how things have played out.

“Freshman year Gabi would be like, “That’s what I end up doing? Holy cow, that’s cool.”

She’s not done yet, either.