When Alexis Kimbrough thinks about graduating from Lorain County Community College, she can’t help but get emotional.

“I’m about to cry,” she said, anticipating how it will feel to cross the commencement stage. “I never thought I would get to that point. It’s an overwhelming feeling and I’m so proud.”

On May 17, Kimbrough, of Lorain, will earn an associate of applied business in hospitality with a culinary arts major. That one day will represent five years of hard work, determination and grit.

There was a lot going on in Kimbrough’s life when she came to LCCC in 2020. The now 36-year-old wife and mother of three was already working full time in the hospitality industry. In fact, she was excelling in it. Kimbrough had advanced from prep cook and dishwasher at a Lorain County assisted living facility to morning cook and then chef production manager.

“I honed my leadership and culinary expertise as chef production manager,” Kimbrough said. “And being at an assisted living facility is so rewarding. For some of the people who live there, there’s not a lot they can control. But they can control what they eat, and I love giving them great food to choose.”

As rewarding as her role was, Kimbrough wanted to keep moving up. And she knew earning a degree would help. After completing several general education courses online, Kimbrough transitioned to the on-campus, culinary arts focused classes.

From preparing simple dishes, to creating international cuisine, Kimbrough learned a variety of cooking skills and techniques with an emphasis on safety, sanitation, nutrition and health. LCCC’s culinary arts program, which includes the opportunity to work at LCCC’s on-campus, student-operated Sage and Seed restaurant, prepares students to enter a variety of careers in the food industry, or, in Kimbrough’s case, to advance in a career already begun.

As course material intensity picked up, so did Kimbrough’s connection to the instructors and her classmates.

“It was different at LCCC,” Kimbrough, who had spent a couple years at a four-year university before coming back home. “Chef Ashley Black and Chef Brad Ball are amazing. It’s hands-on learning that doesn’t feel like class work. You’re just learning what you love with a group of people who are passionate about the same thing.”

Program director and culinary instructor, Chef Bradley Ball, came to know Kimbrough well from her first class to her last. He said her positivity and willingness to learn were clear throughout her journey, which he knows included many commitments outside of LCCC.

Alexis had a full life with her family and a full-time job while in school,” he said. “While balancing all those things, she took her education seriously and I am so proud of her because of that. Her growth is one of best representations of what this program can do.”

Kimbrough said her support at LCCC carried over at home, where her husband and children were always there to encourage her.

“They helped make it happen,” she said. “My husband is my biggest supporter.”

In fall 2024, Kimbrough was promoted to director of dining, a role in which she’ll bring to life everything she’s learned at LCCC.

“I was proud to assume that role,” Kimbrough said. “I now manage my own kitchen, overseeing operations and ensuring exceptional dining experiences for residents. It’s a rewarding milestone.”

That one word—rewarding — is the same word Kimbrough said she would use to describe her time at LCCC. And earning her degree is most certainly a milestone.