Lynniya

Lynniya Whitaker (she/her), a culinary arts major, learned when to add a little more spice to her culinary skills during her first semester at HCC. Her signature dish? Mouthwatering fried chicken paired with fresh collard greens, a leafy green vegetable with a texture like kale or spinach. She enjoys every aspect of meal prep, especially for the collard greens, meticulously washing and cutting the stems for the collards. For the chicken, Lynniya adds her secret blend of seasonings.  "I have a base set of seasonings that I mix together and add to my chicken, which includes Season All and Slap Ya Mama," said Lynniya.

Although she likes to cook soul food cuisine, she's also interested in dabbling in cultural dishes from countries such as Africa. For this future chef, it's all about the process.

"Next semester, I will work at Dragon’s Fire. I could not do it this semester because I thought it would be too much with my classes," said Lynniya. "At first, I was interested in culinary management, but I wanted to work in the kitchen so now I am taking culinary arts. Working in the kitchen is the fun part." 

But Lynniya's ambitions don't stop in the kitchen. During her senior year at Atholton High School, she became a thrower for the track team throwing 33 feet just (two feet under the best person on the team).

"When I throw, it brings me peace and clears my mind," said Lynniya. "I throw and hope for the best — better than I was last time." 

Her goal is to use these skills to catapult her career. As a thrower for HCC's track team, she throws the shot put. Lynniya is also learning to throw the hammer and javelin, making her highly competitive in the sport. She dreams of earning an athletic scholarship for throws and plans to transfer to Morgan State University for its prestigious business program.

"With a business degree, I can own and manage my own restaurant or become a head or personal chef," said Lynniya. "I will have a culinary certification and business degree that will allow me to do a lot of different things."

With financial and academic support from the Silas Craft Collegians Program, Lynniya receives personalized transfer advising to help her prepare and stay on track for success. The program also offers scholarship, leadership development, and networking opportunities.

"Silas Craft fully covers my tuition and helps keep me on track," said Lynniya. "It's a great program that I highly recommend, especially to athletes, because they expect you to want to do great things."