Janaescia Wooten always knew she was meant to work with people. “I always knew I wanted to go into the hospitality industry because I was a people person and I was very friendly,” she said. What she didn’t know was how to turn that instinct into a career, until Dallas College showed her the way.

After being introduced to the college’s hospitality program through her career technical center, Wooten saw a clear path forward. “It was presented to us to join and get into the field earlier, right out of high school,” she said. With experience already working in fast food, the transition felt natural. “It was something that I did every day already… it was really easy to just jump right in.”

Today, Wooten is Chef de Partie at the Omni Dallas, building a career that once felt uncertain. “Dallas College prepared me for my entire future,” she said. “I didn’t know how I was going to do it at 18… so it was very awesome to have the opportunity to come to this program and be able to start my career instantly.”