I feel I must dedicate this piece to my friend and colleague, Dr. Nancy Schader-Leavenworth, who lost her year plus battle with cancer early this morning.
You see, it was the shocking news of her stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis which compelled me to pursue my culinary education. It had not been a year from Dr. Leavenworth's retirement when we learned of her cancer. She was someone who was the picture of health, petite and thin. She never even smoked. She always brought her lunch and didn't consume fast food. She wasn't even sixty years old. She was a dedicated and caring physician at Kaiser for many years.
When I heard her news, I was in disbelief. I realized my time was limited. I have always contemplated culinary school because of my passion for food. But it was hard to justify leaving my profession for the unknown. Even though I am far from "old", I knew I should seize the moment and live life to the fullest since I do not know what tomorrow may bring. I do not mind hard work as long as I am passionate. It had been missing from my career for some time.
I can say that Nancy loved what she did and she did it with passion. She never uttered a disparaging word. She was always kind and respectful to me. I feel privileged to have had the honor of working with her.
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