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UST Graduate Lands Internship at Iron Chef’s Restaurant
6/30/2010
 University of St. Thomas graduate Jamee Simmons has landed the dream job for almost any aspiring chef -- working in the Manhattan kitchen of Morimoto, the restaurant of the internationally renowned Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto.
After graduating from UST in 2007 with a liberal arts degree concentrating in art history and theater, Simmons decided to pursue her passion and enroll in culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in Denver. This summer, for her final internship, she packed her bags and moved to New York City, where she is secured an internship at the highly competitive Morimoto restaurant.
Simmons admits she initially thought getting the internship was a long shot, but her ambition and passion drove her to aim high.
“When I was looking for internships, I didn’t want to start out with something mediocre. I wanted to reach for the stars,” she said. “God has really opened the door for me. I feel really blessed to be here.”
Simmons’ journey to begin her summer internship is just as incredible, with all of the pieces to the puzzle falling into place at the right time. Even until the day she arrived in New York City, she had no place to live. But with a determined spirit, she bought her one-way ticket to Manhattan, knowing that a gig working for Morimoto isn’t something you turn down.
“There was no way I was going to pass up this opportunity,” Simmons said. “I took this big leap of faith, and after three days of living in a hotel, I actually found an apartment five minutes from the restaurant. I still can’t believe how it all worked out perfect for me.”
Her duties at Morimoto include daily preparations of sushi rice, shrimp, King crab legs and anything else the chefs might need in the kitchen. And though she’s working as a student intern, Simmons said she has become an integral part of the Morimoto team, doing more than just the simple tasks that interns at other restaurants might be doing.
“This isn’t an ordinary internship,” she said. “It’s more like a dream. I’ve gotten my hands into so much of the industry just by being here. The experience is just unbelievable. I call my mom every day and I always tell her how grateful I am that God has blessed me with this.”
Simmons' inclination toward studying the culinary arts stems naturally from her background in art history and theater at UST. She also dabbled in photography at Texas A&M University before coming to St. Thomas.
But it was a summer job at the International Festival Institute in Round Top, Texas, where she discovered her love for the food service industry.
“I’ve always wanted to go to culinary school. But when I was 18 and considering colleges, I thought that being a chef just meant that I’d be cooking all day, every day,” she said. “Working at this festival opened my eyes to a whole new world.
“Food is art. The flavors, colors and textures all make it art on a plate. When you create something amazing and people just ‘Ooh and ahh’ over it, I love that. I love getting those reactions.”
Simmons credits St. Thomas with providing the solid foundation of morals, values and ethics that prepared her for the ups and downs of the real world and a culinary career, she said.
“It was at St. Thomas where I realized who I am and what I am capable of doing,” Simmons said. “I love the UST slogan about developing leaders of faith and character because my faith and character have definitely gotten me where I am in this industry. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly, and my character and values are tested every day. But St. Thomas gave me everything I need to succeed. I wouldn’t be here today without that education and experience.”
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