Thanks to the generous support of the Connelly Foundation, OIC Philadelphia has launched a paid internship program exclusively for alumni of our culinary arts program; a "Learning 2.0" experience designed to take graduates from the classroom to the kitchen, and from the kitchen to ownership. We are proud to welcome our first cohort: Zhakia Thomas and Alekia Gordon, both OIC culinary alumni, both ready to write the next chapter of their story.
Completing OIC's culinary arts program is an achievement. But for some graduates, it's only the beginning of what they're capable of.
The culinary internship program was created for exactly that kind of student, the ones who finish and want more. More knowledge. More responsibility. More of a future in food.
This isn't a shadowing experience or a volunteer role. It's a paid, structured internship that places alumni directly alongside OIC's culinary leadership team, where they gain hands-on experience in the full scope of what it takes to run a food operation. From the logistics of day-to-day programming to the details of budgeting and business management, interns are learning what it means to lead, not just cook.
The goal is clear: cultivate the next generation of food entrepreneurs.
One of the most meaningful dimensions of this internship is where the work happens.
OIC's Sullivan's Way Café is more than a training ground. It's a community resource. Anyone who walks into OIC Philadelphia to fill out a program application or take an assessment is greeted with a free, nourishing meal, no questions asked. In a city where food insecurity remains a persistent challenge, Sullivan's Way Café is a quiet act of radical hospitality.
Zhakia and Alekia are now part of making that happen. Every day they show up to work, they're not just building their own futures; they're feeding their neighbors. There's something profound about that: alumni who once came to OIC looking for opportunity, now standing on the other side, creating it for someone else.
The Connelly Foundation's support made this program possible, and its impact will be felt far beyond these two interns.
When we invest in food entrepreneurs from within our own community, people who know these neighborhoods, who've navigated these systems, who've sat in these classrooms, we're not just training workers. We're building ownership. We're creating a pipeline of leaders who will one day run their own kitchens, open their own businesses, and hire from their own communities.
That's the multiplier effect of programs like this. One internship becomes a career. One career becomes a business. One business becomes a legacy.
The momentum doesn't stop with the interns. We're also thrilled to welcome Jeffery Presley to the OIC Philadelphia staff as our new Assistant Chef. Jeffery joins the culinary leadership team and will play an important role in shaping the day-to-day experience of both the internship program and Sullivan's Way Café. His presence strengthens the team and deepens our capacity to mentor, teach, and serve, and you'll spot him in our feature photos, right where he belongs: in the kitchen, doing the work.
Together, Jeffery, Zhakia, and Alekia represent exactly the kind of team OIC Philadelphia is building: talented, committed, and connected to the community they serve.
To our first intern cohort and our newest team member: we see your potential, we're proud of your journey, and we cannot wait to watch you grow.
This is what Learning 2.0 looks like. And this is just the beginning.
