Travis Slaughter, who graduated from College of The Albemarle’s (COA) Culinary Arts program in May 2015, had tried twice to earn the same diploma at a community college in Henderson, North Carolina. He enrolled in the Henderson program after his high school graduation because he always knew it was what he wanted to do.

Because he wanted to be a chef, he re-enrolled, but had to leave again before earning his diploma. After that, he moved to Roper, near Edenton, to live with his grandmother. He quickly learned about COA’s Culinary Arts program in Edenton and enrolled in it.

That, Slaughter said, has made all the difference in his life.

In the fall of 2015, Slaughter headed to Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte where he is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management. The four-year university has an acclaimed Culinary Arts program and Leslie Lippincott, chef-instructor with COA’s Culinary Arts program, said Slaughter’s acceptance into the course was impressive.

“He basically just got into Harvard or Yale for our industry,” said Lippincott, Slaughter’s former instructor.

His success, she noted, is well deserved. Lippincott recalls a student who was always willing to work hard and was relentlessly inquisitive. That curiosity and enthusiasm, Lippincott said, helps set Slaughter apart.

“He graduated high in his class,” Lippincott said. “Travis would get done with what he has working on and he would help people in class and get them as excited as he was about what we were doing.

“Travis has a passion for what he does,” she said. “He lives, breathes, eats, thinks cooking and how to get better. He uses constant self-improvement and self-evaluation to become the best he can become. It’s a key to success for anyone.”

During his studies at COA, Slaughter said he learned a lot from Chef Leslie and is still in touch with her a year later. He credits Lippincott with his success in the program and said that having her as his instructor for all his classes made the program easier and more focused. Having more one-on-one time with her, when he could ask her questions, was helpful.

“I still talk to her every day or every other day,” Slaughter said. “I would consider her my mentor. She looks out for me.”

Since graduating a year ago, Slaughter has worked at 309 Bistro. At this Edenton restaurant, he has perfected the skills of his trade, whisking up sauces and dressings for salads, preparing entrees and chopping vegetables for appetizers and other dishes. It is also where he completed some of the requirements for the Work-Based Learning portion of his Culinary Arts program.

“It was a good job,” Slaughter said, adding that it allowed him to practice what he loves doing most.

“Cooking is something I can express myself through at the same time as working,” Slaughter said. “I get to work with my hands and create things. It’s a way to express myself through my career. It’s like art to me.”