MHF 2025 Rising Star:
Chef Jacob Austin
We are proud to announce that Chef Jacob Austin is the winner of our first annual Rising Star Award!
Thanks to his ProStart experience at the Saginaw Career Complex Culinary Arts, Jacob earned scholarships that allowed him to attend culinary school after high school. Equipped with the skills and knowledge he has gained, he quickly became one of the top students in his class and his culinary career took off from there.
Before ProStart, he struggled in school, failing classes and feeling disengaged and uninspired. “I hated sitting behind a desk and felt like I didn’t belong in a traditional classroom setting”. ProStart allowed him to find something he was passionate about and excited to show up each day. He competed in the ProStart competition in his senior year of high school, “Being part of the ProStart team was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It taught me teamwork, discipline, and the drive to always improve. The skills I developed through ProStart went far beyond cooking they gave me confidence, resilience, and a sense of purpose.”
In his early 20s, Jacob became one of the youngest executive chefs in Michigan history, leading high-end kitchens in fine dining restaurants, a ballroom facility and a country club. Today, he is pursuing his dream of owning his own restaurant, set to launch in the Spring of 2025. Austin continues to give back to the ProStart program by judging at competition and hiring ProStart alumni to work in his kitchens. ProStart provided him with a strong foundation that helped shape his passion, skills, and career path in the culinary world.
Before ProStart, he struggled in school, failing classes and feeling disengaged and uninspired. “I hated sitting behind a desk and felt like I didn’t belong in a traditional classroom setting”. ProStart allowed him to find something he was passionate about and excited to show up each day. He competed in the ProStart competition in his senior year of high school, “Being part of the ProStart team was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It taught me teamwork, discipline, and the drive to always improve. The skills I developed through ProStart went far beyond cooking they gave me confidence, resilience, and a sense of purpose.”
In his early 20s, Jacob became one of the youngest executive chefs in Michigan history, leading high-end kitchens in fine dining restaurants, a ballroom facility and a country club. Today, he is pursuing his dream of owning his own restaurant, set to launch in the Spring of 2025. Austin continues to give back to the ProStart program by judging at competition and hiring ProStart alumni to work in his kitchens. ProStart provided him with a strong foundation that helped shape his passion, skills, and career path in the culinary world.
