Vanessa Lanier—the Executive Chef of the Providence Culinary Training (PCT) and Catering programs at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina—has much to be proud of. She has over a decade of experience working in professional kitchens across North Carolina, has seen hundreds of students graduate from Providence’s cooking school under her guidance, and has raised two daughters primarily on her own. Now, she can add another significant achievement to that list: becoming an American citizen.
Chef Vanessa—who hails from Barcelona, Spain—recently passed her United States citizenship exam, the last step toward completing a taxing naturalization procedure that has taken more than four years.
“I cannot stress enough how complex the immigration process is,” Chef Vanessa stated. “I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars and suffered numerous COVID-19-related delays to get to this point.” Also, in accordance with her home country that forbids dual citizenship, Chef Vanessa has to give up her Spanish nationality.
Despite the numerous obstacles and sacrifices she has encountered on her road to citizenship, Chef Vanessa emphasizes that the journey has been worthwhile. “It is important that immigrants, like me, try to build our lives as best as possible here in America.”
Chef Vanessa is no newcomer to America, having moved across the Atlantic from Spain almost 29 years ago to pursue a better life. “Although I love my home, there are more opportunities here than back there,” Chef Vanessa said. “That is the dream of many people: to seek a better life in a larger country.”
After leaving an abusive marriage, Chef Vanessa considered returning to Europe with her two daughters. When searching online for a cross-ocean plane ticket, she discovered Providence Culinary Training (PCT). Despite lacking formal kitchen experience, she reached out to Providence’s Executive Director, Jeff Bacon, via email. “I told him, ‘I have two small kids. I am not from this country. If you allow me to enter your program, I promise that you will not waste your time on me.’” Shortly after, Chef Vanessa became a PCT student.
After graduating from PCT nearly 16 years ago, Chef Vanessa worked at various country clubs throughout North Carolina before a chance encounter with Chef Bacon presented her with the prospect of returning to work at her former cooking school.
As Providence’s Executive Chef, Chef Vanessa has trained hundreds of aspiring chefs and cooks for the past six years. Under her tutelage, they have refined their culinary skills as she once did as a PCT student. Many of her students have experienced similar challenges as herself: having escaped abusive relationships, faced poverty and food insecurity, and struggled to find adequate opportunities to support their families.
Some PCT students also share Chef Vanessa’s immigrant background. “Right now, we have students from China and the Dominican Republic,” she said. “One would be surprised how many PCT students are not originally from America.”
Like her road to her current position at Providence, Chef Vanessa’s path to citizenship extensively tested her. “I was very nervous for my citizenship exam because I don’t retain new information as well as I did in school,” she shared. “But when it was all done and I had passed, I was excited and relieved.”
With her naturalization ceremony set until after this year’s elections, Chef Vanessa looks forward to voting for the first time in her adopted country next election cycle. “It is essential for me to have a say in the process and vote for what I feel is right in this democracy,” she said. “Voting is a tool. If you want to see change in the world, you must participate by using that tool.”
The Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina encourages all eligible citizens who have not yet cast ballots to exercise their right to vote this coming Election Day: Tuesday, November 5. Please visit our website for information on North Carolina’s voter ID requirements and what races and issues will be on your ballot.
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