{"id":64482,"date":"2025-05-23T07:00:25","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T12:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/?p=64482"},"modified":"2025-11-05T14:03:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T20:03:16","slug":"mike-carrillo-second-chance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/success-stories\/mike-carrillo-second-chance\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI Was Given a Second Chance\u201d: How Escoffier Grad Mike Carrillo Defied Death \u2013 and Found His Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Listen to This Article:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"elevenlabs-audionative-widget\" data-height=\"90\" data-width=\"100%\" data-frameborder=\"no\" data-scrolling=\"no\" data-publicuserid=\"d443feec80bf8c8f2e009e26dafa4118e6eb9f14056a5516af577c77d4404c4e\" data-playerurl=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/index.html\" data-projectid=\"WK0i4RIsR0oMTDlo9kaF\">Loading the <a href=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/text-to-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elevenlabs Text to Speech<\/a> AudioNative Player&#8230;<\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/audioNativeHelper.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I think back all the way to where I ended up in the hospital and almost died, to being where I am now\u2014I feel like I was given a second chance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As a former oil field worker living with diabetes, Mike Carrillo would have been the last person to predict a culinary career in his future\u2014let alone one that focused on healthy, plant-based cooking.<\/p>\n<p>But when a health crisis that almost claimed his life forced him to completely transform his relationship with food, he discovered not just a new way of eating, but a whole new calling in life.<\/p>\n<p>Follow Mike\u2019s story from the oil fields of West Texas to the culinary classroom, where he works to encourage others to embrace their passion and lean into their potential.<\/p>\n<h2>From the Oil Fields of West Texas<\/h2>\n<p>Mike Carrillo has spent his entire life in and around West Texas. Growing up in Hobbs, New Mexico\u2014right on the Texas border\u2014his earliest memories of food were shaped by his Hispanic heritage and family traditions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing raised by a Hispanic grandmother, she introduced me to a lot of flavors from our culture,\u201d he recalls. But food wasn\u2019t something he paid much mind to at that age. \u201cGrowing up in the \u201870s and \u201880s, you ate what was put on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Mike grew older, he initially tried the traditional route of higher education, briefly pursuing studies in computer science. But it didn\u2019t feel like the right fit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t quite my time, I guess,\u201d he says. So, like many others in West Texas, he found work in the oil fields instead. He would spend the majority of his early career in the industry, eventually finding a niche in the high-pressure world of sales and management while running an oilfield trucking company.<\/p>\n<p>But in December 2001, that career was cut short. A serious accident left Mike unable to work for more than four years, requiring multiple surgeries to reconstruct his shoulder. During his recovery, he fell into depression.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started putting on a lot of weight,\u201d he says. \u201cAt my heaviest I got up to 398 pounds on the scale. I\u2019m pretty sure it was over 400 by the time it was said and done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was during this period that he developed Type 2 diabetes. Mike had the understanding that diabetes often means permanent life adjustments, and was resigned to accept this. And, indeed, diabetes <em>did<\/em> wind up defining the path his life has taken since then\u2014though not in the way he would have anticipated.<\/p>\n<h2>A Health Crisis, and a New Perspective<\/h2>\n<p>Mike resigned himself to a life of managing diabetes through medication. By August 2020, he was using three different insulin pens and taking two different pills\u2014yet his blood sugar remained stubbornly high. At its peak, his A1C level had reached 10.3, an extremely high reading that\u2019s nearly double normal levels.<\/p>\n<p>Then came what seemed like a minor health issue: an ingrown hair. At first he paid it no mind, but when he developed a fever during the height of COVID, the situation quickly became serious. Knowing that his diabetes put him at higher risk, Mike took a COVID test as soon as he could. But the test came back negative\u2014which only left him more worried, because now he didn\u2019t have an explanation for why he felt so ill.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s when his wife, an RN, examined him and immediately recognized the danger. Mike went to see his doctor that very day, and soon found himself in the emergency room.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey started running tests, and they came back and said they\u2019d already called an ambulance and were prepping the operating room,\u201d he says. That little ingrown hair had led to an infection that went septic and spread throughout his body. Mike\u2019s condition required emergency surgery, and he spent ten days in the hospital.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_64484\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64484\" class=\"wp-image-64484 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/A-side-by-side-before-and-after-representation-of-Mike-Carrillos-significant-physical-transformation.-768.webp\" alt=\"A side-by-side before-and-after representation of Mike Carrillo\u2019s significant physical transformation.\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/A-side-by-side-before-and-after-representation-of-Mike-Carrillos-significant-physical-transformation.-768.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/A-side-by-side-before-and-after-representation-of-Mike-Carrillos-significant-physical-transformation.-768-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/A-side-by-side-before-and-after-representation-of-Mike-Carrillos-significant-physical-transformation.-768-150x150.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-64484\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike experienced significant weight gain and developed Type 2 diabetes following his workplace accident (right); after embracing a new lifestyle, a rapid transformation followed (left).<\/p><\/div>\n<p>On the drive back home after he was discharged, Mike looked at his two sons and had a revelation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOut here in the oil fields, you\u2019ve got to have a macho bravado about yourself,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I remember coming out of the hospital, I was scared. I was thinking, \u2018What\u2019s going to happen to them if I don\u2019t make it through this?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That fear became motivation. He knew it was time for a change.<\/p>\n<p>And he had an idea of where to start. Two weeks before his hospitalization, Mike had enrolled in a diabetes reversal class\u2014though he hadn\u2019t taken it seriously at the time, in part because its message didn\u2019t resonate with him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThroughout your journey with diabetes, you always hear the phrase, \u2018Food is medicine,\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cBut one thing you don\u2019t get taught is how, or why. <em>Why<\/em> is food medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He hadn\u2019t planned to go back, but now he had a new motivation to take his health into his own hands. So, with nothing to lose, he called and re-enrolled in the online class.<\/p>\n<h2>The Face of Health: Reversing Diabetes<\/h2>\n<p>The diabetes reversal program started simply enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was very basic food\u2014a lot of cauliflower and broccoli, very basic recipes,\u201d Mike recalls. These plain, plant-based recipes were a far cry from the flavorful dishes he was used to, and he still had his doubts about \u201cfood as medicine.\u201d But he made a commitment to stick with the program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt that point, I didn&#8217;t have anything else,\u201d he says. \u201cAll the medicine I was taking, obviously it wasn&#8217;t working. So I put my head down. I was like, \u2018This is all I got.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The changes came quicker than anyone expected. His blood sugar began dropping from the mid-300s to the 90s. Doctors started taking him off medications one by one\u2014a process that brought its own anxieties.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnly a diabetic would understand the kind of anxiety you feel,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019re stuck on this medication for years, and now you\u2019re starting not to take it. It was scary getting off each one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Because it was during COVID lockdowns, Mike didn\u2019t immediately notice the extent of the transformation happening to his body. It wasn\u2019t until later, when he and his wife were getting ready to go out one evening, that he tried on one of his old shirts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt fit me like a kid putting on his dad\u2019s shirt,\u201d he remembers. By then, he had lost more than forty pounds.<\/p>\n<p>The final results were stunning. At the end of the three-month course, his A1C had dropped to 6.1, and he was completely off all medications. The hospital was so impressed, they featured him in their marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was on billboards,\u201d he says. \u201cYou go to the hospital today, and on certain floors, there\u2019s a poster of me up there with my story. I like to tell people\u2014especially people who knew me in my oil field days\u2014that I was actually the face of health in West Texas for a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"blog-quote\">\n\t\t<div class=\"the-quote\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"quotes\">\u201c<\/div>\n\t\t\t\u201cThroughout your journey with diabetes, you always hear the phrase, \u2018Food is medicine.\u2019 But one thing you don\u2019t get taught is how, or why. Why is food medicine?\u201d\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"author no-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike Carrillo<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEscoffier Online Plant-Based Culinary Arts Graduate, Executive Director of Culinary Arts at Odessa College\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<p>Five years later, Mike has maintained a 100-pound weight loss and remains medication-free. But the most profound change was internal. He had discovered a purpose: sharing the healing power of plant-based eating with other diabetics.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHaving that happen to me, actually living it, blew my mind,\u201d he says. \u201cI felt like I had this mission. I felt like diabetics needed to know about this. Because I\u2019d been in their shoes, I understand how they feel.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>After the Crisis, Inspired to Head Back to School<\/h2>\n<p>Eager to share what he had learned, Mike first pursued certification as a health coach. But after completing the program, he felt he still wasn\u2019t able to reach people the way he wanted to. That\u2019s when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/success-stories\/escoffier-alumni-share-why-i-chose-this-school\/\">he discovered Escoffier<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The decision to enroll in culinary school wasn\u2019t immediate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor a few years I went back and forth with Escoffier,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI would call them, talk to them a little bit. I didn\u2019t know if it was right for me.\u201d Previous attempts at education had never worked out, and he was hesitant to try again. But finally, after one more conversation with admissions, Mike felt that his time had come.<\/p>\n<p>Once the program started, everything changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI went from one of those students trying to sit in the back of the class to one of those students that was in front of the class,\u201d he says of his experience with his online program. \u201cI was always asking questions. I always had my hand up. I always did my homework.\u201d For the first time in his life, he had found an educational environment where he truly flourished.<\/p>\n<p>Initially planning to get a certificate, Mike\u2019s enthusiasm for learning led him to pursue an associate\u2019s degree in plant-based culinary arts instead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe closer I got, the more excited I got,\u201d he remembers. \u201cEven when I didn\u2019t know what I was going to do, I was still just excited to know that I graduated with a degree at 50 years old. To me, that was going to be the crowning moment.\u201d*<\/p>\n<p><em>*Information may not reflect every student&#8217;s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_64485\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64485\" class=\"wp-image-64485 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Mike-Carrillo-poses-outdoors-alongside-other-Escoffier-graduates-all-wearing-chefs-coats-toques-and-medallions.-768.webp\" alt=\"Mike Carrillo poses outdoors alongside other Escoffier graduates, all wearing chef\u2019s coats, toques, and medallions.\" width=\"768\" height=\"905\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Mike-Carrillo-poses-outdoors-alongside-other-Escoffier-graduates-all-wearing-chefs-coats-toques-and-medallions.-768.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Mike-Carrillo-poses-outdoors-alongside-other-Escoffier-graduates-all-wearing-chefs-coats-toques-and-medallions.-768-255x300.webp 255w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-64485\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike graduated from Escoffier&#8217;s Plant-Based Culinary Arts Associate Degree program in the spring of 2024.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In the spring of 2024, that crowning moment finally came when Mike graduated with an Associate Degree in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/plant-based-programs\/\">Plant-Based Culinary Arts<\/a>. Little did he know, however, that this culmination was only the beginning of a completely new chapter.<\/p>\n<h2>An Unexpected \u2013 and Life-Changing \u2013 Job Offer<\/h2>\n<p>During his time at Escoffier, Mike had been sharing his culinary journey on social media, posting about his experiences with plant-based cooking and diabetes management. Unknown to him, someone at Odessa College had been following his progress with interest.<\/p>\n<p>One afternoon, Mike received an unexpected phone call\u2014and an even more unexpected request. Would he be interested in leading Odessa College\u2019s culinary program as its department chair? Mike was astonished.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told him, \u2018I didn\u2019t come from an educational background. I\u2019m not any kind of instructor or teacher. My background is in business.\u2019\u201d Despite his doubts, Mike agreed to visit the campus.<\/p>\n<p>What was meant to be a casual visit quickly turned into something more. After sharing his story with a member of the school\u2019s administration, Mike found himself whisked into a series of interviews.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sitting at the end of the table with all these instructors with doctorate degrees,\u201d he remembers. \u201cIt was a little intimidating. But being older, being more experienced, it didn\u2019t terrify me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Two hours later, Mike had navigated a process that typically takes four months and was offered the position of Department Chair of Culinary Arts. The former oil field worker who had once been skeptical of education was now being entrusted with shaping a culinary program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey were like, \u2018We want you. We want you to be part of the team,\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cEverything was fast-tracked. It\u2019s just how my life has been.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_64487\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64487\" class=\"wp-image-64487 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Mike-Carrillo-wears-a-suit-and-tie-and-sits-in-an-armchair-surrounded-by-film-equipment-in-preparation-for-an-interview.-768.webp\" alt=\"Mike Carrillo wears a suit and tie and sits in an armchair surrounded by film equipment in preparation for an interview.\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Mike-Carrillo-wears-a-suit-and-tie-and-sits-in-an-armchair-surrounded-by-film-equipment-in-preparation-for-an-interview.-768.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Mike-Carrillo-wears-a-suit-and-tie-and-sits-in-an-armchair-surrounded-by-film-equipment-in-preparation-for-an-interview.-768-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Mike-Carrillo-wears-a-suit-and-tie-and-sits-in-an-armchair-surrounded-by-film-equipment-in-preparation-for-an-interview.-768-150x150.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-64487\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Unexpected opportunities have opened up to Mike in this new chapter of his life \u2013 from interviews and media coverage to a whole new profession.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>\u201cI Love Coming to Work\u201d: Embracing a New Role<\/h2>\n<p>Taking on the role of department chair meant diving into a world that combined hands-on culinary work with academic leadership. Mike found himself overseeing not just a teaching program, but also a live kitchen that operates as a regular restaurant. His days became filled with everything from helping his lead cook run the kitchen to handling administrative duties and developing curriculum.<\/p>\n<p>In time, Mike was elevated to the role of Executive Director of Culinary Arts, and the college gave him significant autonomy to reshape the program. \u201cThey told me, \u2018This is your program\u2014you tell us how you want to do it,\u2019\u201d he says. He\u2019s using that freedom to create a more cohesive experience across the college\u2019s different campuses, standardizing how the curriculum is taught while incorporating elements from his own education that he found valuable.<\/p>\n<p>What surprised him most was how well his Escoffier education had prepared him for this role.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t realize how ready I was\u2026 until I actually got into it,\u201d he says. \u201cI want to share that same experience with my new program. I want these students to walk out and be able to walk into a kitchen, get asked to do a chef\u2019s test, and know how to pass it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>*Information may not reflect every student&#8217;s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"blog-quote\">\n\t\t<div class=\"the-quote\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"quotes\">\u201c<\/div>\n\t\t\t\u201cI didn&#8217;t realize the amount of education that I\u2019d received from Escoffier until it actually started coming to life for me\u2026 I didn&#8217;t realize how ready I was for the workforce until I actually got into it. I didn&#8217;t realize some of the stuff I knew until I actually started implementing it.\u201d\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"author no-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike Carrillo<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEscoffier Online Plant-Based Culinary Arts Graduate, Executive Director of Culinary Arts at Odessa College\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<p><em>*Information may not reflect every student&#8217;s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Through his new position, Mike has also discovered an unexpected community of Escoffier graduates in West Texas. He\u2019s already hired several as instructors, with more joining his team soon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the things I told HR is, I can vouch for Escoffier graduates,\u201d he says. \u201cI know how they were taught, and I know the skill level of the instructors they were under.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Mike, this role represents more than just a job. It\u2019s a chance to make a difference.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI love getting up, I love coming to work. I love creating,\u201d he says. \u201cI love being able to touch young minds\u2026 Going forward, all these students that will be graduating, it\u2019s going to be a reflection of me, and I feel like I\u2019m a reflection of Escoffier. I want my students to have the same respect for Odessa College when they graduate that I have for Escoffier.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_64488\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64488\" class=\"wp-image-64488 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Mike-Carrillo-leans-on-a-sign-reading-Auguste-Escoffier-School-of-Culinary-Arts-at-the-Austin-Campus.-768.webp\" alt=\"Mike Carrillo leans on a sign reading Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts at the Austin Campus.\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Mike-Carrillo-leans-on-a-sign-reading-Auguste-Escoffier-School-of-Culinary-Arts-at-the-Austin-Campus.-768.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Mike-Carrillo-leans-on-a-sign-reading-Auguste-Escoffier-School-of-Culinary-Arts-at-the-Austin-Campus.-768-300x225.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-64488\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike maintains relationships with other Escoffier grads, and draws inspiration from Escoffier\u2019s culinary programs as he develops his own.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Opening Minds with the Plant-Based Food That Saved His Life<\/h2>\n<p>Despite his administrative duties taking him away from the kitchen more than he\u2019d like, Mike remains passionate about developing plant-based cuisine. Living in the Southwest, he focuses on creating healthier versions of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/culinary-arts\/what-puts-the-tex-in-tex-mex\/\">Tex-Mex<\/a> favorites that focus on more nutritious ingredients while maintaining the flavors people know and love.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t have a book; I actually live these recipes,\u201d he says of his approach to healthy cooking. \u201cWhen I tell you something is diabetic-friendly and healthy, I actually mean it. I\u2019m not just eliminating sugar and sticking Splenda in there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead, he dives deep into the science of cooking, researching everything from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/recipes\/7-substitutes-for-all-purpose-flour\/\">alternative flours<\/a> to innovative techniques for maintaining texture and flavor without relying on conventional fats, sugars, and empty carbs.<\/p>\n<p>His plant-based enchilada soup recently became a hit on campus, opening minds about what healthy eating can taste like. But even when he\u2019s not in the kitchen, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/recipes\/inside-a-chefs-mind-the-process-behind-creating-new-dishes\/\">his mind is constantly working on new ideas<\/a>. \u201cSometimes I lose sleep at night because I literally dream this stuff up. I\u2019ll wake up with an idea and think, \u2018That would work.\u2019\u201d He\u2019s constantly jotting down new recipe concepts, always looking for ways to reimagine traditional dishes through a healthier lens\u2014an approach to culinary creativity he feels he was spurred to embrace at Escoffier.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_64489\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64489\" class=\"wp-image-64489 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Close-up-image-of-a-chile-relleno-with-chipotle-sauce-crema-and-a-bowl-of-pinto-beans-on-a-hand-painted-plate.-768.webp\" alt=\"Close-up image of a chile relleno with chipotle sauce, crema, and a bowl of pinto beans on a hand-painted plate.\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Close-up-image-of-a-chile-relleno-with-chipotle-sauce-crema-and-a-bowl-of-pinto-beans-on-a-hand-painted-plate.-768.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Close-up-image-of-a-chile-relleno-with-chipotle-sauce-crema-and-a-bowl-of-pinto-beans-on-a-hand-painted-plate.-768-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Close-up-image-of-a-chile-relleno-with-chipotle-sauce-crema-and-a-bowl-of-pinto-beans-on-a-hand-painted-plate.-768-150x150.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-64489\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike is always creating plant-based versions of classic dishes \u2013 like this mushroom-and-tofu chile relleno with almond chipotle sauce, plant-based crema, and spiced pinto beans.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Facing the Future with Gratitude<\/h2>\n<p>When Mike first enrolled in Escoffier\u2019s online plant-based diploma program, he never imagined he\u2019d end up leading a culinary arts department of his own.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought I wanted to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/food-entrepreneurship\/how-to-start-your-own-food-truck\/\">open a food truck<\/a>, maybe move it into a brick-and-mortar,\u201d he says. Instead, he\u2019s found himself at the heart of a growing community of culinary professionals.<\/p>\n<p>Together with fellow Escoffier graduates, he\u2019s formed a network that meets regularly to share techniques and recipes. What started as monthly Zoom chats has evolved into a collaborative community of plant-based chefs from across the United States, all supporting each other\u2019s growth and innovation.<\/p>\n<p>While he plans to pursue a bachelor\u2019s degree in culinary management eventually, Mike is focused on his work at Odessa College and embracing new opportunities as they arise; recently, one of his vendors asked him to lead a plant-based cuisine workshop for their chefs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I think about these opportunities,\u201d he says, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have had them without going to school where I did. I think I\u2019m just more grateful for everything because of my age. I strongly feel like I was given a second chance at this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"blog-quote\">\n\t\t<div class=\"the-quote\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"quotes\">\u201c<\/div>\n\t\t\t\u201c[Working in the oilfield,] people think you&#8217;re making all kinds of money. Money is not happiness. You know what I mean? You would think that this would be a stressful job [working in culinary education without an academic background]. But I don&#8217;t feel stressed at all. I love getting up. I love coming to work.\u201d\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"author no-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Mike Carrillo<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEscoffier Online Plant-Based Culinary Arts Graduate, Executive Director of Culinary Arts at Odessa College\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<p><em>*Information may not reflect every student&#8217;s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>\u201cDon\u2019t Put Limitations on Yourself\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>As Mike has leaned into his second chance, he\u2019s given up on selling himself short. One pivotal conversation with an instructor during a baking class at Escoffier crystallized this new perspective.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told [my instructor] I felt like I was starting at the very bottom, because I didn\u2019t have much experience,\u201d he says. \u201cShe said, \u2018I highly doubt that for you\u2014your experience in management, along with your degree, is going to open more doors than you think.\u2019 That still sticks with me today. When things get hard, I can hear my instructor saying it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And now, that commitment to making the most of opportunity is something Mike feels compelled to share with others. When speaking to his students, Mike emphasizes one message above all: don\u2019t put limitations on yourself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn culinary, just like any other degree, you can make it anything that you want,\u201d he tells them. \u201cThe beautiful part is that it\u2019s a combination of not just nutrition, but art. It allows you to express yourself in any way you want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also pushes back against common misconceptions about culinary careers. \u201cPeople think, \u2018Oh, I\u2019m just going to be a line cook, I\u2019m just going to be stuck on the line,\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cBut with culinary, you\u2019re able to create your own pathway. Yes, you\u2019re going to work under some people to get experience\u2014but that experience is helping you create your <em>own<\/em> pathway.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Mike, this creative freedom is what makes culinary education special. \u201cThe world is your canvas,\u201d he says. \u201cHowever you want to paint your world is how you paint it. And there will be an audience for all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Leaning into Potential\u2014at Any Age<\/h2>\n<p>Looking back at how far he\u2019s come, Mike sees his near-death experience as the catalyst that opened his eyes to new possibilities. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of eerie to think about, but had I not almost come to death, I wouldn\u2019t have made these choices,\u201d he says. \u201cMost people would be afraid to make a career change at fifty. I wasn\u2019t. I embraced it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mike had no idea where his path would lead him when he started pursuing a culinary education at Escoffier. Now, as he works to revitalize his school\u2019s culinary program, Mike takes pride in helping others discover their own potential\u2014just as he leaned into his own potential when he embarked on a path that\u2019s allowed him to touch the lives of others with the power of plant-based food. \u201cIt\u2019s funny,\u201d he says, \u201chow your approach to life determines what you get out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re interested in learning more about what a culinary education could mean for you, consider <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/contact-us\/\">reaching out to our Admissions Department<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/admissions-aid\/financing-your-culinary-education\/\">Financial aid, grants, and scholarships<\/a> are available to those who apply and qualify, which could mean that pursuing a culinary education may be more attainable than you think.<\/p>\n\t\n\t<h3 class=\"additional-articles-heading\">DID YOU ENJOY THIS ARTICLE? TRY ONE OF THESE NEXT:<\/h3>\n\n\t\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/success-stories\/how-five-culinary-school-graduates-turned-challenges-into-triumphs\/\">Cooking Up Resilience: How Five Culinary School Graduates Turned Challenges into Triumphs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/success-stories\/geno-vento-redefining-genos-steaks\/\">Geno Vento\u2019s Story: Culinary School &amp; Redefining Philly\u2019s Famous Geno\u2019s Steaks<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/culinary-arts\/how-important-is-auguste-escoffier\/\">Who Was Auguste Escoffier? The Story Behind the King of Chefs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>*Information may not reflect every student&#8217;s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A health crisis gave Mike Carrillo a new perspective on life \u2013 which opened up opportunities he would never have imagined.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":64483,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1371],"tags":[1299,1319],"class_list":["post-64482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-success-stories","tag-career-advancement","tag-plant-based"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u201cI Was Given a Second Chance\u201d: How Escoffier Grad Mike Carrillo Defied Death \u2013 and Found His Calling - Escoffier<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A health crisis gave Mike Carrillo a new perspective on life \u2013 which opened up opportunities he would never have imagined.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/success-stories\/mike-carrillo-second-chance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Escoffier Grad Mike Carrillo Defied Death \u2013 and Found His Life\u2019s Calling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A health crisis gave Mike Carrillo a new perspective on life \u2013 which opened up opportunities he would never have imagined.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64482\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Escoffier\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-23T12:00:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-05T20:03:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/How-Escoffier-Grad-Mike-Carrillo-Defied-Death-social-image.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Larson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"How Escoffier Grad Mike Carrillo Defied Death \u2013 and Found His Life\u2019s Calling\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"A health crisis gave Mike Carrillo a new perspective on life \u2013 which opened up opportunities he would never have imagined.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/How-Escoffier-Grad-Mike-Carrillo-Defied-Death-social-image.webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarah Larson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"17 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u201cI Was Given a Second Chance\u201d: How Escoffier Grad Mike Carrillo Defied Death \u2013 and Found His Calling - 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