Nethmi Madhushani

If we are to take a lesson from the life of Merrill J. Fernando, it would be his philosophy in business.

The most important thing you can do for someone is to share what you have with those around you.’ My dream is to become a restaurateur, a successful chef but someday, I would like to be able to share what I have learnt with aspiring young chefs like myself, encourage girls to dream bigger and help one another regardless of who we are, what we believe, or where we’re from.

The Empower Culinary and Hospitality School - East exceeded my expectations in every way. It is the place where I first learnt to wield the knife like a chef, make friends from different cultures and be an independent person. Today, I work as the only female chef at the Ceylon Tea Trails. Being able to learn on the job has been such a great experience. I am not afraid to take charge in the kitchen. I work
alongside a dedicated team of chefs - cleaning, preparing, cooking and plating. It’s been six months and I am happy about my progress. This is just the beginning. Every day, I challenge myself to go that extra mile as I continue my quest for perfecting my skills and knowledge that would give me an edge in the culinary and hospitality industry