PHILADELPHIA, July 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — For more than seven years, Ryshaa Mosley worked in childcare as a daycare teacher. She enjoyed the work but always had a passion for cooking. When she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2009, she said she realized that “life is too short so go after what you want.” What she wanted was to become a chef and she took the first step by enrolling at Star Career Academy in Philadelphia.

After graduating in 2011, Mosley landed a position as a line cook with The White Dog Cafe and dreams of owning her own barbecue soul food restaurant with a “southern home-style” atmosphere.

Going back to school wasn’t easy for this mother of two, but her children both inspired and pushed her to succeed.

“Star was a life altering experience. I would say it was a challenge – not the cooking part, but the academics,” she said. “The very first time I had to miss class was the most difficult day I faced at Star because this was the first time in my life I actually enjoyed coming to school and I didn’t want to miss any lessons.”

At Star, Mosley said she learned many things that have prepared her well for her current position – everything from proper cooking and storing temperatures to knife skills to math and proper measuring. Culinary instructor Chef John McGraph had a great impact on her.

“He taught me that if I got 100 percent every time that there’s no room for growth and without growth there’s no room to learn,” she said.

She says her children helped push her through her culinary education process.

“There was a time when I was ready to give up on school to find a job. My daughter Denisha told me ‘mom stay in school we can do this,'” Mosley recalled. Today, both her daughter and son, Damir, are looking to the culinary industry as both are aspiring chefs. In fact, she and Denisha teamed up to win first place in a pie-baking contest for their caramel crunch apple pie.

Mosley’s favorite food to cook is lamb.

“Everyone I come across tells me they don’t eat lamb, but once they taste mine they’re in love with it,” she said.

For more information, go to www.starcareeracademy.com.

SOURCE Star Career Academy