Living Light Graduate Success Stories
Living Light Culinary Institute is in the business of educating students from around the world and preparing them for career opportunities that support personal and planetary health. We are proud of what our graduates accomplish in the world. They are motivated, resourceful, dedicated, and ready to make a difference. The professional expertise they acquire as Living Light graduates enables them to choose from a variety of career paths including raw food chef, caterer, culinary instructor, health consultant, nutrition educator, food designer, food writer, and recipe book author, among others. Our graduates have been able to embark on careers that are as diverse as they are ambitious. Read some of their inspirational stories here:
Name: Sunita Vira Location: Singapore Career: Owner of The Raw Food Centre, Singapore Certification(s): Associate Chef and Instructor Personal: Traveling, Fundraising Quote: “The Living Light education I received has been the essence of my inspiration. I wear your chef jacket with pride!” Bio: Sunita Vira, a certified Gourmet Raw Food Chef, is founder of The Raw Food Centre, Singapore. With her Indian heritage and background in art, Sunita loves to explore her creative passions with ethnic flavors from many cultures. She enjoys the delicate balance of color, flavor, texture, taste, smell and visual appeal of specialty cuisines like Asian Fusion, Mexican, Indian, Japanese, and Thai. As part of her community and educational outreach, Sunita donated all of the class fees from her initial classes to varied charities. Sunita’s husband’s company agreed to match her donations to benefit a variety of worthwhile causes. The commercial aspect of Sunita’s company will include selling packaged raw food products to retail supermarkets. |
Name: Brenda Hinton Location: Napa, California Career: Living Light Associate Chef and Instructor™, Founder of Rawsome Creations in St. Helena, California Certification(s): Associate Chef and Instructor, Pastry Arts Unbaked Certificate, Kitchen Angel Personal: International Charities, Community Work Quote: “What began as a simple journey has grown into a career path filled with encouragement, growth, creativity, and excitement. I’m now teaching at Whole Foods Markets, assisting international organizations, and helping in many locations throughout the world. The foundation of knowledge and skill I’ve received at Living Light has helped me launch projects I would not have dreamed possible!” Bio: A certified Living Light Associate Chef and Instructor who now teaches at Living Light, Brenda is the founder of Rawsome Creations in St. Helena, California. Brenda’s passion is teaching others how to prepare gourmet raw foods. She also helps support two charities in Indonesia with revenues from her line of nut milk bags, fair trade produced in Bali. One of the projects dearest to Brenda’s heart is her position as Project Director for the Ceres Community Project in Napa Valley. She loves the educational part of this important community effort, which weaves together relationships between farmers, local food producers, young people, and those with health challenges. Brenda will be one of the Living Light instructors taking FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods™ on the road. |
Name: Beate von der Osten Location: Japan Career: Raw Food Science & Culinary Arts Educator, Japanese Translator Certification(s): Associate Chef and Instructor, Gourmet Raw Food Chef and Instructor, Benefits of Raw Food Nutrition Certification, Advanced Raw Food Nutrition Education Certification, Instructor Empowerment Kits Personal: Marathons & Triathalons Quote: “I am extremely grateful to Living Light Culinary Institute for both my culinary training and the Science of Raw Food Nutrition courses. I’ve been provided with a rock-solid foundation enabling me to pass on my knowledge here in Japan. My scientific appetite for factual information was satisfied when I attended Drs. Rick and Karen Dina’s classes on the Science of Raw Food Nutrition. The facts just blew me away. I was given extremely well researched and undisputable proof of the reasons a well-balanced raw food diet with an emphasis on greens is so beneficial for health.” Bio: German native Beate von der Osten is both a Living Light Gourmet Raw Food Chef and a Science of Raw Food Nutrition Advanced Educator who lives and works in Japan. She created a 24 classroom-hours lecture series on the Science of Raw Food Nutrition, which she teaches in Japanese under the auspices of The Japan Beauty Association. Japan, like other modern industrialized countries, faces health challenges including Type II Diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and childhood obesity. |
Name: Chad Sarno Location: Austin, TX Career: Whole Foods Market Certification(s): Professional Raw Food Chef and Instructor Personal: Loves to travel, enjoys fine dining and organic wine bars Quote: “Living Light has had an important impact on my path and has inspired countless others. I honor Cherie and her vision, and offer high respect, praise, appreciation, and of course my support in all that Living Light continues to achieve in the world. Cherie Soria has been a huge influence on my life, and I’ll always be grateful.” Bio: Chad began as a Living Light student, and continued his education, becoming a Living Light Certified Professional Raw Food Chef and Instructor. He was head chef and one of our esteemed instructors at Living Light in the early years, traveling the world with us and building relationships in the raw community. He has since gone on to do amazing things in the world, to international acclaim. Chad partnered with a boutique international lifestyle company based in central Europe as Executive Chef and Concept Developer and launched the SAF restaurant brand; an exciting fine dining, green gastronomy concept highlighting health supportive cuisine and organic wine bars. With Chad’s expertise, the company successfully launched restaurants in Istanbul, Munich, and London. Chad is currently working with Whole Foods Market co-creating and assisting with the launch of a company-wide Healthy Eating Initiative driven by CEO John Mackey. He is a Living Light graduate to watch! |
Name: Jaylene Johnson Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho Career: Raw Food Instructor, Raw Nutrition Educator Certification(s): Associate Chef and Instructor, Gourmet Raw Food Chef and Instructor, Benefits of Raw Food Nutrition Certification, Advanced Raw Food Nutrition Education Certification Personal: Active Mom to 8 children Quote: “Part of the joy of the Living Light experience comes from meeting people from literally, ALL over the world. I recently stayed at Living Light Inn, and the feeling there of kindness and cooperation is something very special. I have counted my blessings for finding Living Light Culinary Institute so often. Cherie has had a significant impact on my life, and I know there are people all over the world who feel the same way I do. I can say ‘thank you’ best by sharing what I have learned with all those who have the interest and desire to learn.” Bio: Gourmet Raw Food Chef and Advanced Raw Food Nutrition educator Jaylene Johnson lives in Idaho, and is the mother of eight children. Jaylene has always had an interest in health and fitness. When she experienced a life-changing health challenge in 2001, she realized that she needed optimum health and energy to complete the task of mothering her large family. She began classes when Living Light was still at Harbin Hot Springs, and in 2006, brought her daughter Kelsi to Living Light to study gourmet raw cuisine with her mother at the age of twelve. Kelsi has continued with her raw food journey and is now a wonderful raw food chef in her own right. Jaylene continues to teach raw foods and raw food nutrition in her community. |
Name: Chantale Roy Location: British Columbia, Canada Career: College Professor, Cafe Owner Certification(s): Associate Chef and Instructor Personal: Spending time with her two children and enjoying the out-of-doors Quote: “Spending a month at Living Light and returning again both as a student and as a Kitchen Angel has been a true healing experience in my life,” says Chantale. “It has helped me remember who I am. I am free to create, to live, to love, and to be all that I am meant to be.” Bio: Living Light Associate Chef and Instructor Chantale Roy has done a lot of interesting things with her Living Light education. She opened a café, Rawfreshing Cuisine, in Nelson, B.C. and is co-creator of a line of raw chocolates, Rawsta Flora Organics. She has also collaborated in designing and developing more than 20 manufactured raw products. Currently she works with varied organizations in consulting and product development, and is writing a raw recipe book in French and English. Teaching is her number one priority, and she is the first Living Light graduate to teach raw foods at the university level, at the University of British Columbia, where she created an innovative introductory program teaching raw vegan cuisine. |
Name: Made Runatha Location: Bali Career: Gourmet Raw Food Chef Certification(s): Associate Chef and Instructor, Gourmet Raw Food Chef and Instructor Personal: Loves food garnishing; Carved all the Living Light Inn Halloween pumpkins in 2009 Quote: “His practical skills and knowledge combined with his natural born creative culinary talents combine to make Made one of the leading chefs in Asia and we are all very grateful to Living Light.” ~ Lahra Tatriele, co-owner and founder Fivelements Puri Ahimsa Bio: Chef Made Runatha, a Living Light Gourmet Raw Food Chef is making a name for himself at one of the finest facilities in Asia. At Fivelements Puri Ahimsa, Chef Made is surrounded by tropical beauty, creating gourmet living food for the beautiful healing retreat center nestled along the Ayung River in Bali. Fivelements is part of an eco-conscious business hoping to promote peace among nations through an alliance of healing centers worldwide. As a classically trained chef, he’s especially excited about the discovery of new flavors as he revisits the classics with knowledge gained at Living Light in marinating, dehydrating, sprouting, and flavor combining in exciting new ways. |
Name: Judita Wignall Location: Long Beach, California Career: Raw Food Instructor, Recipe Book Author, Actress, Musician Certification(s): Associate Chef and Instructor Personal: Loves rock-and-roll music Quote: “I’m so grateful that I followed my passion and attended Living Light. I could never have done all I have so quickly without the expert training I received. I now have a book deal with a great publishing company, I’ve been invited to teach classes all over the country, I’m developing products for clients, and I’ve been invited to cater retreats in beautiful, tropical locations. I had no idea of the varied opportunities that exist in the world of raw food, and I’m beyond excited to see where this road will take me to next.” Bio: Living Light Associate Chef and Instructor Judita Wignall is a musician and actress who loves rock and roll. Her all girl band the Halo Friendlies earned a gold record with a version of Me vs. the World. Judita is the “Judy Nails” character in the wildly successful video game Guitar Hero, and she has appeared on episodes of CSI: New York, Charmed, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Judita came to raw foods a little reluctantly. Previously she had never enjoyed being in the kitchen, but when she realized how nourishing and healing raw food cuisine can be, everything changed. Dropping 15 pounds in just one month, Judita noticed that she had lots of energy and a mental clarity she hadn’t felt in ages. She became “obsessed” with making raw food as delicious as possible, and bought every raw food book she could find. When she came to Living Light she had no idea of how the training would change her life. Energized and inspired, she couldn’t wait to start teaching classes and coming up with her own repertoire of raw food recipes. She found herself a working Hollywood actress by day and a raw chef by night. Judita’s first recipe book is "Going Raw." |
Name: Kirsten Gum Location: Ecuador Career: Travel TV host & Owner of “Raw Trips” retreats Certification(s): Associate Chef and Instructor, Gourmet Raw Food Chef and Instructor Personal: Loves yoga, hiking & traveling Quote: “I was blessed to come to Living Light and gained so much knowledge and love from them that now I feel it is my duty in life to go out and share with others. I love being able to show people that you can eat yummy foods with beautiful five-star presentation that is also good for your body. I came here for personal enrichment and it’s turned into a career.” Bio: Living Light Gourmet Raw Food Chef Kirsten Gum’s fun-loving spirit and passion for extreme experiences have helped her build an unconventional career, first in television and adventure travel, and now with the healing power of raw food and her company Raw Trips. Her main focus is to bring gourmet raw food to the mainstream. A certified yoga instructor, Kirsten loves teaching others how to live a green, sustainable lifestyle and sets a great example. She gave up her car several years ago, and keeps fit with running, biking, hiking, and daily yoga. Raw Trips does weekend retreats and week-long immersions offering raw food instruction, yoga classes, meditation, travel excursions, and entertainment. Raw Trips retreats also include the cultural and historical aspects of beautiful places like Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador. |
Would you like more information about becoming a Living Light Student? Call an enrollment specialist today at (800) 816-2319 or (707) 964-2420...they would love to help you!
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