Volunteer of the Month: Priti Vakil

Lauren Ballard
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Priti Vakil
Nine years ago, Priti ventured into the kitchens of the International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Houston and hasn't looked back since. She earned her second degree in Culinary Arts at night while working as a Senior Enterprise Account Executive in the IT and Communications field by day.  In 2005, she graduated and, soon after, started a family. These days, Priti still works at Verizon Enterprise Solutions during the day and explores culinary pursuits in the evenings and on weekends. Her husband and two sons reap the rewards and health benefits of Priti's culinary training.

Priti is drawn to the Recipe for Success mission and has hopes of taking it transcontinental. Her long-term dream is to return to India with her family and to impact the eating and nutrition education of a few small communities in the central region of India in the state of Gujarat.

Priti discovered Recipe for Success through a friend at her local moms' organization, Bellaire Young Mothers. Soon after, Priti became a dedicated volunteer and supporter of the RFS.  She has played an active part in practically every aspect of Recipe for Success. First, she became a member of the Spice Guild and a volunteer at Rodriguez Elementary. She loved helping children learn how to make healthy decisions. Now, due to her schedule, most of her volunteer work centers around evening events like Small Bites and Dress for Dinner.  Priti looks forward to returning to the classroom and gardens as soon as she has a few free hours in her daytime schedule.

When Priti is not playing her role as Senior Account Executive, spending time with her family, volunteering her time at RFS events, she is reading, traveling, cooking or doing some combination of the three. This April, Priti and her family went to Italy and took classes with the local farmers and families. They learned to cook fresh, regional Perugian dishes including pizzas, pastas and desserts that require minimal ingredients, optimal flavor and come from the local farms.  Priti was amazed at how these farmers practice everyday what we are trying to teach our children here in the States: local fresh produce with simple ingredients and simple techniques.


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